Government to discuss new emergency restrictions
New emergency restrictions will be discussed by the government on Thursday afternoon after the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Estonia.
The head of the emergency situation, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center), said it is too early to talk about loosening emergency measures and no one dares to predict when the emergency situation will start to ease.
The government will gather at 2 p.m. to discuss further restrictions.
Ratas said the important indicators on which the government decides whether or not to introduce restrictions or relief are the number of new infections, the number of people hospitalized and in intensive care, and the number of deaths.
"Everyone is asking when it will end. We are also asking virologists, doctors, scientists. There is no answer yet," Ratas said. "These are the indicators on which the government is planning its next steps, the easing. We are now discussing new restrictions, not mitigation."
Ratas said at present only the emergency situation scheduled to run until May 1 can be taken into account.
"We can't say the worst is behind us," Ratas said on the spread of the virus and referring to the news about the closure of Eesti Energia's mine after a worker was found to have coronavirus, new infections in nursing homes and six deaths overnight.
The total number of people who have died after contracting the coronavirus in Estonia is 11 and the number of people who have tested positive for the disease so far is 858.
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Editor: Helen Wright