YEREVAN. – Three servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces tested positive for coronavirus, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said in a statement.

Despite preventive actions in the army, it was impossible to prevent the spread of virus in the army as contract servicemen are in a daily contact with civilians.

“Three servicemen tested positive for COVID-19. One of family members of one of the servicemen tested positive earlier. The confirmed cases are interconnected and are related to one of the virus hotbeds in the country. According to epidemiological studies, the servicemen were previously isolated, which significantly reduced the risk of further spread of the infection,” the minister said.

All three servicemen are hospitalized, they do not have pneumonia. One of them has a slight increase in body temperature, two others do not have any symptoms.

“At the same time, the circle of contacts of military personnel has been clarified. Those who contacted them are isolated. They also have strict daily controls and the necessary conditions. In order to test the virus, 32 more servicemen were tested,” he said.

Anti-epidemic measures are underway at a military unit that is located at a considerable distance from the front line, he added.

“At the same time, I consider it necessary to emphasize once again that the Defense Army [Artsakh Defense Army] has not yet recorded a single case with a symptom of coronavirus disease.

Strict restrictions are applied to prevent infection, and daily monitoring of the health status of military personnel is held in the army,” he assured.

The minister added that the number of cases of other equally dangerous infectious diseases has decreased sharply, which clearly indicates the effectiveness of the preventive measures.