Armenia is lifting restrictions on movement in and out of the town of Vagharshapat (commonly known as Etchmiadzin), which was seriously hit by the novel coronavirus, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said.

Almost half of the cases registered in the country so far were recorded in Vagharshapat, located about 18 km west of the capital Yerevan.

For several days, 24 out of the 27 roads connecting the town to the outside world were shut down, while medical workers checked the temperature of commuters leaving or entering the town.

As of Wednesday, March 18 evening, there are 102 confirmed cases of the virus in the country, while the first person to have contracted the diseases has recovered.

Armenia declared a 30-day state of emergency on Monday and banned citizens of 16 nations from entering the country.