Armenia creates a commission to coordinate measures against plague importation

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued decision No. 998-A establishing an interagency commission to coordinate measures preventing plague importation and spread from Russia’s Irkutsk Region. The official register dates it 8 October. The commission is an advisory body.

Under Appendix 1, Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan chairs it, with a deputy health minister as deputy chair. Nine offices are included: the health leadership, national disease-control centre, health and labour inspectorate, foreign affairs ministry, National Security Service, Civil Aviation Committee, rescue service and State Revenue Committee.

The Health Ministry, with the national disease-control centre, must support the commission and supply professional information, risk assessments and response proposals. A secretary and agency representatives/contact officers are to be designated within five working days of entry into force. The first meeting is due within ten working days; an urgent procedure applies before then when needed.

Appendix 2 allows an urgent meeting following information about importation/spread risks, a suspected or confirmed case, or an international official notification, when a competent authority’s preliminary assessment identifies a coordination need. A confirmed case or final laboratory result is not a prerequisite. The chair, ministry and secretary must be informed within 30 minutes; the first urgent meeting must occur within two hours of the initial report, including non-working days.

The national centre must distinguish unverified information and uncertainty in its epidemiological and laboratory assessments. A quorum requires more than half the members, including the chair or deputy. Decisions are by agreement or majority when objections arise; the presiding member breaks a tie. Minutes identifying actions, responsible bodies and deadlines are circulated within six hours after an urgent meeting, or two working days otherwise.

Commission decisions do not replace competent authorities’ legal acts or independently impose duties on individuals and organisations. Quarantine, isolation and restrictions require the legal grounds and separate authority or court acts prescribed by law. The ministry handles official international notifications as national coordinator. Waiting for a meeting must not delay statutory urgent action. This document does not establish actual meeting dates or separate restriction orders.

On 7 October, Avanesyan had already described an operational group monitoring reports and working with WHO (World Health Organization, a United Nations specialized agency) and partners. Stronger arrival checks and temperature screening were contemplated as information developed. The English version was published later. Her account does not establish when such checks began. News of the commission was subsequently carried by the Bulgarian News Agency under its Armenpress agreement.

Register date: 8 October; precise signing, publication and entry-into-force times unestablished. Armenian speech report: 7 October 18:46:00 UTC+4, modified 18:49:52; Irkutsk 22:46:00/22:49:52. English: 20:23:00 UTC+4, modified 20:23:55; Irkutsk 8 October 00:23:00/00:23:55. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Actual speaking time unknown. All sources added on 8 October.