RIGA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The administration of Valmiera Prison in northern Latvia has put the correctional facility under quarantine from Monday, Dec. 15 to Dec. 23 because of a rapid spread of influenza among the inmates, LETA news agency reported.
During the quarantine period, a number of restrictions have been imposed on the prison's activities. Face-to-face meetings between inmates and representatives of government or local authorities, defense lawyers, notaries and state-funded legal aid providers have been temporarily suspended.
Retailers and service providers may only supply goods and services to ensure the prison's basic functions during the quarantine period. The employment of inmates at companies cooperating with the prison administration is also partly halted.
The Latvian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has declared an influenza epidemic in Latvia as of Dec. 9, based on influenza monitoring data provided by the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL).
A sharp increase in flu incidence has been reported in all territories covered by the seasonal monitoring and across all age groups of the Latvian population, according to CDC data. In the first week of December, the flu incidence rate reached 344.2 cases per 100,000 population. ■