Armenia sharply curtails massacre commemoration

Yerevan's streetlights were dimmed on Thursday, as city marked 105 years since start of Armenian gecide amid coronavirus pandemic.

Residents of capital shone flashlights from ir windows and church bells rang to commemorate de.

This was in stark contrast to previous years' crowds of people marching in a torchlight procession from Yerevan's Freedom Square to its sprawling gecide memorial complex.

24 April 1915 is recognised as official starting date of Armenia's horrors, in which 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by Ottomans. relentless campaign of erication actually lasted some eight years.

This year, only President, Prime Minister, Speaker of National Assembly of Armenia and Catholicos of All Armenians will visit Tsitsernakaberd Memorial on Friday morning to lay flowers.

Armenians and many historians consider killings to be gecide, but Turkey, successor of Ottoman Empire, vehemently denies this.

Thursdays muted commemorations comes as Armenia has confirmed 1,523 cases of new virus and 24 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

For most people, new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older ults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.