Under the instruction of the Commandant for the state of emergency in Armenia, the Armenian government isn’t allowing anyone to open “cargo 200” (military term: coffin made from zinc-ed.) which is brought to Armenia, carrying the bodies of people who have died from COVID-19. This is what Minister of Health of Armenia Arsen Torosyan said in response to a question from deputy of the ruling My Step faction of the National Assembly Sasun Mikayelyan today.

The deputy particularly raised the issue of transport of citizens of Armenia who have died abroad and who are, according to him, brought in coffins made from zinc. He declared that people have complained that they haven’t been able to recognize their relatives because of this and asked maybe there is someone else lying in the coffin. In response, the minister said this is being done to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Documents for sending and receiving the cargo need to be attached to the coffin when the body is transported and transferred,” Torosyan said, admitting that he doesn’t really have an understanding of all the logistics. Afterwards, Mikayelyan declared that a couple of months ago there was a case when the body of a foreigner was brought to the mourners in Armenia by mistake.