"There are events in life which cannot be canceled or postponed," Solman said in a statement. The minister said that in such cases, the circle of family and friends attending the event should be kept as narrow as possible.

"COVID-19 is a virus that spreads very rapidly, and stopping its spread depends on all of us. The virus does not ask whether one met with a carrier of the virus in school, in a store or at a funeral. Weddings and birthday parties must be canceled or postponed. It's important to behave in a conservative and sensible manner," the Isamaa minister said.

In the current emergency situation, meetings involving large numbers of people are forbidden. The restriction also applies to important family events such as weddings, birthday celebrations, and funerals. People who need to come from abroad to attend a funeral in Estonia can apply for an emergency visa at a mission of Estonia abroad.  

Couples for whom a registration of marriage has been scheduled at a vital statistics office are requested to contact the office beforehand to learn about valid restrictions.

Enel Pungas, head of the department for population facts at the Ministry of the Interior, said that in the interests of safety, probably only the persons whose marriage is registered will be allowed onto the premises of the local government.

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