Cabinet diminishes Covid-19 spreading restrictions in the interests of the economy by imposing strict epidemiological safety requirements
On Wednesday, September 2, the Cabinet approved changes to the rules governing epidemiological security measures to limit the distribution of Covid-19 and affecting the traffic, education and health sectors.
The changes approved by the government in the traffic sector concern international passenger transport. . According to certain criteria, shipments from and to countries that have so far been included in the list of high-risk countries (red) of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) will be allowed, while at the same time requiring a mandatory 14-day self-isolation for travellers on return.
International passenger services will not be carried out on countries if the website of the SPCC records a prevalence of Covid-19 infection in the country concerned, which according to the information published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the cumulative incidence of 100 000 inhabitants over 14 days exceeds the average in the countries of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. These countries will not be able to carry out passenger transport from the third day following the publication of the list on the website of the SPKC.
The decision will increase the competitiveness of Latvian international carriers, eliminate inequalities with neighbouring countries and ensure effective supervision and control of the responsible authorities, as so far passengers from high - or medium-risk morbidity countries have arrived in Latvia, arriving at other airports or land transport, thereby increasing contact with other travellers.
In the field of education, however, changes have been made to the rules of the BOM so that, taking into account precautionary measures, top-level athletes (Latvian adult favorites, Latvian Olympic Units, Latvian Paralimpic Units, etc.) and their service sports employees can continue to perform their professional duties and participate in sports training and competitions after returning from sports competitions abroad. ensuring the continuity of sports work. . Senior athletes and their servicing staff will only be able to stay in a place where the athlete will perform the duties of athlete or sports staff, but will have to comply with self-isolation in the final places and times.
In future, schools will be able to apply flexibly the time period for lunch breaks, by way of derogation from the 30-minute interval specified in the regulatory framework. . The school lunch interval will be determined on the basis of the arrangements for the organisation of the educational process and the precautionary measures developed in each institution.
However, if, due to the epidemiological situation, the training is carried out remotely, the free lunch for pupils of classes 1 to 4 will be provided by the local government, in the administrative territory of which the child's place of residence is declared.
The rules specify a provision allowing an alien to travel to his or her country of residence less than 14 days, informing the State Police (in the case of self-isolation) or the Health Inspectorate (in the case of quarantine). On the road, in transport and in the waiting rooms, people with self-isolation should be required to use a mouth-and-nose cover or face mask, while people who have been subjected to house quarantine – a special medical face mask.
The government also decided to allow access to Latvia for those persons from risk countries who should continue the initiated medical treatment or receive healthcare services, which could have a significant impact on the state of health of the person. . In this case, the person will be able to fail to comply with the self-isolation at the time of receipt of the service, while at the same time requiring a number of epidemiological security conditions and self-isolating at a time when the service is not received s. These procedures will not apply to foreigners who would like to receive services provided by medical treatment institutions in Latvia, which are not directly related to treatment.
The amendments approved by the Government to Cabinet Regulation No 360 “Epidemiological Safety Measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection” come into force on 3 September 2020.
Reinis Gravitis
Cabinet press secretary
Phone: 67082919; 27011868
E-mail: Reinis.Gravitis@mk.gov.lv