I am sorry to say that today we have the first death from the coronavirus in a penitentiary—if I was reported correctly. The Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan announced this Wednesday in the National Assembly of Armenia.

"They are making clarifications, there are certain medical issues, but, initially, they apparently informed that the death was due to the coronavirus," Andreasyan added.

The minister stressed that urgent measures are now being discussed on how to at least temporarily restrict—in severe pandemic conditions—certain movements in order to ensure the health of people in Armenia’s prisons.

"Until now, closed institutions have probably been more protected [from the coronavirus] because the routine there has been more helpful against the pandemic. But now in the case when the virus is more aggressive, even closed institutions have difficulties," Andreasyan said.