Government Enacts More Draconian Measures Including Mass Surveillance 

Starting April 1 until at least April 12, the Commandant of the State of Exception (Emergency), Deputy Tigran Avinyan has enacted new stricter rules for the state of exception ordering a mandatory lockdown with few exceptions. On March 31, the parliament, in an extraordinary hearing, voted in favor of the controversial bill granting the government the right for mass surveillance through telephone operators and smartphone applications colliding with constitutional rights of personal data protection, inviolability of private life and privacy.

The following rules will be applied to the lockdown regime.

• All public transportation is banned all over the country, except railways. Only taxis will be allowed to operate, leaving workers of the essential services, including health workers to services almost 10 times more expensive than public transport.
• Movement of people between regions of Armenia and Districts of Yerevan will be restricted to exceptional cases. Check-points will be operated by the police.
• Private cars are allowed to carry only 1 person in addition to the driver. Exceptions are applied to family members, children, co-workers (if they prove they work at the same employer), care-givers of persons in need of care. Transportation will be restricted to essential needs and attendance to work in unrestricted sectors.
• Movement of people will also be strictly restricted. Residents of Armenia are ordered to shelter in place until April 12, they will not be able to change their residence address and move even between districts of capital Yerevan. Movement will be allowed for attending work in the sectors excepted from lockdown, including lands for the purpose of agricultural work, visiting health institutions, essential shops (food and drug stores, food markets), funeral services (areas) and for a one-time daily physical exercise within 500 meters of radius from residence.
• In additional to personal movement forms and IDs mandatory to be carried by anyone on the street, people are ordered to have certified documents (as set by a form released by the Commandant Office) from their employers if the purpose of their movement is to attend work. Employees have 1 day, before April 2, to obtain those documents. Officers of police, inspectorates, the National Security Service, health workers are allowed to present their work certificates (official badges).

The strict lockdown regime will be controlled by the police. Police officers have the right to ask people why they are on the street, to demand IDs and movement and employment forms. 

Sectors exempted from restrictions include agriculture, food production, drink production, production of drugs and essential items for personal hygiene and sanitation, weapon production, mining and banking. Formerly allowed tobacco production and construction are also ordered to stop until April 12.