Armenia moving to make wearing face masks mandatoryMay 13, 2020 - 15:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is going to make it mandatory for citizens to wear a face mask when leaving their homes. Pashinyan on Wednesday, May 13 strolled through the streets of Yerevan and revealed in a Facebook live that the state of emergency will be extended for a second time. The Prime Minister urged citizens to practice social distancing and said that the government's goal is not to keep people trapped in their homes, but to make them adhere to safety rules. He said that the requirement to wear face masks in public was not introduced earlier because the country could face a shortage of masks. Now, he says, the production of face masks in the country is on the rise, and expressed hope that the price for masks will drop gradually. Armenia has eased most restrictions imposed under the state of emergency, a measure extended until May 14. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia grew by 180 to reach 3718 on Wednesday, according to information provided by the Health Ministry. So far, 1500 people have recovered, 48 have died from the coronavirus in the country, while 21 others carrying the virus have died from other causes. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |