YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Healthcare authorities said they’ve significantly ramped up COVID-19 testing over the last 24 hours because teachers are being tested ahead of the planned re-opening of schools on September 15.

“The increase of the number of tests is due to the fact that teachers are being tested. They must be tested before the schools are reopened,” Healthcare Ministry spokesperson Alina Nikoghosyan told ARMENPRESS.

A record number of 3518 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours. 199 new cases of COVID-19 were registered, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 45152 , the Armenian Center For Disease Control reported. 431 patients recovered, raising the number of total recoveries to 41023. 2 people died from COVID-19, increasing the death toll to 905. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 279 (3 in the last 24 hours) other people infected with the virus who died from other pre-existing conditions, according to health authorities.

As of 11:00, September 9 the number of active cases stood at 2945.

Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan