LATVIA – Taking into account the reduction of the risk of the spread of Covid-19, as well as the practice of other European Union countries regarding the use of face masks, the Ministry of Health proposes to cancel the mandatory requirement for the use of face masks in medical institutions and long-term social care institutions.
Today, May 9, the government supported the project of the Ministry of Health, which provides that face masks may not be used in medical institutions and social care centers. However, medical institutions and social care centers have the right to determine the need to use face masks for employees, patients, and visitors, evaluating the risks according to the regional epidemiological situation. Such situations could be, for example, in the case of outbreaks in the particular institution.
Currently, the epidemiological situation in the country and in the world has improved and recently there are no more outbreaks with a very large number of infected with Covid-19, as well as the incidence of Covid-19 is in a mild form and fewer patients with the basic diagnosis of Covid-19 are admitted to hospitals. Therefore, the spread of infection no longer poses such a high risk to the health care system as it was before, and currently, Covid-19 is comparable to other circulating respiratory infections. Therefore, epidemiological safety measures should also be equated with other respiratory infection limiting measures, including regulation of the use of face masks.
Also, the procedure has been clarified, how employees with signs of upper respiratory tract infection can be tested with Covid-19 antigen tests in institutions and customers can be tested with Covid-19 screening tests for the funds of the state budget. These norms are applicable until June 30, 2023. The transition period is planned to be maintained, as the state social care centers still have both the Covid-19 antigen tests for employees and the Covid-19 screening tests for clients. In cases where an employee has a negative Covid-19 test, but has signs of upper respiratory tract infections, the employee may not attend work in person, as this may cause the spread of respiratory viruses in the workplace.
The requirements for wild animal examinations, as well as for the Food and Veterinary Service to report to the EC regarding the infection of certain species of animals with SARS-CoV-2, are deleted from the regulations.
