ArmInfo. The COVID-19 Free Travel Program is fully operational. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan stated this on February 4 at a meeting of the Armenian government.
According to him, since February 1, when the program was launched, providing for free departure of Armenian citizens to Russia and Belarus with a negative coronavirus test, 3,900 people were able to leave Armenia. In turn, 3400 people entered Armenia. Of the total number of travelers, 1,423 people entered Armenia with Armenian passports, and 1,263 passengers left with the same documents. 7 citizens were denied entry to the territory of the Russian Federation, who submitted paper documents confirming that they did not have COVID-19, which aroused the suspicions of Russian border guards. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the application "Traveling without COVID-19" is effective enough, there is only a problem with the data of children in smartphones. But it too, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, will be resolved in the near future.
Mher Grigoryan also said that from February 15 the air communication between Armenia and Russia will be resumed. There will be four daily flights in one direction and another. The government will conduct monitoring for three days in order to assess the situation and make the necessary decisions when possible problems arise.
In turn, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted the importance of opening transport links with the Russian Federation. He noted that this fact can become a serious factor for the revitalization of the country's economy and the restoration of tourism. The head of government stressed that many fellow citizens have not had the opportunity to fly to Armenia since last year to meet with their relatives and friends. Now this problem is being solved.
It should be noted that from February 1 to March 1, Armenia, Russia and Belarus are implementing a pilot program "Travel without COVID-19", according to which passengers traveling from Armenia to Russia and in the opposite direction will be able to cross the state border in the event of a negative coronavirus test result. valid for a maximum period of 72 hours. The program will allow you to have the test result for Covid-19 in the form of a QR code in the mobile application. To do this, you must take a test in one of the approved laboratories. At present, 7 laboratories provide this service in Armenia.
On the eve of the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decision according to which Russia from February 15 on a reciprocal basis resumes air traffic with Armenia and Azerbaijan. "It was decided to resume from February 15, 2021 on a reciprocal basis the international flights with Azerbaijan (Moscow- Baku, two flights a week) and Armenia (Moscow-Yerevan, four flights a week), "the Russian government said. In March 2020, Russia suspended all commercial passenger flights abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.
