Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 20.04.2020:

·       The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 1,339 in Armenia, two more deaths reported. According to the latest data, 580 COVID-19 patients have recovered thus far, whereas 22 others have died.

According to health ministry spokesperson Alina Nikoghosyan, the latest coronavirus casualties in Armenia were 62 and 90 years old.

In the meantime, spokeswoman for Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia Arevik Khachatryan noted that an Armenian prosecutor has tested positive for COVID-19. According to her, the prosecutor is feeling well.

By the way, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said during his live stream on Facebook that he has taken a coronavirus test for the third time and the result came negative.

·       The mother who recently gave birth to the child and was infected with COVID-19 has recovered and has tested negative for COVID-19, said Armenian deputy governor of Syunik Province Narek Babayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“The mother and child are feeling very well. The child will be sent home after being tested in a couple of days,” he said.

The woman gave birth to the child on April 16.

·       With no recorded cases of coronavirus and all outstanding tests returning as negative, the Cook Islands government has declared the archipelago a "COVID-19" free zone, DW reported.

The South Pacific island chain with a population of 17,000, is one of the first nations to declare itself such a zone.

In March, when the first cases of this disease were reported in New Zealand, 3,000 km away, restrictions were imposed on the archipelago; but some of them have already been eased.

·       Armenia’s former Minister of Justice Marat Aleksanyan has died at the age of 70 after a long and serious illness. From February 1996 to April 1998, Aleksanyan served as the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia (RA). 

By the decree of the President, he was awarded the high title of RA State Adviser of Justice.

·       [UPDATE] The death toll of shootings in Canada has reached 19, CTV reported referring to police sources.

The police warned that the death toll could increase, as the suspect traveled throughout the province and could shoot some more people.

As reported earlier, police said Sunday night the suspected shooter, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was killed after being intercepted by officers in Enfield, Nova Scotia.
Const. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year member of the force and mother of two, was identified as the officer killed.