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News
Latvian government announces widespread measures to contain COVID-19
The government has decided to extend the precautionary and security measures during the emergency situation in order to prevent more effectively the spread of COVID-19 in Latvia. The restrictions will affect the work of educational establishments, public assembly, movement outside the state borders and other areas.
- National and local authorities should evaluate and, as far as possible, ensure the provision of face-to-face services remotely.
- From 16 March onwards, pre-school educational establishments and institutions providing childcare will have to ensure the work of ‘on-duty’ groups that will look after those children whose parents are unable to do so. To receive this service, parents have to submit a written statement informing that the child and family have not visited any COVID-19 affected country and have not been in contact with COVID-19 infected persons or contact persons. The statement should also include information that parents do not have any other possibility of providing childcare.
- The training process in educational establishments will continue to take place remotely, and centralized foreign language exams are postponed to the period from 12 May and 15 May 2020.
- In addition, all events relating to public holidays, commemorations, entertainment, culture, sports and recreational activities, incl. in nightclubs and discotheques, are prohibited irrespective of the number of visitors. Meetings, demonstrations, pickets and religious activities involving the assembly are also prohibited.
- Unorganized gatherings in cultural, entertainment, recreation, sports and religious venues for more than 50 people at the same time will also be limited. The office hours of cultural, entertainment, sports and other recreational areas will be no longer than until 11 PM.
- International passenger transport through airports, ports, by bus and rail transport will be cancelled as of 17 March. In addition, the movement of persons and vehicles through airport, port, railway and road border crossing points at the European Union’s external border, as well as at border crossing points intended for local border traffic will be banned from 17 March 2020. This prohibition will not apply to the carriage of goods. The above-mentioned restrictions to travel through airport, port, railway and road crossing points shall not apply to nationals of the Republic of Latvia who wish to return to Latvia. Nor do they apply to foreign nationals whose permanent place of residence is in Latvia and who want to return here or to foreign nationals who want to leave Latvia.
- Special precautions should be taken by persons and contact persons who have returned from a country or territory affected by Covid 19.
- During this period, the Ministry of Economics in cooperation with traders will introduce measures to ensure social distancing in trading venues.
- In case of non-compliance with the above-mentioned measures, appropriate administrative or criminal liability will be imposed.
- During the emergency situation, the companies have to primarily ensure the supply of food, medicinal products, essential goods and raw materials necessary to produce these products.