YEREVAN — Armenia has detected its first confirmed case of a coronavirus infection, that of a 29-year-old man who recently returned with his wife from Iran, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a post on Facebook.
Pashinyan said in his post on March 1. “Dear compatriots, about two hours ago we confirmed a case of coronavirus, unfortunately.”
Health Minister Arsen Torosyan confirmed the news as well.
Pashinyan said the man, an Armenian citizen, arrived by plane from Tehran on February 28 and later went to the hospital for treatment. He is in good condition, the prime minister said.
Pashinyan said all people the victim has had close contact with will be quarantined.
He added that all of the passengers on the flight with him from Tehran had been wearing face masks and were escorted from the airport under previously set precautions for people traveling from Iran.
A total of 30 people will be quarantined he said. They will be provided with high-level isolated accommodation services.
Iran has become the hot spot for the disease in the Middle East. An Iranian Health Ministry spokesman on February 29 said nine people died from the COVID-19 virus over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of reported deaths to 43 amid 593 confirmed infections.
