Armenia dispatches HAZMAT specialist to Tehran to screen passengers on evacuation flight

Armenia has dispatched a healthcare specialist to Tehran to screen and monitor the passengers upon boarding who are bound for Yerevan on the special flight due to airlift 65 people, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said.

On February 25, Armenia imposed a partial shutdown of its border with Iran and suspended air traffic for two weeks amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic. The travel ban does not cover nationals of both countries who want to repatriate, diplomatic staff, government staffers on official visits and freight transport.

Torosyan said all cargo vehicles entering Armenia through the Iran border are being accompanied by medics and police in the Armenian territory. He said Iranian freight transport drivers are under monitoring in Armenia during the entire period of their stay. Monitoring is carried out including in customs warehouses, he said. Armenian citizen drivers are monitored in accordance to their residence addresses in the country.

Torosyan said he ordered the National Center of Disease Control and Prevention to dispatch a specialist to Tehran to screen and monitor the would-be evacuees. The passengers will be instructed on safety measures. The medic will contact Yerevan and convey necessary information for healthcare authorities who will be on stand-by.

Passengers who will have no symptoms will be monitored in their homes, while those displaying symptoms will be tested for the Covid-2019, and if necessary hospitalized.

Torosyan said he ordered his deputy Shavarsh Grigoryan to personally cooradinate the measures at the Yerevan airport.