On 4 May, the Armenian government started lifting the remaining restrictions on people’s movements and allowed the vast majority of businesses, including many cafes and restaurants, to resume their work. 

The country’s Vice-Prime Minister and commandant of the state of emergency Tigran Avinyan said that restrictions on free movement were lifted and there would be no need to fill out the form giving reason for movement, but the ban on public transportation is still in force. In terms of economic restrictions, in addition to the already allowed kinds of activities, the following activities are permitted: 1) the processing industries, including textile, furniture, footwear, printing and others; 2) construction work in their final stage; 3) wholesale and retail trade, but only food stores, agriculture supply and pharmacies 4) the activities of restaurants, bars, cafes and taverns exclusively in open areas; 5) the entire information and communication sector; 6) botanical and zoological gardens and specially protected natural areas and sanctuaries; 7) the activities of sports clubs and facilities, with the exception of sporting events and training with the participation of professional athletes; 8) individual services: washing, cleaning and dry cleaning as well as hairdressers, beauty salons and body care services. In terms of the education facilities, all Armenian universities and schools will remain closed until the end of the current academic year. 

The decision to lift the restrictions came at a peculiar moment. As of 30 April, the Armenian Ministry of Health reported the highest number of new Covid-19 cases in the country, 134 with 2 reported deaths.

Speaking to the public, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told citizens that they have to learn to live with the virus until its vaccine is developed. “Obviously, until March or April of next year, new cases of coronavirus will be recorded until a vaccine is found; so, everything needs to be done to ensure co-existing with new rules. It is  impossible to live in a lockdown  for a whole year,” he said. 

Armenia’s Health Minister Arsen Torosyan announced that the government intends to amend the law on health security. In particular, according to the minister, legislative changes will make it possible to implement isolation, self-isolation and quarantine, not in the whole country, but only in certain settlements or certain regions.

Armenia’s deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Arsen Udumyan stated that the unemployment rate in the country could rise to 19% due to the impacts of Covid-19 on Armenia’s economy. “We expect unemployment in the country to increase by 1.3% in the period following the pandemic and will reach 19% from 1.7%. Speaking in figures, we will have additional 40,000 unemployed in the country,” he said. In his words, unemployment will be most significantly felt in the service sector and catering, and the construction sector will suffer as well to some extent. “We still do not have numbers, but we can already say that the large number of seasonal migrant workers who go to Russia to earn money will also replenish the army of the unemployed in a few months,” he added. Udumyan emphasized that currently 58,900 people were booked at the State Agency of Employment.

The current tally of infected persons in Armenia stands at 2507, with 39 reported deaths.