On 9 June, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hinted that the state of emergency in the country would be extended in order to make the flight against Covid-19 more effective. 

He also stressed that “serious investments” would be made in the country’s polyclinics, which provide primary medical services to the population. ”We are confident that serious funds will be invested in polyclinics in the context of the anti-epidemiological struggle, and the system will significantly strengthen as a result of the fight against the pandemic,” he said.

Pashinyan assured that Armenia will have a much more diversified health care system with improved effectiveness of polyclinics. “At the initial stage, when the polyclinics were only included in the fight against coronavirus, there were some problems and today they are still there, but with every day their number[s are] reducing,” he added.

Following the sacking of the country’s police chief Arman Sargsyan (Caucasus Watch reported), Pashinyan ordered the new Armenian police chief Vahe Ghazaryan to increase the enforcement of social distancing and other rules meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country as the primary task of law enforcement. “The quality of [police work] will continue to be essential in the fight against the epidemic. As much as we realize that the entire police staff is on the verge of exhaustion, new impetus should be given [to police efforts] no matter how impossible that may seem,” he said.

The Armenian Ministry of Health petitioned for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to task it’s embassies to provide foreign assistance to Armenia in the fight against Covid-19. In particular, the appeal highlighted the possibility of Armenian ambassadors inviting foreign physicians, reanimatology specialists, epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, and PCR testers to aid the country. Lithuania and Georgia were the first countries to offer such aid. The Armenian and Georgian Health Ministries also created a permanent platform for the exchange of experience in order to combat the pandemic more effectively.  

Meanwhile, two more textile factories in Armenia suspended their operations on 9 June after dozens of their workers tested positive for the coronavirus. The Armenian government reported that the activities of 2219 enterprises have been suspended to date in the country. It was especially highlighted that the public catering facilities and the sales networks have not complied with the rules imposed by the Armenian government.

Over the past 24 hours, Armenia reported 566 new infection cases and 18 deaths, bringing the total tally to 14 669 cases and 245 deaths.