In Estonia, the reduction of restrictions is planned only at the end of April / Article / LSM.lv

In Estonia, new, much stricter restrictions will come into force on Thursday aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19. Government officials have said the restrictions will last for at least a month, but Andress Merits, a professor of virology at the University of Tartu, predicts that their easing is not expected until the end of April.

“There are usually two types of mistakes in restrictions: they are introduced too late and too soft, and the other mistake is to reduce them too quickly and too much.

My prediction is that the reduction of restrictions could be real in late April, early May, ”says Professor Merits. He points out that the restrictions planned in Estonia are similar to those introduced elsewhere in Europe, such as in Ireland, when the “British variant” of Covid-19 began to spread rapidly.

The following restrictions are planned to be introduced in Estonia from March 11:

• All students, including 1st to 4th grade students, switch to distance learning. The only exception is children with special needs.

• Parents are advised not to use kindergarten services without special needs.

• All shops are closed, except grocery stores, petrol stations, pharmacies, opticians’ shops, as well as shops selling pet food and other basic necessities. Other stores will only be allowed to deliver or deliver goods ordered online.

• Restaurants and cafes will be closed, which will only be allowed to deliver to your home.

• It will not be allowed to hold sports competitions and trainings indoors, it is also forbidden to hold hobby groups.

• Outdoor sports and entertainment are allowed according to the “2 + 2” principle: no more than two people may meet, who must keep a distance of two meters from the others.

Minister of Health Tanel Kīks has acknowledged that additional labor resources are currently being actively sought for the health care system. The epidemic is currently spreading throughout Estonia, but the highest rates are currently in Saaremaa, Harju County, where the capital is located in Tallinn, East Viru and West Viru counties. The highest morbidity was found in the age groups from 15 to 30 years, which have the most social contacts.

The 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 infections in Estonia is currently 1,362 per 100,000 population. This is the second highest figure in the European Union (after the Czech Republic).

In the past 24 hours, 1308 new cases of Covid-19 infection have been registered in Estonia, two people have died. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Estonia, 669 people have died with Covid-19, reports ERR.ee.

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