On March 12, RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan chaired a meeting of the Commission on Coordination of Prevention of Coronavirus in Armenia.

Deputy Prime Minister said:

“We have met again at our Coronavirus Prevention Commission meeting, and you all know that we have a few more cases registered yesterday. Also, 57 people who had direct contact with virus carriers were isolated. They will also be kept in quarantine for the next 14 days.

We have another flight on Sunday organized by the Government of Armenia with Armenia International Airports and one of the Armenian air carriers. I think we will also discuss what measures will be needed in case of those returning to Armenia on that flight and making decisions.

I also think we should look at the introduction of a certain institution of responsibility or more specifically understand how we can ensure the effectiveness of the actual isolation of those in house isolation. Even the World Health Organization does not recommend that all those entering the country be isolated and quarantined, and this is physically impossible. But in order to exercise control over those who are in house isolation, I think that discussion should take place here today, and we have to make decisions again in that regard.”

Issues related to external and internal measures to prevent coronavirus, economic impacts of the infection, as well as scenarios of potential developments were discussed during the session.

It is decided that citizens returning from Italy to Armenia on Sunday, 15 March, will be subject to a 14-day quarantine regime.

The Ministry of Health has been instructed, together with the Ministry of Justice, to propose options for applying responsibility for violators of the home self-isolation regime.

Deputy Prime Minister instructed all state agencies to tighten preventive medical measures.