Latvia extends emergency to May 14, sees some hopeful signs

Stringent restrictions remain but may soften

The Latvian government on April 7 extended the ongoing state of emergency by one month until May 12, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš told journalists by videoconference Tuesday. He said the Covid-19 pandemic had “stabilized” in Latvia, but the virus “continues to rage” in other parts of Europe.

Minister of Health Ilze Vinkele also said that while “we all together” had the virus “under control” in Latvia, it was “too early to rejoice” and instead people in the country should continue to strictly adhere to all precautions — keeping a two meter distance from others and gather together no more than two people.

She said that if all went well, the pandemic could abate and most restrictions be lifted by the end of June, when Latvians and other Baltic people celebrate Midsummer/Jāņi, a festival with bonfires, songs, beer and special cheese. The only time in post-war history when Jāņi was formally banned was for much of the Soviet era, when the holiday was stricken from a list of national holidays in 1950.

Lowest infections since mid-March

Latvia recorded six new cases of Covid-19 on April 7, the lowest daily number since the middle of March, bringing the total infected to 548, according to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC). One person — a 75-year-old man with pre-existing medical conditions — was reported to have died after being admitted to a hospital…