Thirty-two people that could have contacted the first Armenian patient diagnosed with coronavirus have been quarantined at Golden Palace hotel in the resort city of Tsakhkadzor, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan told reporters today.
In line with international recommendations, people seated close to the man in the plane that carried 82 Armenian nationals to Yerevan, people who drove the patient and his wife home from the airport have been isolated, the Minister said, adding that others are not at risk.
He said, that the fact that the man’s wife has tested negative for the virus, could mean that the risk is too low for the rest. All patients of the two Tehran-Yerevan flights are under control, he added.
“The anti-epidemic measures Armenia is taking to prevent the outbreak of the disease are in line with international recommendations. We are even doing more than better developed and wealthier countries,” the Health Minister stated.
He reminded that Armenia began taking countermeasures on January 22, and all actions have proven effective, with only this single imported cases being recorded so far. A total of 117 tests have been carried out.
Arsen Torosyan noted that people above 50 are more exposed to the disease, while children are not in the risk group.
Early on Sunday Armenia reported the first case of coronavirus. The patient is a 29-year-old man, who arrived in Yerevan from Tehran on February 28. His wife has tested negative for the virus.
Armenia has sealed the land border with Iran and is not planning more flights to capital Tehran after two planes carried 134 Armenian national home from Iran.
The country has also suspended the visa-free regime with People’s Republic of China.
