After January 11 when the three-month state of emergency in Latvia is set to end, it will probably not be possible to introduce extensive loosening of restrictions due to the spread of the Omicron. By the beginning of January it should be known whether the existing restrictions will remain in place.
The Minister said that the type of Covid-19 omikron was known for spreading very rapidly, “at extreme and unseen speed.” This is seen in countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Republic of South Africa, where the number of cases of Covid-19 doubles in two to three days.
In Latvia, 41 cases of the Omicron have been detected so far, eight of which are local transfers. Once the spread develops, the situation will become uncontrolled, said Pavļuts. Moreover, Latvia's health situation is on average worse than elsewhere in Europe. “We are forced to prepare for the worst,” the minister said.
