What requirements will apply for wearing masks and using Covid-19 certificates after April 1?

As the Ministry of Health (MoH) has concluded that there has been a sharp decline in the incidence of Covid-19 in Latvia, the government has decided to lift almost all epidemiological safety measures as of April 1.

MoH: Covid is declining

According to the MoH, the number of new Covid-19 cases registered at the beginning of the 11th week of this year has decreased by 29.6% and the proportion of positive Covid-19 tests in the total number of tests carried out has also decreased by 3%, showing that the decrease in Covid-19 cases is objective and not due to a decrease in the number of tests. The decline in the incidence of Covid-19 in educational establishments is even more rapid. The sharp decline in Covid-19 incidence is observed in all age groups, except among people over 70 years of age, where the dynamics of the incidence rate remain stable. Similarly, the decline in Covid-19 incidence has been observed in all regions of Latvia. At the same time, the MoH points out that in other EU countries it can be observed that since March 1 the incidence of Covid-19 in the EU as a whole is still slightly increasing, and an increase after a sharp decrease can still be observed in Austria, Germany, Lithuania. This means that the situation in Latvia also needs to be assessed with caution.

Wearing masks on public transport could be abolished in May

The Cabinet decision provides for the lifting of all epidemiological safety measures. Masks will no longer need to be worn in shops, at events, in schools.

At the same time, the rules give the service provider or event organizer the right to set specific epidemiological safety requirements for their place of service provision or event venue, such as the use of face masks, observing distance and flow, and to require that the service is provided or the event is organized in an epidemiologically safe environment.

The use of face masks in public transport (except taxis and other commercial car transport where a small number of people are in the vehicle at the same time) remains a mandatory requirement. Also, in view of the very high risks of Covid-19, the use of masks is maintained in medical institutions and long-term social care facilities, for visitors to these facilities, for staff when caring for patients or clients, and for staff and clients when in contact with visitors.

If the risk of Covid-19 is reduced to a low level, which could be reached in May, a decision could be taken to abolish the use of face masks, for example, in public transport.

Compulsory vaccination is still in place in some sectors

After April 1, the obligation for employees in medical institutions and prisons to be vaccinated is maintained, and from September 1, a booster shot will be required.

The regulations also allow employers to require employees to have a certificate of vaccination or recovery or a certificate of a booster shot to carry out non-remote work. The Regulations lay down the criteria according to which an employer may impose such conditions on employees. One of the criteria is work involving a risk to the health of others. These are the jobs defined in Paragraph 3 of Cabinet Regulation No 447 of 24/07/2018 "Regulations Regarding Work Related to a Possible Risk to the Health of Other Persons". Similarly, the obligation to have a vaccination or recovery certificate to work in person may be imposed by the employer if the employee comes into close contact with the recipient of the service, if the employees (officials) have increased chances of infection through direct contact and contact with a large number of persons whose health status is unknown, or if the employees' (officials') in-person work (position, service) duties are critical for the public, as well as for the continuity of the enterprise or institution's operations. In addition to the above, the employer may also impose other epidemiological safety requirements in his company, such as the use of face masks, testing of employees, conditions for contact persons, etc.

The requirement for Covid certificate for entry from the EU will be abolished

Given that travel is currently not a factor in the spread of Covid-19, the requirement to present a vaccination, recovery or testing certificate when entering Latvia from the EU, EEA countries, the Swiss Confederation and the United Kingdom will be abolished as of April 1. This requirement is maintained for entry from third countries and the entry conditions for these countries remain unchanged. The experience of other EU countries in setting travel conditions will continue to be followed and, as soon as the EU sees a trend towards countries moving away from requiring certificates for entrants from third countries as well, this experience will be replicated in Latvia.

Changes to quarantine

In addition to the above, changes have been made to the conditions for contact tracing, medical surveillance and home quarantine. The provisions maintain the possibility for the group leader, including the employer, to designate contact persons in order to organize epidemiological safety requirements for contact persons in their workplace, such as testing, use of masks or FFP2 respirators, etc. But the Regulations do not require group leaders, including employers, to provide information to the SPKC on the contact persons identified in their collective. The rules also stipulate that GPs do not have to actively carry out medical surveillance and testing of contact persons, but can provide remote advice if necessary. The rules also stipulate that home quarantine is no longer required when visiting public places, but home quarantine is required for those working in high-risk facilities such as medical institutions and long-term social care facilities. This obligation applies to persons who have been in close contact with an infected person without using personal protective equipment. In these settings, the contact person must either have a Covid-19 test within 7 days before resuming work or be under home quarantine for 7 days. Other persons who have been in contact with a SARS-CoV-2 infected person should monitor their health and wear a respirator of at least FFP2 class when visiting public places. In order for a person to take these measures and be aware of the risks of infection with Covid-19, the group leader, including the employer and the head of the educational establishment, should inform the members of the group of the occurrence of Covid-19 in the group or there being a contact person, and the members of the group should be aware of the increased risk of infection with Covid-19. Home quarantine is not required for staff and students of educational establishments. A pre-primary education pupil, including special interest education and vocational education pupils, who has been identified as a contact person in case of contact with a Covid-19 infected person in the household, may participate in face-to-face education or receive face-to-face childcare if at least seven days have passed since the last contact with an infected person and there are no symptoms of the disease. The child's legal representative is entitled to a sick leave slip for this period. However, pupils and employees in primary and secondary education, including special interest education and vocational education programs (except continuing vocational education and professional development programs), as well as employees in pre-school education, if the contact with an infected person is related to a Covid-19 case in the household, can participate in face-to-face education by performing two self-tests and monitoring their health status within seven days of the last contact with an infected person.

Education staff will not have to be revaccinated

At the same time, the Regulation provides that persons employed in education, childcare providers, private teaching practice providers, distance education providers who held a valid recovery certificate as of March 31, 2022, are entitled to perform their duties until June 30, 2022, even after the expiry of the recovery certificate.

The Regulation on the need for a vaccination or recovery certificate for students at higher education institutions and colleges has been clarified by providing that students at higher education institutions and colleges need a vaccination or recovery certificate only in order to participate in the practice or practical part of the study programs in the thematic group "Education" and in the thematic area "Health care", if the higher education institution or college has taken a reasoned decision on the need for the certificate. This is in line with the high-risk occupations identified in the draft Regulation, where a vaccination or recovery certificate is required for the performance of the job.

The draft Regulation stipulates that the full or partial short-term remote studies of a course or module of a study program of a higher education institution or college may only be established in cases where the epidemiological situation at the institution or college deteriorates. It is necessary to ensure that the quality of the studies is not impaired and the Center must be informed of this decision.

As regards the implementation of adult education programs (continuing vocational education, professional development, non-formal education programs, adult interest education programs), the draft Regulation stipulates that from April 1, 2022, those still employed in the face-to-face implementation of educational processes must have a vaccination or recovery certificate. However, no such requirement is set for learners, nor is it set for recipients of educational services.

At the same time, the provision of adult education programs and other adult education services is subject to the requirements for the provision of services, including the condition that the education service provider is entitled to choose to organize the event or to provide the service in person (except, if it is not possible to provide the service remotely and failure to provide the service poses a risk to fundamental human rights or public safety) in an epidemiologically safe environment, as well as to establish epidemiological safety requirements at the place of provision of the service or the venue of the event which must be observed by recipients of the service or attendees of the event, including the obligation to wear face masks or observe the rules of distancing.

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