The Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan, was distributing masks and asking citizens to uphold the anti-pandemic rules in the Shengavit administrative district of Yerevan. He approached an elderly man and said that he noticed the man was not wearing a mask. “It’s hard to breathe,” the man said. “But the mask prevents you from getting sick and being in serious condition,” the minister said. In response, the man showed the minister the poor quality of the mask, saying that he had just purchased it, but the loops for the ears had already torn. “Especially in the evening, when people think that they can’t be seen, they like to avoid wearing masks unlike in the daytime. Our goal is to change this,” Arsen Torosyan said during a live video while answering the Public Radio’s question.
According to Torosyan, wearing masks needs to be mandatory for public health. Regarding the situation, the minister said that they are able to hospitalize everyone who needs it, but with every 500 new cases, 7-8 deaths are being registered, which is already a tragedy. Therefore, the situation cannot solely be measured based on the abilities of the healthcare system. “I am asking that people avoid participating in all events, including funerals,” Arsen Torosyan told the citizens.
Luiza Sukiasyan
