The anti-epidemic situation in penitentiary institutions is fully under control

13/03/2020

The Ministry of Justice informs that the anti-epidemic situation in penitentiary institutions is fully under control: COVID-19 cases have not been recorded and there are no patients with clinical signs typical of that disease.

For the purpose of preventing penetration of coronavirus disease to the penitentiary institutions, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, the Penitentiary Service and the "Penitentiary Medical Centre" SNCO have undertaken and will continuously undertake preventive and protective measures aimed at protection of the life and health of persons held in confinement.

In particular, necessary medical examination, including temperature measurement and external examination activities are regularly carried out among persons deprived of liberty, the detainees and convicts complaining about their health are immediately being subjected to more advanced examination and diagnostic examination. Awareness raising activities — among the detainees and convicts, as well as the officials and employees of penitentiary institutions — on the signs of the new virus, as well as the necessary sanitary-hygienic measures for not being infected are also carried out on a periodic basis.

Moreover, relevant explanatory works have been carried out and based thereon, strict control has been established over the visits of relatives of detained persons and convicts to penitentiary institutions.

The Penitentiary Service assures that there are no grounds for panic in penitentiary institutions: meanwhile, we urge once again the relatives of persons deprived of liberty to refrain from visiting penitentiary institutions, the necessity whereof is conditioned by the importance of protection of the life and health of detainees and convicts.