Azerbaijan launches attempt to declare 2 Armenian officers wanted, latest on Beirut fire, 10.09.20 digest

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 10.09.2020:

• As of 11 am on Thursday, 174 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of cases has reached 45,326 in the country.

Also, one more death from COVID-19 was registered, making the respective total 906 cases.

The number of people who have recovered so far is 41,233, and the number of people currently being treated is 2,908.

And a total of 227,809 COVID-19 tests have been performed to date.

• People who have arrived from other countries to Armenia and who do not want to be quarantined for 14 days can take a COVID-19 test at the airport and get the results in one day.

And if the result is negative, the person may not be quarantined, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told Thursday during the government’s meeting.

• Armenian PM also spoke about the passenger traffic and reopening of borders.

"We have been planning that since mid-September, as far as I understand, the Civil Aviation Committee has been collecting applications so we can find out which airlines are going to resume flights to Armenia. As far as I understand, one or two dozen airlines will resume regular flights to Armenia already in September."

• Armenia has recorded 46 cases of alcohol intoxication (methanol) from August 31 to September 10, and 19 of the cases have resulted in death.

Three patients are still undergoing treatment.

• The Azerbaijani authorities have launched an attempt to declare two Armenian military officers wanted.

Azerbaijani media report, citing the press service of the country's Prosecutor General's Office, that this decision is based on information received from captured Armenian officer Gurgen Alaverdyan.

It is about Alaverdyan's possible fellow servicemen Vazgen Vardanyan and Armen Jamalyan. Both have been charged in absentia in Azerbaijan, and based on what was presented by the Prosecutor General's Office, the Azerbaijani court has ruled that they be arrested.

• On September 16, a protest will be staged in front of the National Assembly (NA) building, in support of the demand to be submitted on the same by the opposition Bright Armenia faction at the NA plenary session, and for Arayik Harutyunyan’s resignation as the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. We learn about this from the Facebook page of the Bright Armenia Party.

"We invite all citizens interested in the issue to take part in the action," it is also said in this Facebook post.

• The fire broke out Thursday in the port of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Eyewitnesses told TASS that a strong fire broke out near the site where the blast took place on August 4.

Fire trucks and ambulances are sent to the scene.