Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on Wednesday enacted law amendments that allow state bodies to access people's cellphone location data to contain the coronavirus epidemic as the COVID-19 case count surpassed 570
YEREVAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2020) Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on Wednesday enacted law amendments that allow state bodies to access people's cellphone location data to contain the coronavirus epidemic as the COVID-19 case count surpassed 570.
Armenia declared a state of emergency from March 16 to April 14 in connection with the outbreak. Since March 25, the operation of all enterprises and organizations, except for those strategically important, has been temporarily suspended. People's movement has also been restricted.
According to the presidential office, given that the approved amendments to laws on a state of the emergency and electronic communication envisage "significant restrictions on human rights," they will be applied by the government as an exceptional measure and only during a state of emergency.
In line with the amendments, mobile operators are obliged to share location data with state bodies during a state of emergency. The only goal of the legislation is to save lives and ensure public health, the office stressed.
The measure comes as the COVID-19 case count in the county has jumped by 39 to 571 over the past 24 hours. The death toll stands at three.
As part of measures to counter the spread of the virus, Armenia has already suspended the work of public transport, with the exception of railway and taxi. The Yerevan subway announced on Wednesday that it is closed until April 12.
