On 6 January, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declined to attend a Christmas mass celebrated by the Armenian Catholicos Garegin II, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason.

“Due to the pandemic situation, the prime minister is self-isolat[ing],” stated Pashinyan’s spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan. The country’s Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan and other key members of Pashinyan’s political team were also absent from the mass. The only senior state official present at the liturgy was the country’s Prosecutor-General Artur Davtyan. Earlier, a group of opposition supporters warned that they would try to bar Pashinyan from entering the Yerevan cathedral if he decides to attend the Christmas mass. The country’s President Armen Sarkissian was also diagnosed positive with Covid-19. 

The spokesperson of Armenia’s Health Ministry Alina Nikoghosyan stated that the quarantine in the country would be extended to further 6 months. In the past 24 hours, Armenia recorded  201 new cases of the virus and 11 deaths, bringing the total tally to 161,054 cases and 695 deaths.

Meanwhile in Georgia, the curfew was lifted for the liturgy. The government, despite allowing an exception on Christmas Eve, was urging citizens to celebrate the holiday only with their family members and avoid mass gatherings. Notably, due to the pandemic, no traditional Alilo March would be held this year.  

It was also reported that the movement of municipal and intercity transport, the operation of trade facilities and open and closed markets would resume in the country, except for weekends, starting form 18 January. In the past 24 hours, Georgia reported 1,800 new cases of the virus and 20 deaths, bringing the total tally to 233,879 cases and 2,666 deaths.

News also emerged from Azerbaijan in relation to the pandemic. Namely, the Chairman of the country’s Parliament’s Committee on Labor and Social Policy Musa Guliyev stated that the negotiations on the supply of vaccines against Covid-19 were completed, and four million doses of the vaccine will be delivered to Azerbaijan by late January. Earlier, the Board Chairman of the Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units Ramin Bayramli noted that Azerbaijan has chosen the same vaccine as Turkey and all arrangements have already been reached. In the past 24 hours, Azerbaijan reported 685 new cases and 27 deaths, bringing the total tally to 222,885 cases and 2,845 deaths.