(The official publication of the legal act is available at vestnesis.lv, the website of the official publication "Latvijas Vēstnesis", and the consolidated version of the regulations is available on the website likumi.lv.)
Updated 09.12.2020.
Adopted on 20 November 2020
Riga
Regulation No. 655
(Minutes No.69 2. §)
Regarding Declaration of the Emergency Situation
Taking into consideration the rapid spread of Covid-19 infection and the increasing risk of the overload of health sector, and on the basis of Section 4, Paragraph one, Clause 1, Sub-clause "e" of the Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law; Section 4, Section 5, Paragraph one, Section 6, Paragraph one, Clause 1, and Paragraph two, Section 7, Clause 1, and Section 8 of the Law On Emergency Situation and State of Exception; and Section 3, Paragraph two of the Epidemiological Safety Law; as well as to reduce recurrence of Covid-19 infection in Latvia to a controllable level while ensuring the continuity of important public functions and services:
1. Throughout the State territory, the emergency situation shall be declared from 9 November 2020 until 11 January 2021.
[2 December 2020]
2. The Crisis Management Council and the Ministry of Health shall be the responsible authorities for the coordination of activities during the emergency situation.
3. The laws and regulations for the suppression of the spread and consequences of COVID-19 infection shall be applicable during the emergency situation, except for Sub-paragraphs 6.3.3, 6.7.1 and 6.11, Paragraphs 11, 12, 14, 14.1, 15, 16, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.5, 16.6, 17, 17.1, 19, 21, 21.1, 22, 23, 24 and 26.1, Sub-paragraphs 27.1.1, 27.1.4 and 27.2.5, Paragraphs 27.5, 28, 29, 31, 31.1, 32, 32.1, 32.5 and 32.6, Sub-paragraphs 37.11 and 37.11.1, Paragraphs 60.1, 60.2 and 60.3, as well as Chapter XI of Cabinet Regulation No. 360 of 9 June 2020, Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection.
[2 December 2020]
4. The terms used in this Order correspond to the terms used in the laws and regulations regarding the suppression of the spread and consequences of COVID-19 infection.
5. During the emergency situation:
5.1. any public events on site, including fireworks, shall be cancelled and prohibited. The abovementioned prohibition shall not apply to meetings, processions, and pickets organised outdoors (in accordance with the law On Meetings, Processions, and Pickets) in which no more than 25 people participate;
[2 December 2020; 22 December 2020]
5.2. beauty treatment, piercing and tattooing services, lease of sporting equipment indoors and photographic activities on site (except for producing photographs for documents), and also economic services on site which are related to entertainment and well-being (including in bars, nightclubs, discotheques, aquaparks, bathhouses, SPAs, skating-rinks, gaming halls, sites for organising children's parties, entertainment and amusement centres, trampoline parks, children's playrooms, day-care rooms (also in the shopping centres)) shall be prohibited. The abovementioned prohibition shall not apply to recreation on nature trails if one-way flow and maintenance of two-meter distance is ensured;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of the Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.1 of Amendments]
5.2.1 beating hunts shall be prohibited;
[17 December 2020 / The Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.1 of Amendments]
5.3. [21 December 2020 / Amendment regarding the deletion of the Sub-paragraph shall remain in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.1 of Amendments]
5.4. private events and private gatherings shall be prohibited, except for events within one household. If care needs to be provided to a person or a person lives alone in the household, visitations are allowed but only within the scope of not more than two households. When outdoor funeral services or christening ceremonies are held in urgent cases, simultaneous gathering of up to 10 people is allowed (excluding persons directly linked to holding the funeral service or christening) but from not more than two households, and it must be specified that mouth and nose covers must be used during the gathering;
[2 December 2020]
5.5. museums in outdoor spaces, outdoor sites where sports trainings (sessions) take place and sites where religious activities are performed shall start work not earlier than at 6.00 and end work not later than at 20.00, except for:
5.5.1. sites where religious activities are performed on 24 December 2020 and 6 January 2021 when the work must be ended not later than at 23.00;
5.5.2. the sporting events referred to in Sub-paragraphs 5.16.1 and 5.16.2 of this Order;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of the Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.1 of Amendments]
5.5.1 the operation of cultural sites and exhibition sites, and also activities related to the organising of street sale (including fairs), except for the territories of open-air territories of museums, shall be discontinued. Organised rehearsals of professional performers may take place at cultural sites between 6.00 and 22.00;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of the Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.1 of Amendments]
5.6. public catering facilities may only provide only take-away meals (except for manufacturing enterprises where this cannot be done under the condition that the relevant catering facility is not publicly available and prevention of physical overlapping of the flows of groups of people which are not in everyday contact is ensured, one table is occupied only by one person during meals and the tables are places at a two-metre distance from one another);
[17 December 2020]
5.7. retail trade services on site may only be provided by:
5.7.1. pharmacies (including veterinary pharmacies);
5.7.2. optical goods shops;
5.7.3. service stations;
5.7.4. trading venues where the following groups of goods may be sold:
5.7.4.1. foodstuffs;
5.7.4.2. hygiene products;
5.7.4.3. basic necessity household goods;
5.7.4.4. prepaid cards for mobile phones;
5.7.4.5. tobacco products, herbal products for smoking, electronic smoking devices and their liquids;
5.7.4.6. animal feed and products;
5.7.4.7. periodicals;
5.7.4.8. public transportation tickets;
5.7.4.9. mouth and nose covers and personal protective equipment;
5.7.4.10. agricultural products of home producers;
5.7.4.11. flowers and Christmas trees;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of the Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 19 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.3 of Amendments]
5.7.1 the restrictions laid down in Sub-paragraph 5.7 of this Order shall not apply to trade of goods using means of distance communication, and also distribution of the goods at a place of trading if the good have been bought using means of distance communication;
[17 December 2020 / The Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 19 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.3 of Amendments]
5.7.2 the provider of a trade service shall ensure that at the place of trading, including in the cases referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.7.1, visitors are being allowed to enter only one at a time, except for persons requiring the help of an assistant and children up to 12 years of age who may be accompanied by one person of legal age;
[17 December 2020 / The Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 19 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.3 of Amendments]
5.7.3 at a place of trading:
5.7.3 1. the provider of trade services shall ensure at least 15 m2 of the publicly available area of premises per one visitor (ignoring the area occupied by trade equipment and technologies). At places of trading where one visitor has less than 15 m2 of the publicly available area of premises, only one person is allowed at the same time;
5.7.3 2. information, including in foreign languages, on the maximum number of persons allowed at the specific site at the same time and also that for the purpose of controlling the flow entrance is allowed only with shopping baskets, carts or shopping bag of the provider of trading services shall be place at the entrance in a clearly visible place;
5.7.3 3. the total number of shopping baskets, carts or bags of the provider of trading services may not exceed the maximum allowed number of visitors at a trading centre. A person may not be at a place of trading without a shopping basket, cart or bag of the provider of trading services;
[17 December 2020 / Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 19 December 2020. See Sub-paragraph 1.4 of the amendments]
5.7.4 in shopping centres (in buildings which have been arranged for a permanent and systematic trade with the total area dedicated to trade of at least 10 000 m2 and in which at least 10 trade participants or service providers are operating in individual sales points), the owner or legal possessor of the shopping centre shall:
5.7.4 1. ensure that the maximum allowed number of visitors is not exceeded in the shopping centre. The maximum allowed number of visitors in a shopping centre shall be determined by summing the allowed number of visitors of trading places which are allowed at the specific places at the same time;
5.7.4 2. place at the entrance in a clearly visible place information, including in foreign languages, on the maximum number of visitors allowed at the shopping centre at the same time;
5.7.4 3. shall control the flow of visitors by the entrances, exits, hallways and toilets of the shopping centre and in other places (outside the place where services are provided and trading places) where visitors are increasingly gathering;
[17 December 2020; 22 December 2020]
5.7.5 the restrictions laid down in Sub-paragraphs 5.7, 5.7.2, and 5.7.3 of this Order shall not apply to the permanent points of sale established by the merchant in prisons (prison shops). The rights of prisoners to make purchases in the prison shop laid down by laws and regulations shall be ensured in conformity with the prison infrastructure and the epidemiological safety requirements specified for prisons;
[22 December 2020]
5.8. the restrictions specified in Sub-paragraphs 5.6 and 5.7 of this Order for the providers of public catering services, and also for the sites where catering is provided, and for sales points shall not be applicable to the terminal of valsts akciju sabiedrība "Starptautiskā lidosta "Rīga"" [State joint stock company International Airport Riga], and also to public catering sites in educational institutions if they are not available to the public and prevention of physical overlapping of the flows of groups of people which are not in everyday contact is ensured. The providers of public catering services shall comply with the requirements of Paragraph 20 of Cabinet Regulation No. 360 of 9 June 2020, Epidemiological Safety Measures for the Containment of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection;
[17 November 2020; 2 December 2020]
5.9. a provider of trade services and buyers shall use mouth and nose covers during trade at street vending sites and in the territory of an open market;
5.10. at outdoors spaces of museums and sites where religious activities are performed:
5.10.1. at least 10 m2 of the publicly available area of premises are provided per visitor;
5.10.2. information, including in foreign languages, on the maximum number of persons allowed at this site at the same time is placed at the entrance in a clearly visible place;
[2 December 2020; 17 December 2020 / The new wording of the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 5.10 shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.5 of Amendments]
5.11. in addition to the conditions referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.10 of this Order, the following shall be ensured at outdoor spaces of museums (when not organising an event):
5.11.1. not more than 20 % of the total possible number of persons allowed by the area and infrastructure of the premises available to visitors are present at the relevant site at the same time;
5.11.2. visitors only arrive individually, except for members of one household;
5.11.3. only one-way flow of visitors is ensured;
[2 December 2020; 17 December 2020 / The new wording of the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 5.11 shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.5 of Amendments]
5.11.1 mouth and nose covers shall be used in outdoor spaces of museums, nature trails and at environmental and nature objects when there is an intensive flow of people;
[22 December 2020]
5.12. in addition to the conditions referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.10 of this Order, the following shall be ensured at sites where religious activities are performed (if an event is not organised):
5.12.1. not more than 20 % of the total possible number of persons allowed by the area and infrastructure of the premises available to visitors are present at the relevant site at the same time;
5.12.2. Sunday school lessons are be held remotely;
[2 December 2020; 17 December 2020 / Amendment to Sub-paragraph 5.12.2 regarding the deletion of the words "or on site only individually (except for persons living in one household)" shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.5 of Amendments]
5.13. in the field of education:
5.13.1. the provision of child supervision services shall be continued;
5.13.2. the learning process on site shall be discontinued in all educational institutions and the learning shall be ensured remotely, except for:
5.13.2.1. the completion of pre-school education programme if the employees of the educational institution use mouth and nose covers during the learning process and outside of it. The persons referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.44 of this Order need not use the mouth and nose cover;
5.13.2.2. the completion of general education programme from grade 1 to grade 4, provided that at least 3 m2 of the area of learning premises are provided per educatee and that employees of the educational institution and educatees use mouth and nose covers during the learning process and outside it (including the completion of an international educational programme in the age group of educatees corresponding to the relevant grades); The educatees shall begin to use the mouth and nose covers from 4 January 2021. The persons referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.44 of this Order need not use the mouth and nose cover;
5.13.2.3. [21 December 2020 / Amendment regarding the deletion of the Sub-paragraph shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.5 of Amendments]
5.13.2.4. the clinical training during residency;
5.13.2.5. the completion of a programme at the educational institution for social correction Naukšēni, in special educational institutions and such special education classes of educational institutions in which special basic education programme is implemented for pupils with severe mental disorders or several severe mental disorders, and also to pupils with mental disorders of special basic education programmes;
5.13.2.6. [2 December 2020. See Sub-paragraph 1.18 of the amendments];
5.13.3. the completion of adult continuous vocational training, vocational in-service training and non-formal adult education programmes shall be held remotely;
5.13.4. the completion of interest education and vocational orientation education programmes shall be held remotely (does not apply to holding the sports trainings (sessions) referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.17.1 of this Order outdoors;
5.13.5. if the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has imposed mandatory counter-epidemic measures on an educational institution, an educatee or employee of an educational institution, the educational institution shall immediately inform the State Education Quality Service of this fact and further action;
5.13.6. the completion of adult continuous vocational training, vocational in-service training, and non-formal adult education programmes at prisons shall be discontinued;
5.13.7. for educatees in grades 1-6 winter holidays in the academic year 2020/2021 shall last from 21 December 2020 until 8 January 2021 and the second semester shall begin on 11 January 2021. The abovementioned conditions shall not apply to the educational institution for social correction "Naukšēni" and special educational institutions;
[17 November 2020; 24 November 2020; 2 December 2020; 17 December 2020 / Amendment to Sub-paragraph 5.13.3 regarding the deletion of the words "except for the individual completion of such practical part which is required for obtaining professional skills or qualifications and which cannot be carried out remotely" and the new wording of Sub-paragraph 5.13.4 shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.5 of Amendments]
5.14. rehearsals of amateur collectives (including choirs, orchestras, folk music ensembles, dance groups, and other folk art collectives) shall be held remotely;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of the Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.7 of Amendments]
5.15. the operation of camps for children shall be discontinued;
5.16. any sporting events (for example, competitions, demonstrations, numbers) shall be prohibited and cancelled, except for:
5.16.1. the sports competitions included in the calendar of sports competitions of international Olympic sports federations (including the official trainings intended before competitions) for athletes of adult teams if they are held without spectators;
5.16.2. the sports competitions of team sports of international and highest leagues in which only adult professional athletes (persons who, on contractual basis and for the remuneration agreed, are preparing for sports competitions and participate therein) participate if they are held without spectators;
5.17. sports trainings (sessions), including within the scope of programmes of interest education and vocational orientation, shall be organised outdoors, individually or remotely, in compliance with the following conditions:
5.17.1. no more than 10 persons gather at the same time in an organised manner in one training group for sports training (session) in outdoor spaces (excluding the sports specialists and sports employees), and locker rooms are not used. If it is permitted by the area of the sports venue of the relevant outdoor space, the work of several training groups may take place at the same time if flows of different training groups do not overlap physically, and also separate supervision of their activity is ensured;
5.17.2. sports trainings (sessions) in indoor spaces, including individual visits, shall be discontinued, except for the persons referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.17.3 of this Order;
5.17.3. training of athletes of the Latvian adult team, Latvian Olympic team, or Latvian Paralympic team, and also adult professional athletes (persons who, on contractual basis and for the remuneration agreed, are preparing for sports competitions and participate therein) of teams of international and highest leagues of team sports take place both in indoor spaces and outdoor spaces, and the conditions referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.17.1 of this Order do not apply to them;
[24 November 2020; 17 December 2020 / New wording of Sub-paragraph 5.17.2 and amendment of Sub-paragraph 5.17.3 regarding the deletion of the words and number "and 5.17.2" shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.7 of Amendments]
5.18. for the support to local governments which is provided in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 709 of 8 December 2015, Regulations Regarding the Methodology for the Determination of Costs and the Procedures by which a Local Government shall Cover the Costs of a Pre-school Educational Programme for a Private Educational Institution According to the Average Costs Stipulated Thereby, the restriction referred to in Paragraph 9 of the Regulation shall not be applied to the absence of the child due to a health condition or other justifying reasons until the end of the emergency situation;
5.18.1 when organising the completion of learning content provided for in the educational programme for the first stage of basic education in family in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 591 of 13 October 2015, Procedures for Enrolling Students in and Discharging from General Educational Institutions and Special Pre-school Educational Groups, and also for Moving Them up into the Next Grade, the requirement to submit a statement issued by a doctor or a psychologist's opinion specified in Sub-paragraph 22.1 of the abovementioned Regulation shall not be applied until the end of the emergency situation;
[17 November 2020]
5.19. for the purpose of achieving the epidemiological safety objectives, the organisation of court proceedings in the following manner shall be specified:
5.19.1. a court shall use the written procedure as much as possible or shall examine cases remotely;
5.19.2. if a court deems that a case needs to be tried in a court hearing then video conferencing shall be used to achieve the epidemiological safety objectives. Persons participating in administrative offence proceedings or criminal proceedings in court may object against such decision, but in other cases objections may be raised by a participant in the case who is a natural person and who is not represented by an advocate if the objections have objective grounds;
5.19.3. oral hearing of a case on site shall be held in compliance with the epidemiological safety requirements if it is not possible to ensure examination of the case in the written procedure or remotely and examination of the case is related to a significant violation of the rights of a person and an objective urgency;
5.19.4. a criminal case according to appeal procedures may be tried in the written procedure also in the cases not referred to in the Criminal Procedure Law. A prosecutor or a person whose interests and rights are violated by the appeal or protest may express a request to examine the case in the oral procedure, justifying it;
5.19.5. criminal cases which have been transferred to a court in accordance with urgent procedures or for examination without a verification of evidence shall be examined by a court of first instance in the written procedure. The court shall, in a notification regarding examination of a criminal case in the written procedure, indicate the rights for a prosecutor, an accused, a defence counsel, and a victim to submit, within 10 days, a removal of the composition of the court, to submit objections against trial of a case in the written procedure, to submit an opinion on the type and amount of a punishment to be applied, and other issues related to the judgment, and also indicate the day of availability of the ruling. If objections against trial of a case in the written procedure has been submitted by a prosecutor, an accused, a defence counsel, or a victim, the court shall take a decision to examine a case in the oral procedure;
5.19.6. a court may examine an administrative case in the written procedure if it is possible to ensure compliance with the procedural rights of participants to the proceedings and the court has not recognised that it is necessary to try the case in a court hearing. The court shall, in a timely manner, inform participants to the proceedings of trial of an administrative case in the written procedure, specifying a term for the submission of additional explanations or other procedural requests;
5.19.7. a court may examine an administrative offence case in the written procedure if it is possible to ensure compliance with the procedural rights of participants to the proceedings and the court has not recognised that it is necessary to try the case in a court hearing;
5.19.8. if it is not possible to ensure examination of a case in the written procedure or remotely and the issue is not related to a significant violation of the rights of a person and an objective urgency, the examination of the case shall be postponed until revocation of the emergency situation;
5.19.9. judicial services shall only be available remotely;
[2 December 2020]
5.20. investigative actions in pre-trial criminal proceedings, if possible, shall be performed remotely. For achievement of the epidemiological safety objectives, investigative actions may be postponed, in an exceptional case, until revocation of the emergency situation if postponing of the investigative actions does not cause a significant violation of the rights of the persons involved in proceedings;
5.20.1if the decision to impose the compulsory measure of a correctional nature - placement in an educational institution for social correction - on a child has been taken during the emergency situation, enforcement of the abovementioned decision shall be suspended until the end of the emergency situation;
[2 December 2020]
5.21. the Latvian Council of Sworn Bailiffs and the Latvian Council of Sworn Notaries may determine restrictions for the reception of visitors on site or decide on the discontinuation thereof at the locations of the practice of sworn bailiffs and sworn notaries;
5.22. a sworn bailiff and a sworn notary may decide on suspension of the official activities if the fulfilment thereof may be related to an increased risk for the persons involved to become infected with COVID-19 and the fulfilment of such activity is not related to an objective urgency, and suspension does not cause a significant violation of the rights;
5.23. an Orphan's and Custody Court may examine a case and take decisions in a meeting of the Orphan's and Custody Court in the written procedure (without the presence of persons) if it has not recognised that it is necessary to examine the case in the oral procedure. The authority (official) shall, in a manner corresponding to the nature of written procedure, ensure the same extent of rights for the participants in the proceedings as in the oral procedure;
5.24. if a case is examined in the written procedure (without the presence of persons), becoming acquainted with the materials of such case shall be ensured remotely. An Orphan's and Custody Court shall, within three working days after receipt of a relevant application signed by the person, send scanned copies of the case materials to the e-mail address indicated by the person or information on electronic access to the case materials (ensuring the possibility to become acquainted with the case materials or to obtain a copy);
5.25. an Orphan's and Custody Court may determine that procedural actions, including the actions to be performed in a meeting of the Orphan's and Custody Court, are performed using video conferencing in compliance with the restrictions specified due to the spread of COVID-19 and the epidemiological situation in the State;
5.26. if an Orphan's and Custody Court is hindered in the fulfilment of the tasks specified in the Law on Orphan's and Custody Courts, except for the tasks specified in Chapters VII and VIII of the abovementioned Law, the Orphan's and Custody Court may transfer the fulfilment of individual tasks to another closest Orphan's and Custody Court for a specific period of time and such other Orphan's and Custody Court has the duty to take over the abovementioned tasks for a specific period of time;
5.27. the commencement of serving the sentence of a temporary deprivation of liberty and criminal punishment - arrest - at prisons shall be suspended and detaining and delivering of such persons to prisons to whom a temporary deprivation of liberty, criminal punishment - arrest - has been adjudged or to whom the fine or community service adjudged by a court judgment has been replaced with a temporary deprivation of liberty shall be discontinued;
5.28. the transfer and taking over of persons convicted and detained in a foreign country for the further execution of a custodial sentence or enforcement of imprisonment within the territory of the Republic of Latvia shall be suspended, except when the foreign country has refused to extend the time limit for the transfer of the person or the detention period of the person cannot be extended and the person to be transferred or taken over has been tested for COVID-19 72 hours before entry, and the test is negative;
[8 December 2020]
5.29. convoying of prisoners to courts shall be discontinued, except for the cases which contain the official secret object. Convoying of prisoners shall be discontinued upon request of a person directing the proceedings, except for cases if a consent has been received from the head of the institution or his or her authorised official;
5.30. the transfer of prisoners between prisons shall be discontinued (except for the transfer of prisoners due to security reasons, their transfer to the Latvian Prison Hospital at Olaine Prison and back, transfer of convicted persons to begin their sentence execution and cases when the security measure - arrest - is imposed on a convicted person in another criminal case while he or she is serving their sentence);
[2 December 2020]
5.31. the head of the Prisons Administration, the Chief of the State Police, and the Chief of the State Fire and Rescue Service have the right:
5.31.1. to assign any official with special service rank of the Prisons Administration, any official with special service rank of the State Police, or any official with special service rank of the State Fire and Rescue Service respectively the fulfilment of any service duties other than those specified in the job description or to fulfil them in another unit;
5.31.2. to employ the staff of the Prisons Administration, the State Police, and the State Fire and Rescue Service respectively continuously for more than 24 hours;
5.32. long-term social care and social rehabilitation institutions shall accept new clients by evaluating the possibility of guaranteeing safety of the client and the need to receive a service without delay, and also the resources necessary for the provision of the service, ensuring care on a priority basis and reducing the amount of social rehabilitation services if it is not possible to ensure them to full extent due to objective reasons;
5.33. other providers of social services which provide social services with full or partial accommodation shall continue care at home, care at a day centre, social rehabilitation services for violence victims at crisis centres and placement of a child left without parental care in a long-term social care and social rehabilitation institution or a crisis centre, and temporary accommodation of persons without a place of residence in a shelter or night shelter, ensuring compliance with the epidemiological safety requirements and the necessary precautionary measures;
5.34. the provision of social rehabilitation and psychosocial rehabilitation services shall be permitted, only ensuring compliance with the epidemiological safety requirements and the gathering restrictions specified in the State and specifying that:
5.34.1. individual services are provided on site;
5.34.2. consultations are provided remotely;
5.34.3. social services are provided on site if the client has been tested for COVID-19 and the test is negative or the client has a statement issued by a general practitioner that the person has suffered from COVID-19;
[24 November 2020]
5.35. an employer has an obligation:
5.35.1. to provide the employees the possibilities to work remotely if the specific nature of the work allows it;
5.35.2. to ensure personal protective equipment to employees for work on site which are necessary for the performance of work duties (for example, mouth and nose covers, aprons, coveralls);
5.35.3. to specify measures for the containment of the spread of COVID-19 in the work collective, appointing a person responsible for the introduction of such measures at the working place and informing employees of the abovementioned measures;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of Sub-paragraph 5.35.1 shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.7 of Amendments]
5.35.1 work shall be organised so that only the employees who ensure the continuity of work and cannot work remotely from their place of residence would perform work duties on site;
[17 December 2020 / Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.7 of Amendments]
5.36. the condition laid down in the laws and regulations regarding the obligation of the addressee to sign in the area of the informative notice "date and signature" or on the sensor of the signature capturing device shall not be applicable during the emergency situation, if the postal operator, upon using consignment processing systems which prepare and aggregate the consignment receipt data, ensures documentary or electronic evidence that the particular consignment has been issued.
5.37. bringing in the territory of Latvia of minks and raw mink skins shall be prohibited.
[17 November 2020]
5.38. [2 December 2020];
5.39. [2 December 2020];
5.40. [2 December 2020];
5.41. the provider of an economic service, except for the provider of a trade service, shall:
5.41.1. ensure that at the site where the economic service is provided at least 15 m2 of the publicly available area of premises are available per visitor. At sites where the economic service is provided and one visitor has less than 15 m2 of the publicly available area of premises, only one person is allowed at the same time;
5.41.2. place at the entrance in a clearly visible place information, including in foreign languages, on the maximum number of persons allowed at the specific site at the same time;
[17 December 2020 / New wording of the Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 21 December 2020. See the introductory part of Sub-paragraph 1.7 of Amendments]
5.42. starting from 7 December 2020, the carrier of public transportation shall organise the boarding and disembarking from the vehicles so that the number of passengers in the vehicle would not exceed 50 % of its capacity. If the boarding and disembarking of passengers into or from the vehicle cannot be controlled due to its characteristics, seats shall be marked in the vehicle, ensuring compliance with the distancing requirements;
[2 December 2020]
5.43. mouth and nose covers shall be used in public indoor spaces, including working places, if more than one person stays in the premises, except:
5.43.1. by professional orchestra and choirs, theatre and dance collectives;
5.43.2. in the process for the acquisition of education related to learning how to play an instrument or the vocal art;
5.43.3. by athletes during sports trainings (sessions) and the sporting events referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.16 of this Order;
5.43.4. by the employees of electronic mass media if it is needed to fully perform their work duties;
5.43.5. for the cases when the broadcast or recording of a cultural or religious event is being prepared or taking place, remote learning process is ensured or audiovisual works are created if it is needed to fully perform work duties and the permission of the legal possessor has been received;
[2 December 2020; 17 December 2020; 22 December 2020 / Amendment to Sub-paragraph 5.43.3 regarding the deletion of the words " (including visitors of sites where individual indoor sporting events take place)" shall come into force on 21 December 2020 and shall be in force until 11 January 2021. See Sub-paragraph 1.11 of Amendments]
5.44. in public transportation and indoor spaces, mouth and nose covers need not be used by children under the age of 7 years and persons with obvious movement impairments or mental health disorders due to which the person lacks capacity or skills to use mouth and nose covers. Children in the age from 7 to 13 years shall begin to use mouth and nose covers in the public transportation from 7 December 2020;
[2 December 2020]
5.45. the event organiser, provider of the economic service, and owner of a building shall ensure that the person who fails to use the mouth and nose cover or uses it improperly (without covering the nose and mouth) is not let indoors. The event organiser or provider of economic services shall not provide the service to the person who fails to comply with the epidemiological safety requirements, including fails to use the mouth and nose cover. The abovementioned requirements shall not be applicable to the persons referred to in Sub-paragraph 5.44 of this Order;
[2 December 2020]
5.45.1 the person who has returned to Latvia by a repatriation flight approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall ensure self-isolation in a place of stay determined by the State for 10 days, and it shall be prohibited to leave such place. The person shall observe his or her health condition during the self-isolation;
[22 December 2020 / The Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 22 December 2020 and shall be in force until 1 January 2021. See Sub-paragraph 1.6 of Amendments]
5.46. medical treatment institutions shall discontinue the provision of health care services within the scope of health tourism from 3 December 2020. The Minister for Health shall have the right to, in exceptional cases related to humanitarian considerations or urgent necessity, allow the provision of health care services within the scope of the health tourism;
[2 December 2020]
5.47. inpatient medical treatment institutions:
5.47.1. shall discontinue the provision of health care services in day hospitals, except for:
5.47.1.1. services provided to ensure the continuity of treatment - chemotherapy, biological medicinal products, organ substitution treatment;
5.47.1.2. radiation therapy;
5.47.1.3. health care services for haematological diseases;
5.47.1.4. methadone and buprenorphine substitution treatment;
5.47.1.5. health care services for patients who must continue or complete the treatment started as a matter of urgency on inpatient basis;
5.47.1.6. interventional cardiology;
5.47.1.7. interventional radiology;
5.47.2. shall discontinue the provision of inpatient health care services, except for:
5.47.2.1. emergency medical assistance and acute assistance;
5.47.2.2. oncological and life-saving surgeries, and such surgeries due to cancellation of which the person could become disabled;
5.47.2.3. health care services in relation to the treatment of the following groups of diseases - oncology, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, psychiatry, contagious skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases, traumatology;
5.47.2.4. acute and subacute rehabilitation services to person for whom the postponement of this service can cause risk of disability or loss of capacity for work, including to children for whom the postponement of the rehabilitation can cause substantial deterioration of functional abilities;
5.47.3. as far as possible, ensure remote consultations of outpatient specialists.
[22 December 2020 / Sub-paragraph shall come into force on 23 December 2020 and shall be in force until 4 January 2021. See Sub-paragraph 1.7 of Amendments]
6. A natural person has an obligation to comply with the requirements referred to in Paragraph 5 of this Order, whereas, the organiser of the event or the provider of the economic or public service has an obligation to ensure that the person has a possibility to comply therewith.
6.1 From 7 December 2020, the State Border Guard shall, in cooperation with the National Armed Forces and State Police, shall monitor on enhanced bases whether the person who have entered Latvia fulfils the obligation imposed thereupon - to submit the confirmation form in the information system for monitoring persons (on the website of the information system (covidpass.lv)).
[2 December 2020]
7. The Minister for Defence shall take a decision on the provision of support by the National Armed Forces to the State Border Guard, the State Police, the Prisons Administration, and also to the civil defence system, evaluating the impact of the request expressed on the fulfilment of the direct tasks of the National Armed Forces and the conformity level of preparedness of the National Armed Forces for the fulfilment of the relevant task.
8. The Minister for Defence shall take a decision on the course of the learning process in military educational institutions. The Minister for the Interior shall take a decision on the course of the learning process in educational institutions of the system of the Interior. The Minister for Justice shall take a decision on the course of the learning process in the Training Centre of the Prisons Administration.
8.1 Upon taking a relevant decision, the Minister for Justice may, during the emergency situation, suspend the issue of the office certificate of the administrator of insolvency proceedings and postpone the organisation of the qualification examination. Upon taking the abovementioned decision, the term for the use of the office certificate of the administrator of insolvency proceedings already issued shall be determined taking into account that it may not exceed three months after the end of the emergency situation.
[24 November 2020]
9. The determination of such overtime work which exceeds the maximum overtime work specified in the Labour Law, the Law on the Career Course of Service of Officials with Special Service Ranks Working in Institutions of the System of the Ministry of the Interior and the Prisons Administration, and Section 53.1, Paragraph two of the Medical Treatment Law but does not exceed 60 hours per week shall be allowed in State and local government medical treatment institutions which provide inpatient health care services, for employees of ports and capital companies controlled thereby, and also for the persons employed in the State Emergency Medical Service, for the civil servants and employees of the Ministry of Health, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the State Revenue Service, the National Health Service, the system of the Ministry of the Interior, and also for the officials with special service ranks of the Ministry of the Interior shall be permitted. The provisions of Section 136, Paragraph four of the Labour Law shall not be applicable to the cases referred to in this Paragraph. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of the Interior shall request the additional financial resources necessary for overtime work remuneration from the State budget programme 02.00.00 "Funds for Unforeseen Events".
10. The determination of such overtime work which exceeds the maximum overtime work specified in the Labour Law but does not exceed 60 hours per week together with the normal work time shall be allowed for the employees of municipal police, Orphan's and Custody Court and local government social service offices, and also for the employees of providers of such social services which ensure accommodation, care, and supervision. The provisions of Section 136, Paragraph four of the Labour Law shall not be applicable to the cases referred to in this Paragraph.
[2 December 2020]
10.1 In the State and local government medical treatment institutions which provide inpatient health care services and practices of general practitioners, medical treatment institution which provide outpatient health care services and also for the employees of the State Emergency Medical Service, pharmacists and the civil servants and employees of the Ministry of Health, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the National Health Service, a supplement of up to 100 % of the monthly wage may be specified for work under conditions of increased risk and workload due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and elimination of its consequences in addition to the maximum amount of supplements laid down in Section 14, Paragraph two of the Law on Remuneration of Officials and Employees of State and Local Government Authorities. The Minister for Health shall decide on the use of the funding based on the actual needs and request the additional funds required by the Ministry of Health for supplements from the State budget programme 02.00.00 "Funds for Unforeseen Events".
[8 December 2020; 17 December 2020]
11. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the responsible sectoral ministries shall, according to the competence, inform international organisations, if necessary, in accordance with the procedures laid down in international agreements of disengagement from the international liabilities of Latvia if the fulfilment of such liabilities is not possible during the emergency situation.
12. The measures shall be financed from the State budget resources allocated to the authorities in accordance with the law On the State Budget for 2020, as well as upon a motivated request of the authorities from the State budget programme 02.00.00 "Funds for Unforeseen Events". In such cases, the decision to grant funding shall be taken by the Cabinet.
13. It shall be determined that the State authority specified in Section 3, Paragraph two of the law On Emergency Situation and State of Exception shall be the relevant sectoral ministry which aggregates claims of persons against the State for the damage caused and submits them to the Ministry of Finance.
14. The State Chancellery shall, in accordance with Section 9, Paragraph three of the law On Emergency Situation and State of Exception, notify the Presidium of the Saeima regarding the decision taken by the Cabinet and shall, in accordance with Paragraph four of the abovementioned Law, inform the public electronic mass media of the decision taken.
15. The decisions referred to in this Order, if they concern an individually undetermined circle of addressees, shall be notified in accordance with the procedures provided for in Section 11 of the Law on Notification.
Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš
Minister of Health I. Viņķele