Last week in Lithuania, the main news events were the decision to reopen primary schools, the maintenance of movement restrictions in 16 cities and districts, and the decision to resume vaccination with a manufacturer. AstraZeneca Choice of Covid-19 vaccine and vaccine for the general public.
Schools are allowed full-time studies
From last Monday, March 15, in Lithuania it was allowed to resume the reception of customers in person for all stores, the premises of which can be entered directly from the street. Museums and exhibition halls were allowed to open their doors to a limited number of visitors. After taking the collective Covid-19 analyzes, more than 1,000 primary school children have returned to full-time studies in three schools in Vilnius. In the second half of March, full-time studies will be resumed in about 60 primary schools across the country.
Party rankings under the leadership of the Prime Minister Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats
The ruling party in Lithuania Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, represented by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, has maintained the highest voter support in the ranking, it shows the Center for Sociology Spinter Research the latest party ratings published last Monday. In a turnout poll conducted in February, a total of 17.8% of respondents indicated that they would vote for the so-called Conservatives in the election. The Seimas opposition worker is in second place with 12.7% Union of farmers and greens. Meanwhile Liberal movement a Freedom Party, both of which belong to the ruling coalition of the Seimas, received the support of 8.8% and 8.2% of respondents, respectively. In fifth place is the opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party with a high rating of 4.5%.
Restrictions on movement are maintained in Vilnius, Klaipeda and elsewhere
On Monday, March 15, the Lithuanian government extended the existing travel restrictions in 16 municipalities, including Vilnius, Her District, Klaipeda and Neringa. The Ministry of Health had proposed to maintain movement restrictions in these municipalities, as they have a 14-day rate of 200 or more new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Stop and resume vaccination with AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine
Last week, Lithuania followed the example of other EU member states and suspended vaccination of the population against Covid-19 with a British-Swedish drug manufacturer. AstraZeneca vaccine. It happened on Tuesday, March 16. Pending confirmation by the EU Medicines Agency that the company’s vaccine is safe and effective, Lithuanian Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys said on Thursday, March 18, that vaccination with AstraZeneca the vaccine will be restarted, but an innovation will be introduced in the vaccination program. Namely, residents will be able to choose whether to vaccinate with AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Seimas is considering amendments on journalists’ free access to state registers
The Lithuanian Seimas began a debate on the amendments on Tuesday, March 16 Law on Provision of Information Society regarding free access for journalists to information contained in public registers. The draft amendment provides that journalists have free access to three information repositories of the Lithuanian Register Center: the Register of Legal Entities, the Register of Real Estate and the Information System for Participants of Legal Entities.
Third-country construction companies want to be excluded from construction procurement
The National Security and Defense Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament has begun discussing amendments to the law, which would provide for companies related to third countries, such as Russia or China, to be automatically considered ineligible and excluded from construction projects or investments in national security. This was stated by Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission, on Wednesday, March 17.
Joining the Seimas opposition
Political factions working in the opposition of the Lithuanian Seimas – Union of farmers and greens a Labor party – last Wednesday supported the signing of an opposition cooperation agreement and the election of an opposition leader. The first of these parties has 32 out of 141 seats in the Seimas, while the second has ten.
Lithuanians are detained for possible fraudulent schemes abroad
Five Lithuanian citizens have been detained in three countries on suspicion of implementing a fraudulent deposit scheme and causing 1.5 million euros in losses to wealthy German citizens, the Vilnius District Police Department said last Thursday. According to the information available to the police, the victims of the frauds were German citizens from the university environment. The victims thought that bank accounts would be opened in their name and that their deposits would be safe. However, the money was transferred to companies, some of which are registered in Lithuania, and then further transferred to other countries, where it was withdrawn in cash.
The presidents of Lithuania and Ukraine agree to block electricity from the Belarusian NPP
President of Lithuania Gitan Nauseda (Gitanas Nausėda) announced last Thursday that he had agreed with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to coordinate policies and actions to block the circulation of electricity generated in Belarus by the newly built Astravyez Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
Klaipeda plays a leading role among the Baltic ports
Klaipeda Port has maintained its position as the busiest Baltic port in terms of cargo turnover, lagging only behind Russian ports operating in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, on Friday, March 19, the Klaipeda Port Authority announced. In January-February, compared to the corresponding period last year, its cargo turnover has increased by 10.7%, reaching 7.5 million tons. The Port Authority has calculated that this volume exceeds the volume of cargo in all Latvian ports, as it has decreased by 11.8% to 7.05 million tons.
The economy is forecast to grow by 2.6% in 2021
After a decline of 0.8% in 2020, the Lithuanian economy is expected to grow by 2.6% in 2021, according to the forecasts of the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance, which was released last Friday. Analysts of the Ministry also forecast growth from 2022 to 2023 with an average rate of 3.2%. According to the Ministry’s previous calculations, which were published in December 2020, this year Lithuania’s gross domestic product was forecast to grow faster at 2.8% and on average by 3.1% in 2022 and 2023.
117,839 Lithuanians received the second dose of the vaccine
Lithuania registered 534 new cases of coronavirus infection and eight deaths from Covid-19 during the day until Friday, March 19, it was announced by the Lithuanian Statistical Office last Friday. The country’s 14-day infection rate per 100,000 was 239.2, and the proportion of positive tests in the last seven days was 6.8%. A total of 3,452 people have died from Covid-19 in Lithuania so far.
Meanwhile, the country is continuing its vaccination campaign against a dangerous disease. By Friday, 272,246 Lithuanians had received their first dose of the vaccine, and 117,839 had received their second dose.
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