Latvia’s covid-19 emergency likely to be extended, quarantine chaos in Lithuania

The state of emergency declared on March 12 in Latvia in connection with the covid-19 pandemic is likely to be extended beyond the initial deadline of April 14, Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele told a video press conference the evening of March 24.

Viņķele said one reason the emergency would probably be extended was the arrival of thousands of repatriated Latvian citizens and permanent residents over the next several days to a week or more.

The last officially sanctioned air Baltic flights to return persons to the country will depart from destinations in Europe on March 27, but people may return by other means after that and be subject to 14 days of self-isolation.

Brawling and a stabbing in Lithuanian quarantine

Meanwhile in Lithuania, new strict rules requiring the compulsory “quarantine” of all persons arriving from abroad caused chaos as strangers were herded off to hotels and hostels and housed together where they could come into close contact. The news website 15min.lt reported that a disturbance had broken out at a hotel in the capital Vilnius where one person was stabbed. There were also reports of drunkenness and brawling.

A video posted on the news website showed angry men outside their quarantine residence complaining that they had been forced to stay four to a room.