Latvia takes strict measures to boost vaccination, but penalizes the vaccinated

Facing rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates and hospitalizations pushing the limits of the Baltic nation’s health care system, the Latvian government late on October 8 decided to declare a three-month state of emergency and impose new tight restrictions on unvaccinated persons. The new measures also, for unclear reasons, significantly reduce the freedom hitherto of vaccinated persons and Covid-19 survivors to attend movies, plays, concerts and sit in bars and restaurants.

The state of emergency took effect in practical terms on October 11 and will last until January 9, 2022.

The new rules require all government and municipal employees to get vaccinations while ordering all public service employees to work from home if their presence at the workplace is not absolutely necessary. As of October 8, around 46 percent of the population eligible to get shots was fully vaccinated according to official statistics.

Emergency rules aim to motivate vaccination…

Both Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš and Minister of Health Daniels Pavļuts told journalists at a late evening press conference that the purpose of the tighter restrictions was to encourage everyone in the country to get vaccinated. “The virus is outrunning us and threatens our health care system. The aim of the government is to promote vaccination, not to shut things down,” Kariņš said.