On 3 March, Armenia’s Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan urged everyone in the country to return to the strict regime of wearing masks amid the rise of Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks.

“The low number of cases caused some relaxation among the population and many today don’t wear the masks. But in the last 2 weeks we [are witnessing a rise in cases]. Today 14% of the tests were positive and I ask and urge to return to the strict regime of wearing masks and try to prevent the spread of the virus,” Avanesyan said, adding that wearing masks has a very important role in the prevention of the spread of the virus.

In the past 24 hours, Armenia reported 360 new cases of the virus and 2 deaths, bringing the total tally to 172,816 cases and 3,202.

Meanwhile in Azerbaijan, the vaccination process for teaching and technical staff at general educational institutions started. However, it was also reported that the educational institutions in Baku switched back to distant learning due to the rise of Covid-19 infections with the schools.  The Head of Baku City Education Department Mehriban Valiyeva emphasised that  the closure of schools was not the decision of her department, but is an issue that depends on the rate of infection. “Rules are fully carried out. Vaccination is being applied in order to make it possible to switch to visual teaching. It is necessary to follow quarantine regime rules, and to get vaccinated,” she added. 

In the past 24 hours, Azerbaijan reported 319 cases of the virus and 5 deaths, bringing the total tally to 235,333 cases and 3,230 deaths.

As for Georgia, the main topic of discussion in the country is the arrival of the first doses of the vaccine. The country’s Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia said that communication and negotiations with COVAX were ongoing and expressed her hope that by the end of March, the country would receive the vaccine. “We expect the delivery of the first doses of AstraZeneca to arrive by the end of March and then continue. COVAX explicitly indicates that AstraZeneca will arrive in the country sooner than Pfizer. The date of introduction of Pfizer will be specified after we formulate the terms that they propose. We expect vaccination to start in March,” she said.

Gabunia also clarified the information from 2 March, where InterpressNews reported that Georgia did not meet the readiness requirements for the Pfizer vaccines. “Regarding the part of cooperation with COVAX, of course, all states, including us, have the right to express our dissatisfaction with certain aspects. This communication will take place with both COVAX and COVAX partner, the World Health Organization. This is a working process. We think that yesterday’s misunderstanding is over, and cooperation will continue in the current mode,” she stressed. “By the end of March, we will find out the dates when 29,250 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine enter Georgia,” she added.

In the past 24 hours, Georgia reported 360 new cases of the virus and 9 deaths, bringing the total tally to 271,739 cases and 3,541 deaths.