The Ministry of Health said in the morning that 621 people tested positive for the virus in the past day, up from 360 cases recorded on Tuesday.
The daily number of officially confirmed coronavirus infections in Armenia had steadily and significantly declined since the beginning of November. Only between 100 and 150 cases a day were registered there in late December and the beginning of this month.
Avanesian said that the latest resurgence of the disease reflects the ongoing spread of Omicron. Her ministry reported the first two cases of the variant in the country as recently as on January 9.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, Avanesian said the health authorities will tackle Omicron by continuing to increase Armenia’s vaccination rate, which remains the lowest in the region. Less than a third of its population has been fully vaccinated so far.
Armenia - A man is vaccinated against coronavirus at a mobile vaccination center in Yerevan, October 24, 2021.
The Armenian government hopes that its vaccination campaign will gain fresh momentum with the introduction on Saturday of a mandatory coronavirus health pass for entry to cultural and leisure venues. Only those people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had a recent negative test will be allowed to visit them.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Thursday that the health pass must be strictly enforced by not only government bodies but also the managers of theaters, museums, bars, restaurants and other public venues. He dismissed strong objections to the measure voiced by some restaurant owners.
The rising coronavirus cases have not yet translated into a larger number of deaths. The Ministry of Health said that only one person died from COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The ministry has registered 9,545 coronavirus-related deaths in the country of about 3 million to date.