Within EU-funded COVID-19 Solidarity Programme for the Eastern Partnership countries AFEW International prepares regular updates on the COVID-19 developments in the region – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. What is the situation today? Please, check it here!
You can find previous updates in the COVID Corner on our website.
As for 21.06.2021
Regional overview
The number of coronavirus cases per population ratio since the start of the active phase of the pandemic (April 1 2020) in the 6 countries of the EaP
Source: Sciences Po Media lab Coronavirus Country Comparator
Situation report in Armenia
Image: Worldometer
Cases of COVID-19
— Armenia is reporting 77 new infections on average each day, 4% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on November 1.
Measures to contain the epidemic
— The quarantine in Armenia declared on January 11 is still in place till July 11, 5 p.m.
— Since June 1 masks are optional outdoors; on July 1, masks for vaccinated people will be optional indoors.
Vaccine
— A total of 55,557 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in Armenia since the beginning of the vaccination program in the country in mid-April, the Ministry of Health said on Monday, June 14. Armenia is currently using AstraZeneca and CoronaVac vaccines to inoculate people aged above 18, while those with underlying health conditions and healthcare and social care workers under the age of 54 are getting Sputnik-V shots. Foreigners currently residing in Armenia too can receive the jabs free of charge.
Situation report Azerbaijan
Image: Worldometer
Cases of COVID-19
— COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Azerbaijan, with 46 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 1% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on December 14.
Measures to contain the epidemic
— Azerbaijan has eased coronavirus restrictions on May 31. People are no longer required to wear face masks in public places, Baku Metro and inter-city travel have also resumed on May 31. The country made it mandatory in June 2020 to wear masks to stem the spread of COVID-19.
— Vaccine passport: Since June 10, Azerbaijan requires a vaccination passport for entry to gyms and recreational facilities such as pools, as well as mosques.
Vaccine
— The second batch of Sputnik V arrived from Russia on June 10.
— Two hospitals in Baku began offering the Pfizer vaccine on June 7, state media reported. There are 218,000 doses available.
—As per the official data as of June 4, a total of 900,000 people (10% of the country’s population) have been fully vaccinated and 600,000 have only received the first shot of vaccine.
Situation report Belarus
Image: Worldometer
Cases of COVID-19
— COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Belarus, with 834 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 43% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on December 15.
Measures to contain the epidemic
— The Healthcare Ministry’s anti-coronavirus recommendations remain the same – social distancing, limiting face-to-face contact, avoiding crowds, wearing masks.
— The Healthcare Ministry of Belarus has updated the red list of countries. Nine states were removed from the red list on 16 June. These are North Macedonia, San Marino, Monaco, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Moldova and Serbia.
Vaccine
— There is no need for compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in Belarus, President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he spoke with the personnel of Minsk Children’s Clinical Hospital No.2 on June 19.
— As of June 10, more than 656,000 Belarusians have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over 358,000 of them have already got two shots.
— The Belarusian Healthcare Ministry is waiting for Russia to greenlight the use of 180,000 doses of the second component of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Situation report Georgia
Image: Worldometer
Cases of COVID-19
— Georgia sees a decrease in COVID-19 cases. Georgia has been reporting 132 infections per 100K people last 7 days and 702 new infections on average each day, 16% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on December 10.
— Two new confirmed cases of the Indian strain of Covid-19 virus have been identified in Georgia, National Centre for Disease Control head Amiran Gamkrelidze said on June 20. As reported by the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Gamkrelidze said the confirmation of the new cases brought the total number of identified infections with the strain in the country to 20.
Measures to contain the epidemic
— Travellers from around the world can now visit Georgia restriction free if they can demonstrate that they’ve had two doses of the vaccine.
Vaccine
— Covid-19 vaccination centres will be set up in shopping malls starting July. Mass Covid-19 immunisation will start throughout Georgia in July when the country will receive additional doses of various vaccines. Georgia will start importing different types of Covid-19 vaccines in July. By the end of 2021, there will be over 3.6 million doses of vaccines in the country.
Situation report Republic of Moldova
Image: Worldometer
Cases of COVID-19
— Moldova has been reporting 14 infections per 100K people last 7 days and 55 new infections on average each day, 3% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on March 28.
— On June 16 in Moldova, for the first time in almost a year, not a single fatal case from coronavirus was registered. The Ministry of Health of Moldova noted that the number of deaths from coronavirus has decreased from 40 or more a day at the beginning of the year to 3-4 cases per day in the past few weeks.
Measures to contain the epidemic
— The state of emergency in the health sector is still in effect in Moldova until August 15.
Vaccine
— On 11 June, a new batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Moldovan capital Chisinau. The 100,800 doses are provided under the Team Europe initiative. They were offered by Romania via the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism. With these deliveries, Moldova has so far received around 650,000 vaccines through the COVAX platform, supported by Team Europe, and the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union.
— The Ministry of Health of Moldova said that recently, fewer people are interested in getting vaccinated against coronavirus, so the rate of vaccination is decreasing. The drop in vaccination rates is occurring almost daily and, according to the Ministry, the trend is worrying.
Situation report Ukraine
Image: Worldometer
COVID-19 cases
— An average number of new infections reported each day in Ukraine falls by more than 2,500 over the last 3 weeks, 17% of its previous peak.
— COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Ukraine, with 850 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 5% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on April 8.
Measures to contain the epidemic
— On June 16, Ukraine’s government has extended COVID-19 lockdown measures until August 31 but eased some of the restrictions. All Ukrainian regions are now in the “green zone”.
Vaccine
— Ukraine, which has maintained lockdown restrictions though the number of new COVID-19 infections has fallen, on June 17 set a record for the daily number of coronavirus inoculations with 76,538 Ukrainians being vaccinated. That compared with the previous record of 73,376 shots on April 29. The government has said the country is set to receive around 40 million doses of vaccines from various makers, and that 1,594,083 people have had their first shot as of June 16.
— Almost every second Ukrainian plans to be vaccinated against coronavirus, while 19% of citizens intend to do this in the near future, the same number plan to be vaccinated later, another 10% will be vaccinated only when they have to do it for formal reasons, according to the results of the survey entitled “Attitude of Ukrainian citizens to vaccination against COVID-19,” held by the Razumkov Center from May 21 to May 26.
— On 3 June 2021, Ukraine received 705,600 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the EU-supported COVAX Facility, bringing to more than 1.6 million doses the total number of COVID-19 vaccines so far been delivered to Ukraine via COVAX.
— Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on June 16 that Estonia would allocate 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Ukraine.
Interesting reads
— EU NEIGHBOURS: COVID-19 in Georgia: EIB to support procurement of vaccines and medical equipment with €50 million read.
— JAM news: Why are Azerbaijanis reluctant to get vaccinated against Covid-19? read.
— OBC Transeuropa: Vaccines in Armenia: a struggling campaign read.
— The National News: Armenia becomes quarantine hub for hundreds of Indians returning to the UAE read.
