Asked if the decision on the easing of restrictions could be changed, the Prime Minister replied: "No, we will not change anything."
Kariņš also pointed out that currently Latvia is at the top of the peak in terms of Covid-19 morbidity, and said that while the number of infected people will not signifiantly decrease for around two weeks, it will not increase either. However, he acknowledged that there were still concerns about the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals.
"I will remind you that the pandemic is not over. Basically we can go everywhere in public spaces with masks... We need to be more careful, especially careful when visiting older people, and people who are ill," said the Prime Minister.
At the same time, Kariņš did not predict that reducing the restrictions currently in place would increase the infection rate, as more and more people will stay outside and ventilate their premises, as the weather becomes warmer.
For information about what will change on March 1, see this earlier story. Key changes will be that stores will no longer require Covid-19 certification to gain entry, closed industries will be opened and working time restrictions will be lifted. Arrivals from other countries will no longer need to fill out a Covidpass form in advance. The idea of introducing an expiry date for Covid-19 certificates has also been postponed until 1 April, so all current certificates remain valid until then at least.
