YEREVAN. – I'm surprised when asked how additional financial costs can be set for people for being tested. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Friday's Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia, and referring to the fact that as of October 1, when going to work, employees in the country must either submit a document on being vaccinated against the coronavirus, or have to be tested twice a month—and at their own expense.

"No additional cost is being set at all for people because people do not need to make that expense, the state makes sure that all people get the vaccine absolutely free of charge. The person himself chooses whether to make expense or not," the PM said, adding that there is no noteworthy complications in the case of more than 300,000 vaccinations so far in Armenia.

"The next emphasis is that they are trying to see a conspiracy in getting vaccinated. The [Armenian] government itself was the first to be vaccinated. Everyone in this hall is vaccinated if they have no contraindications. I am vaccinated myself, our family members are vaccinated. If we sense—in connection with antibodies—that there is a need to be vaccinated again, we definitely have to do it. Today we [i.e., Armenia] have the capacity to vaccinate up to 10,000 people a day. We are in a marginal condition now, and I must call for following the epidemic rules," Pashinyan said.