On 31 March, 2020, members of the group of public observers (hereinafter referred to as the Group) carrying out public control in penitentiaries and bodies of the RA Ministry of Justice visited the Armavir penitentiary of the RA Ministry of Justice to find out what preventive work is being carried out in penitentiaries in declared a state of emergency..

During the visit, the observers were informed by the penitentiary administration that all employees were being thermometered before entering the institution. In the morning, the employees are registered in the vicinity of the administrative building of the institution, the social distance between the employees is maintained, and they are one and a half meters apart.

The head of the institution informed that there is an oral instruction from the penitentiary service of the RA Ministry of Justice, according to which all the employees should be measured and disinfected when entering the institution, they should wear masks and gloves, after which they should go to work.

Observers were also informed that there were cases when some of the employees had a fever during the morning thermometry. In that case, they were sent back. In case of need, employees with fever apply to their community polyclinic. There were even cases where they were tested, but the results were negative, and the heat was simply caused by a cold.

As it became clear from the visit, only the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had carried out awareness activities among the detainees.