Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenian-related top news as of 15.04.2020:

·       The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 1,111 in Armenia, one more death has been reported.

According to the latest data, 297 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far, whereas 17 others have died in Armenia from the disease.

The latest COVID-19 casualty in Armenia is a 66-year-old-man.

·       The Artsakh health ministry said that another 16 citizens have been tested for coronavirus, Artsakh information headquarters reported.

As of today, six COVID-19 cases have been reported in Artsakh so far.

·       Ex-PM Arayik Harutyunyan received 39,860 votes (84.5%), and serving FM Masis Mayilian received 5,728 votes (12.1%), according to preliminary results of the Artsakh presidential runoff election on Tuesday.

According to Srbuhi Arzumanyan, chair of the Artsakh Central Electoral Commission, the voter turnout was 47,165.

In the meantime, likely president-elect Arayik Harutyunyan held a press conference on Wednesday.

According to him, his opponents’ calls to postpone the elections amid the pandemic are not dictated by concerns, but by the realization of what the result of the vote will be. All statements by political opponents about the postponement were political, he noted.

He also said that he intends to appeal to Armenia's authorities for financial aid.

“I think it will be necessary to discuss with the Armenia's authorities the issue of attracting additional funds,” he told reporters on Wednesday referring to the direct funds to stimulate the economy. 

·       Third President Serzh Sargsyan’s current pretrial measure of a signature bond not to leave the country will not be abolished, Gor Abrahamyan, Adviser to the Prosecutor General told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Sargsyan's lawyers had appealed to the Armenian Criminal Court of Appeal the decision by the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan, which had denied their appeal.

Sargsyan is charged with organizing the theft of half a billion drams from the state budget.

·       Zvarnots International Airport of Yerevan canceled 202 flights in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while Gyumri’s Shirak Airport canceled 13 flights, Armenia International Airports CJSC told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to the company, in the mentioned period, none of the employees of the airport has been fired, and 780 employees are in forced idleness.