On Friday, at an extraordinary meeting, the government decided to declare a state of emergency from Monday, October 11, until January 11 next year, with the aim of limiting the spread of Covid-19. During the emergency, new restrictions will be imposed on trade, catering and the organization of cultural events, as well as the obligation to vaccinate those working in public administration and municipal institutions by 15 November.
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The control of the restrictions set during the emergency situation will be ensured by the State Police in co-operation with the municipal police, the State Border Guard and the State Labor Inspectorate.
Work remotely and mandatory vaccination
During an emergency situation, employers will have to provide employees with opportunities for teleworking, if the specifics of the job allow it. The work will also have to be organized in such a way that only those employees and officials who ensure the continuity of work and cannot perform it remotely at their place of residence will perform the duties on site in the presence of the employer. The employer will also have to ensure that workers who have not been fully vaccinated or become ill will only be able to be present on the premises at the workplace with a Covid-19 test certificate or an antigen test performed by the employer for no more than 72 hours.
Also, the Head of the Operational Steering Group, State Chancellery Director Jānis Muudkovskis informed that currently the relevant regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers provide for the right of the employer to require that the employee be vaccinated against Covid-19 for the performance of certain work. However, the new regulation will make it compulsory for public and private sector workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
At the same time, the regulation stipulates that from 15 November this year, employees and officials of state and local government institutions will be able to perform their work duties only with a vaccination or disease certificate.
Supermarkets will be closed on weekends
It follows from the decision of the government that the provision of trade services in shopping centers will be prohibited on weekends and public holidays. It is true that this requirement will not apply to grocery stores, pharmacies, opticians’ shops, animal feed shops, press outlets, hygiene shops, telecommunications goods and services, and service stations.
The regulation stipulates that in case of an emergency, on-site services may be provided indoors in an epidemiologically safe environment and by setting a maximum number of visitors to provide at least 15 square meters of publicly available indoor space per visitor and if mouth and nose masks are used. Outdoor trade can be organized in an epidemiologically unsafe environment if mouth and nose masks are used.
In turn, commercial services in an epidemiologically unsafe environment can be provided indoors if the flow of visitors is completely separated from the services provided in an epidemiologically safe environment and a maximum number of visitors is provided to provide at least 25 square meters of public indoor space per visitor. This requirement will apply to grocery stores, pharmacies, opticians’ shops, animal feed stores, press outlets, hygiene goods stores, telecommunications goods and services outlets, and petrol stations.
If the total sales area of the shopping center is more than 7,000 square meters, then the shopping center will have to install an electronic visitor flow meter.
Teachers will also be able to work with the test
The new regulation stipulates that employees of educational institutions who do not have a vaccination or disease certificate will be able to perform their duties by presenting a test certificate or a negative result of a Covid-19 test performed by the educational institution as part of a screening.
It follows from the regulations that workers who do not have a vaccination or disease certificate will only be able to perform their duties from 13 October this year if there is a negative Covid-19 test, and until 18 October this test can be provided at the workplace using rapid SARS CoV -2 antigen tests. On October 18, on-site work will only be possible with an interoperable certificate.
From 15 November, all workplaces working with at-risk groups, such as educational establishments, pharmacies, medical institutions and long-term social care centers, will only be able to work with a vaccination or disease certificate.
Also, face masks will have to be used in educational establishments where there is more than one person.
And Center for Disease Prevention and Control will detect a very high risk of spreading Covid-19 infection in an educational institution, then the activities of the educational institution in person will be terminated within three days.
In turn, the acquisition of interest education and vocational education programs for learners who have not been fully vaccinated or ill will take place remotely or with confirmation of a negative Covid-19 test result in some cases also in person.
Studies only with a certificate
During an emergency situation, only persons with a vaccination or disease certificate will be able to participate in the full-time university and college education study process, performance of work duties or provision of services. Persons who have a decision of the clinical university hospital council to postpone the vaccination of a person for a certain period of time until the completion of a full vaccination course will be able to participate in the study process only remotely.
Also, during an emergency situation, it will not be possible to organize rehearsals for amateur art groups in person, except for individual classes, if the class leader has a vaccination or illness certificate and there are no other persons in the classroom.
Services will also be available to the unvaccinated
During an emergency, all services will basically be provided in a so-called secure mode, ie they will be available to persons with a Covid-19 certificate. At the same time, visitors will be required to wear mouth and nose covers at all points of service. Children will also be able to participate in all events.
At the same time, Muudkovskis informed that without presenting the Covid-19 certificate, persons will be able to gather for private events, as well as meetings, processions and pickets, which will be open to no more than 10 people indoors and 20 people outdoors. Also, persons without a Covid-19 certificate will be able to receive on-site services in the open air, except for entertainment, amusement and cultural services, trade fairs and catering services.
Also, a person without a certificate will be able to participate in the course of religious activities indoors and outdoors, public transport, postal services, as well as receive food to take away.
Indoor attractions will not be able to operate
Cabinet of Ministers agreed to ban certain indoor service providers, mainly attractions, during the emergency. For example, water parks and trampoline parks. Beauty industry and exhibitions will have to provide 15 square meters per person, as well as distance requirements.
The opening hours of caterers and cultural institutions will be limited
The government agreed that during the emergency, the working hours of catering establishments and religious organizations will also be limited – they will be able to operate from 6 am to 9 pm. longer than 11 p.m.
Catering for vaccinated only
Catering services indoors and outdoors can only be provided and received with a Covid-19 certificate. There will be no more than four people inside one table, with a distance of at least three meters between the tables, if there is no partition wall between the tables.
Cultural and entertainment events with a certificate only
It follows from the government-backed regulation that in future public events will only be possible in an epidemiologically safe environment. In addition, it will be necessary to ensure that visitors are in fixed, personalized seating during the event or, if visitors are in parking spaces, at least three square meters of public space for the event.
The regulation also stipulates that no more than 500 visitors can be present at the venue at the same time, and no more than two people can be on the adjacent seats. The regulation also stipulates that the maximum number of visitors to the event is not exceeded, and visitors are located in separate sectors for up to 300 people each.
The adoption of the new framework provides for a transitional period for cultural, entertainment and sporting events, ie events and competitions announced before 8 October this year and taking place in an epidemiologically safe environment will not be subject to restrictions until 18 October.
FFP2 respirators will be required for all visitors during transitional events that do not have fixed seating.
The participation of spectators in sports competitions will also be restricted by stipulating that spectators may attend sports competitions and international sports events if they have a vaccination or disease certificate.
Sports training only in epidemiologically safe conditions
The government decided that indoor sports training as part of an individual visit or group could take place in an epidemiologically safe environment, providing one person with at least 15 square meters of training space. If the training is attended by students of one class of one educational institution, then the mentioned restriction on the area of the room or water surface does not apply.
Also, in group trainings, no more than 20 people will be able to gather in one training group at a time. A distance of two meters will have to be observed during the visit to the indoor sports venue, except for the sports training room where the training process takes place.
It has already been reported that the Crisis Management Council, chaired by Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (JV), after ten hours of discussions on the night of Friday, agreed on the need to announce in the country three months of emergency, as well as restrictions on non-vaccinated Covid-19.
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