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Armenia reported its first coronavirus infection on March 1 in a citizen returning from Iran. According to official data, 52 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in the country so far. Most of the coronavirus cases are linked to the Echmiadzin incident in which a woman returned from coronavirus-hit Italy earlier in March and spread the virus at the engagement party of her son.   

On 15 March a coronavirus case was reported in the town of Meghri in a citizen who had been evacuated from Italy.

Speaking at the parliament session on Monday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said two of the new coronavirus cases may have been identified in the town of Charentsavan.

Separately, he said the manufacturing company with coronavirus-infected employees is located in Shengavit Administrative District of Yerevan.

Panorama.am contacted the Ministry of Health to find out if there are coronavirus patients from other towns and cities as well.

“They are from various places,” a source from the ministry said, refusing to disclose the names of the patients.

They noted that the situation could change rapidly, and at the moment it is important to follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Health.

Suren Muradyan, the chief of staff of the Charentsavan Municipality, said that two citizens of Charentsavan are currently undergoing testing. Having been in Yerevan for work, they are suspected to have been infected. He noted that the town is taking the same measures to contain the spread of the virus as other towns of the country. In particular, some state employees work from home temporarily, the buildings of the institutions under the municipality and the vehicles serving Charentsavan-Yerevan route are being disinfected, the official said, adding the town does not have intercommunity transport.

In Muradyan’s words, they are cooperating with the hospital, but so far no clear coronavirus cases have been recorded.

In a post on Facebook, the Meghri Municipality announced the suspension of the intercommunity transport in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Citizen Service Office of the municipality will continue to operate, while other services will be provided in a limited regime, the municipality said, urging Meghri residents to apply to the office only in urgent cases.

The main disinfection works in Echmiadzin started and intensified after Panorama.am's questions addressed to the municipality and the public demand. Now the Yerevan and Echmiadzin Municipalities are regularly reporting and publishing videos on measures to protect public health and prevent the spread of coronavirus.