VIDEO: Winter is Coming, It's Easier to Protect Against the Cold with a Mask, Let Them Wear It - Pashinyan

During today's government meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the coronavirus situation, stating that there has been a significant and serious decline in numbers. He mentioned that extending school holidays by one week has played a certain role in the decrease of cases.

“But we know from the very beginning that once full vaccinations exceed the threshold of 350,000, we will already see an impact on daily numbers, and today the number of fully vaccinated citizens has already surpassed 400,000, which is very good news,” Pashinyan said.

However, the Prime Minister noted that vigilance should not be relaxed. “The way we have managed the coronavirus pandemic since 2020, at least compared to other countries, it cannot be said that it has been poorly managed, which is very good, but our main direction should be vaccinations,” he stated.

Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan also reported that as of yesterday, there have been 592 new cases of coronavirus registered, with 7,666 citizens tested and 40 deaths reported. “In total, 1,168,501 vaccinations have been administered,” she said.

According to the Minister, they are already carrying out revaccinations for citizens who were vaccinated six months ago. “In the next day or two, clear procedures will be established on how citizens can receive their revaccination,” she added. Avanesyan noted that among the 3,124 citizens receiving hospital treatment, 114 are vaccinated. She assured that the vaccines do not affect human reproductive health in any way.

Justice Minister Karen Andreasyan inquired whether it might be possible in the near future to allow not wearing masks in outdoor areas. “But now winter is coming, people's faces will be more protected with masks. It will be much easier to breathe in the biting cold of Yerevan and many regions of Armenia with a mask. So let’s think about that in the spring; just joking, we need to assess based on the situation,” Pashinyan responded.