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A person who has contracted and beaten the novel coronavirus is not fully guarded against getting infected anew, Armenia’s Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan told a news conference on Tuesday, urging recovered citizens to remain vigilant.

Armenia has recorded no reinfection cases so far, the minister said, adding scientists continue debates on whether those who have recovered from COVID-19 can get the virus twice.

“Possible reinfection cases are linked with the lifespan of immunity. As long as we do not have the answer to that question, we can’t say whether getting the infection twice is possible,” Arsen Torosyan said, predicting, however, coronavirus, like all other acute respiratory infections, does not stimulate long-term immunity and the potential risk for reinfection is high.

Informing that 349 out of the 1,273 coronavirus tests performed in the past 24 hours came back positive, the health minister said the number of tests increase up to 2,500 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, leading to a rise in daily confirmed cases.

Also, he said new hospitals will soon join the fight against the pandemic.

Armenia has purchased a batch of Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19, which will reach the country in 10 days, Torosyan said.

The country is also in talks with Russian and Japanese pharmaceutical companies for purchase of other drugs. A batch of Japanese drug has already been imported into Armenia for hospitals to start using it soon, the minister said.

In Torosyan’s words, around 200 COVID-19 vaccines are being developed globally, of which 20 have chances to become candidates.

Reiterating that Armenia is negotiating with Moderna Therapeutics and several other manufacturers for a potential vaccine, Torsyan noted that the uncertainties regarding the vaccine sales are very high. He cited an article of international media suggesting Britain has reached a 500-million-pound supply deal with a manufacturer for 60 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, meaning that other countries will have difficulties accessing it if they delay talks.