The total number of cases detected since the start of the pandemic edged closer to the 100,000 mark as a result and now stands at 98,870.
Of 16,899 tests carried out in the last 24 hours, 4.6% were positive, up on the 2.7% rate the day before. 4% is regarded as the threshold at which the virus is spreading in an uncontrolled manner.
In a worrying sign, the 14-day cumulative infection rate per 100,000 inhabitants also rose from 372.0 Tuesday to 379.2 Wednesday. Anything over 200 is classed as a "very high risk" pandemic situation under the government's four-stage "traffic light" system.
? Pēdējo 24h laikā:
— SPKC.gov.lv (@SPKCentrs) March 24, 2021
▫️veikti 16 899 Covid-19 izmeklējumi;
▫️reģistrēti 776 jauni inficēšanās gadījumi;
▫️saņemti ziņojumi par 11 mirušajiem (viens cilvēks 50-59 gadu vecumā, divi 60-69 gadu vecumā, divi 70-79 gadu vecumā, pieci 80-89 gadu vecumā, viens 90-99 gadu vecumā).
Eleven more deaths were also confirmed March 24. One victim was aged 50-59 years, two were aged 60-69, two were aged 70-79, five were aged 80-89 and one was aged 90-99.
A total of 1,851 people have now died in Latvia as a result of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic according to official statistics.
Some good news came with vaccination rates starting to pick up again, with more than 5,000 vaccinations carried out for the first time on March 23. So far 90,799 people have received a first dose of vaccine and 19,526 have received two doses.
The SPKC was repeating a blunt message on social media March 24, declaring that here are only two ways of fighting Covid-19: epidemiological measures and vaccination.
ℹ️ Informāciju par vakcīnām pret Covid-19 un vakcinācijas procesu Latvijā atradīsi @SPKCentrs mājaslapā: https://t.co/uCRWpOEOsU
— SPKC.gov.lv (@SPKCentrs) March 24, 2021
❓ ? Atbildes uz biežāk uzdotajiem jautājumiem: https://t.co/UzQBwW4hCd pic.twitter.com/JkE49ur9Ds
Meanwhile on March 24 Lithuania added a similar number of cases of Covid-19 to its total as Latvia with 768 new cases while Estonia recorded double that number with with 1,553 new cases.
Covid-19 information
You can find all the latest Covid-19 statistics, including breakdowns by geographic location and age, at this official website.
A summary in English of the latest Covid-19 situation including restrictions in place and rules on public assembly is available at this special government website which is now exactly one year old.
Use of nose and mouth coverings is compulsory in all public places indoors, including workplaces, and there are restrictions on what goods can be bought from stores. Physical distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitary cleaning habits are encouraged.
The current state of emergency runs until April 6.
The dedicated hotline for Covid-19 related inquiries (24 hours, 7 days a week) is 8345. The number for medical emergencies is 113.
There is a Latvian language hotline 8989 which allows people to both register for vaccination and receive answers to questions about the process of vaccination. There is also a website to register for vaccination, https://manavakcina.lv/ which is currently available in Latvian and Russian. An English-language version is slated for mid-to-late April.
All arrivals to the country (including returnees) need to fill in an electronic declaration prior to coming to Latvia. It is available at the website covidpass.lv. Until April 6, entry to Latvia is only allowed for the reasons listed in our other story.
Since January 15 arrivals have needed to show a negative Covid-19 test from a maximum 72 hours before arrival.
