On 22 June, Armenia’s Health Minister Arsen Torosyan stated that currently 504 patients with coronavirus in the country were in serious condition, 123 patients are in critical condition and 44 people are connected to ventilators.

The day before, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that three large oxygen producing stations were delivered by a cargo plane from China, which will be given to the Nork Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital, the Scientific Centre for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, and the Surb Astvatsamayr Medical Centre. He said centralized oxygen stations would also be delivered to the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Centre, the Police Hospital and the Mikaelyan Institute of Surgery. 

Pashinyan also warned that another lockdown would have dire impacts on the  country’s economy. “If God forbid, our numbers grow so much that we will be forced to return to lockdown, we will lose not 71,000 but 150,000 jobs and this time the restoration will be either very slow, or it may not [occur] at all,” he said.

Teams of Russian and Lithuanian medics arrived in Armenia to help their Armenian colleagues fight the pandemic more effectively. The Armenian health ministry said that the medics were among about 50 healthcare workers in Russia who have expressed readiness to treat Covid-19 patients kept in Armenian hospitals. “The arrival of the next group is expected in early July,” the ministry added in a statement. Seven French doctors travelled to Armenia on June 14 on a similar 10-day mission supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development. They are expected to be replaced by another French medical team later this week.

The current tally of infected persons in Armenia stands at 21 006 with 372 reported deaths.

In Azerbaijan, the special quarantine regime was extended until 1 August. The activities in the following areas of work and services were suspended: 1) operation of large shopping centres, except for grocery stores and pharmacies; 2) on-site services to customers in public catering facilities; 3) activities of museums and exhibition halls; 4) activities of barbershops, beauty salons and cosmetic services; 5) activities of educational institutions (except for online exams, competitions and interviews); and 6) outdoor sport competitions and games.

The infection rates in the country had also been announced. Baku amounted for 52% of the infection cases in the country, followed by Absheron (15,3%), Ganja-Gazakh region (10,3%), Aran (8,1%), Lankaran (6,4%), Guba-Khachmaz (1,7%), Shaki-Zaqatala (1,5%), Shirvan (1,5%) and  Upper Karabakh (1.2%).

Under the assistance of the EU, 10 000 transparent masks, 10 000 protective masks, 8 000 protective suits, and 140 000 respirator masks have been brought to the country. 

The current tally of infected persons in Azerbaijan stands at 13 207, with 161 reported deaths.

Meanwhile, the situation in Georgia is still stable counting a total of 911 infected persons and 14 reported deaths.