The latest stories:

• Six more opposition activists arrested in Azerbaijan
• Georgian doctor accused of sexually harassing quarantined woman 
• Georgian Orthodox Church remains unyielding as Easter celebrations approach
• Georgia’s homeless ‘at high risk’ during COVID-19
• \Analysis | How COVID-19 could increase mortality rates for all age groups in Georgia
• Opinion | The conflict between Church and state during a pandemic endangers us all
• \In pictures | Tbilisi’s first night under curfew
• Analysis | Air pollution in Tbilisi nearly halved by COVID-19 measures
• Azerbaijani students ‘beaten’ after complaining about quarantine conditions

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That’s it for today, join us again tomorrow for more Coronavirus live updates.

Kadyrov suggests forced labour for quarantine violators 

According to Chechen state TV station Grozny, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, wants to send people who violate the stay-at-home order in the region to ‘plough the fields’ as a correctional measure.

It is not clear whether he intends to implement the measure, but Kadyrov has already reactivated agricultural work and also approved police officers beating people found on streets without good reason with batons. 

‘It’s better to beat up one than bury a thousand’, Kadyrov noted on 5 April.

Also today, Chechen Health Minister Elkhan Suleymanov confirmed two more casualties of coronavirus in the Republic bringing the total to five. 

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Chechnya on 25 March and the number of confirmed cases has now reached 47. Fifteen people have recovered according to official numbers. 

Nagorno-Karabakh declares emergency situation

The President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Bako Sahakyan, has announced that he has signed a decree declaring an emergency situation to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The emergency situation will come into force today and last until 12 May.

The second round of the presidential elections slated for 14 April are still to take place.

Read on OC Media: Nagorno-Karabakh elections yield inconclusive results.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.

Armenia celebrates Easter behind closed doors

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated Easter in Armenia today with masses in all churches around the country. 

However, due to the spread of COVID-19 in the country, mass was held behind closed doors and live-streamed on TV.

On 11 April, Special Commissioner of the State of Emergency and Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan called on all citizens to refrain from taking part in mass and from leaving their homes. 

He also stated that the police would disperse all large gatherings they find. 

Georgian Orthodox Church marks Palm Sunday as other Christians celebrate Easter

Catholics, Evangelical-Lutherans, members of Armenian Apostolic Church, and others are celebrating Easter today in Georgia while Georgian Orthodox Christians have marked Palm Sunday, a week before their Easter celebration.

Both the Georgian Orthodox service at Sameba and the Catholic service at the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary were broadcasted live by the Georgian Public Broadcaster.

Giuseppe Pasotto, head of the Catholic Administration of the Caucasus told Mtavari Arkhi that Catholic ceremonies would be attended only by clergy.

Georgian Orthodox celebrations were open to the public.

After two weeks of public absence, the Head of Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, led the Palm Sunday service at Sameba Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi this morning, reminding believers again that the ‘present tribulations’ were the will of God. 

The clergy at Sameba Trinity Cathedral announced that Ilia II would lead the Easter liturgy at midnight on 19 April.

Despite a nationwide ban on gatherings of more than three people, gatherings at many churches went uninterrupted by the authorities.

Georgia puts four villages in Adjara under lockdown

The Georgian government has put four administrative divisions of Kobuleti Municipality, in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, under ‘strict quarantine’. 

According to official data, the villages of Gvara, Mukhaestate, Leghva, and Tskavroka and the surrounding area have a population of around 8,000.

According to Georgian authorities, the ‘Kobuleti cluster’ comprises 18 infected individuals originally confirmed in Gvara. 

This morning, Georgia confirmed there had been 252 total infections, including 63 recoveries. 

Summary

Welcome to OC Media’s coronavirus live updates for Sunday, 12 April. We will be bringing you the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from around the Caucasus.

The biggest developments from yesterday:

Mufti of Ingushetia, Abdurakhman Martazanov, who was hospitalised on 10 April in Nazran, has succumbed to COVID-19 Ria Novosti and Interfax reported, citing Ingushetia’s Health Ministry. 

In Azerbaijan, six more opposition activists have been sentenced to administrative detention in the latest of a series of arrests of members of the opposition.

All six were charged with violating the country’s quarantine regime.

Read the full story: Six more opposition activists arrested in Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that the country’s government will vote on extending the state of emergency, which was put in place in the country on 16 March and is set to expire on 13 April.

If you appreciate our live updates during this difficult time, please consider supporting our work. Every little bit helps!

Read more from yesterday as well as the latest stories:

• Six more opposition activists arrested in Azerbaijan
• Georgian doctor accused of sexually harassing quarantined woman 
• Georgian Orthodox Church remains unyielding as Easter celebrations approach
• Georgia’s homeless ‘at high risk’ during COVID-19
• Analysis | How COVID-19 could increase mortality rates for all age groups in Georgia
• Opinion | The conflict between Church and state during a pandemic endangers us all