Armenian Deputy Justice Minister Vahe Danielyan met with reporters today in Yerevan to clarify some points of the declared state of emergency regarding the media.

The declaration says that media outlets are prohibited from publishing other than official information on the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Individuals found spreading false information over the social websites on the virus will also be found in violation of the state of emergency.

"There is a misunderstanding of what kind of information can be considered banned, I think as a result of discussions such cases will decrease," Danielyan told reporters.

Danielyan said that the police have the authority to maintain and monitor restrictions and that they have the authority to have “panic provoking” posts removed from social websites.

According to Danielyan, information about the health status of virus carriers, the scope of contact and other issues should not be provided by individuals and legal entities, and that this will be considered a breach of the emergency regime and that offenders will be subject to administrative liability.