Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins speaks at a press conference in Riga, Latvia, on March 12, 2020. The Latvian government at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday decided to introduce a national emergency from March 13 to April 14 in a bid to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading in the country. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua)
RIGA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian government at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday decided to introduce a national emergency from March 13 to April 14 in a bid to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading in the country.
The measure is being taken after the first local transmission between members of a family was reported in the country on Thursday. So far, 16 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Latvia.
The national emergency means that a number of strict measures will be introduced across Latvia, especially for people returning from high-risk countries.
As of Friday, all schools and universities in Latvia will be closed and public events gathering more than 200 people will be banned, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said at a news conference following the cabinet sitting.
Small kids will still be able to attend kindergartens, but their parents will have to provide assurance that neither the child nor any other family member has recently visited a high-risk country.
All extracurricular activities like sports, competitions and rehearsals will be suspended.
All public events, including meetings, marches and pickets with over 200 participants have been banned and central and local government institutions have been ordered to consider providing services remotely.
People are urged to avoid any travel, especially to foreign countries, and those returning from high-risk territories are required to take tough protective measures, which include self-isolation at home, staying away from work, monitoring their health by measuring body temperature twice a day, etc.
Prime Minister Karins stressed that the government will do all it can to lessen the negative economic consequences of the emergency measures. Support is also being considered to businesses that are going to suffer the most from the lockdown.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins speaks at a press conference in Riga, Latvia, on March 12, 2020. The Latvian government at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday decided to introduce a national emergency from March 13 to April 14 in a bid to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading in the country. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua)
