In the light of the statement by the World Health Organization of 11 March 2020 that COVID-19 has been confirmed as pandemic and based on Section 4, Paragraph one, Sub-clause ‘e’ of the Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law, and Section 4, Section 5, Paragraph one, Section 6, Paragraph one, Clause one and Paragraph two, Section 7, Paragraph one and Section 8 of the Law on Emergency Situation and State of Exception and Section 3, Paragraph two of the Epidemiological Safety Law, in order to determine the epidemiological safety and other measures:
1. Emergency situation shall be declared throughout the national territory from the moment of the adoption of decision to 14 April 2020 with a view to restrict the spread of COVID-19 during the validity of emergency situation.
2. The Ministry of Health shall be appointed as a responsible authority for coordinating the activities during the emergency situation.
3. The responsible authorities shall be detemined as co-responsible authorities in line with their competence.
4. During the emergency situation:
4.1 The state and local government institutions shall assess and ensure, as far as possible, the remote provision of on-site services.
4.2 In order to attend pre-school educational institutions, parents shall submit a written statement to the pre-school educational institution on 13 March 2020 by informing that the child and family have not visited any COVID-19 affected countries and have not been in contact with COVID-19 affected persons, and parents do not have any other possibility of providing childcare.
4.3 On-site learning shall be terminated in all educational establishments by providing remote training from 13 March 2020, with the exception of centralised state examinations.
4.4 Learning shall be interrrupted in all programs of cultural, sports vocational and interest-related education programs (trainings, competitions and rehearsals).
4.5 All public events, meetings, demonstrations and pickets involving more than 200 people shall be cancelled and banned from 13 March 2020.
4.6 The tourism service providers shall have to offer to postpone and not plan tourism trips to COVID-19 affected countries and areas, which require special precautions after returning, in accordance with the information published on the website of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
4.7 Business trips and missions to the countries and territories affected by Covid-19, which require special precautions after returning, shall be cancelled, postponed and not planned, as far as possible, in accordance with the information published on the website of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
4.8 It shall be ensured that persons with symptoms of acute respiratory infection are not employed in work involving potential risks to the health of other people (in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 477 “Regulations regarding Work Involving Potential Risks to Health of Other People, and Procedures for Carrying out Mandatory Health Checks” of 24 July 2018).
4.9 Health institutions, social care institutions and detention centres shall retrict visits of third persons, except with a permit of the head of institution with a view to provide the core functions.
4.10 The rights of prisoners specified by law may be limited in accordance with the decision of the Head of the Prison Administration.
4.11 The individuals shall be called on to refrain from foreign trips.
4.12 Persons and contact persons who have returned from the COVID -19 affected country or territory shall take special precaution measures, including:
4.12.1 The state of health shall be observed for 14 days after leaving that country or territory by measuring the body temperature twice a day (in the morning and in the evening).
4.12.2 113 shall be called immediately in case of any signs of acute respiratory infection (rhinitis, cough, throat inflammation, increased body temperature, respiratory problems).
4.12.3 Self-isolation shall be performed in the place of residence (home quarantine) and communication and cooperation with the family doctor and other medical practitioners shall be available.
4.12.4 The state of health shall be observed.
4.12.5 Other persons shall not be exposed to the risk of infection, by seeking to reduce direct contacts with other people (not to receive guests, avoid public places, institutions and not to have private visits, etc.);
4.12.6 Individuals shall stay in place of residence and not go to work, public places, places with a large number of people, not use public transport as far as possible.
4.12.7 One of the following options for purchasing essential goods or food shall be used:
4.12.7.1 home supply by avoiding contact with the supplier;
4.12.7.2 the supply of food or goods with the help of relatives who leave them at the door;
4.12.7.3 sssistance of the social service of the local government shall be sought by avoiding direct contact with the social worker;
4.12.7.4 In the absence of any other solution, an individual shall visit the shop with a medical mask at the time when there are fewer people in the shop, by taking a distance of two metres from the shop's visitors and vendors and observing the hand and cough hygiene.
4.13. Medical practitioners of the State Emergency Medical Service and hospitals, as well as epidemiologists working in the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, shall be allowed to work overtime that exceeds the maximum overtime hours specified in the Labour Law, but does not exceed 60 hours per week. The Ministry of Health shall request additional financial resources intended for overtime work from the State budget programme “Funds for Unforeseen Events”.
5.The measures shall be financed from State budget funds allocated to the institutions in accordance with the Law on the State Budget for 2020, as well as upon the motivated request of the institutions from the State budget programme 02.00.00 “Funds for Unforseen Events”. In such cases, the Cabinet of Ministers shall take a decision on the granting of funding.
6. It shall be determied that the State institution specified in Section 3, Paragraph two of the Law on Emergency Situation and State of Exception is the respective line ministry, which collects and submits to the Ministry of Finance the claims of persons against the State for the damage caused.
7. In accordance with Section 9, Paragraph three of the Law on Emergency Situation and State of Exception, the State Chancellery shall notify the Saeima Presidium of the decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers and, in accordance with Paragraph four of that Law, shall inform the public electronic media about the decision taken.
Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš
Minister for Health I. Viņķele