Number of coronavirus cases in Latvia passes 500 mark

The new figure was released by the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) which said 1,182 tests had been conducted during the previous 24-hour period.

In total 19,380 tests have been carried out since February 29.

29 patients are in hospital, most of whom have moderate symptoms of the disease but 3 of whom are in a serious condition.

You can read [in English] the current emergency regulations introduced by the government to tackle the spread of coronavirus at the government website. As reported by LSM earlier, the regulations were further extended following a government meeting March 29, enforcing a two-person, two-meter rule for physical social interactions. The relevant section of the regulations can be read in English in our earlier story.

There is also a dedicated official COVID-19 website with a variety of relevant information and contacts available in Latvian and Russian.

The SPKC has information in English about the approved methods of protecting yourself from the disease, symptoms and medical procedures and an interactive map plotting the incidence and distribution of the disease in Latvia.

Meanwhile, police will continue their checks to ensure people comply with quarantine regulations and do not gather in groups. Officials are appealing to the public not to let their guard down with the arrival of good weather, and to maintain the strict 2-meter, 2-person rule at all times.