This means that the emergency situation of March 13-May 17 was largely delineated by government order, rather than legal act - the latter requires a Riigikogu (parliament) majority vote and the assent of the President of the Republic of Estonia, the former do not.

These orders covered aspects of the emergency situation including freedom of movement both across Estonia's borders and internally, access to public institutions, the sale of alcohol, the involvement of the volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit) and the organization of public text message alerts.

ERR News is posting all of the orders available and translated into English since March 12, when the emergency situation* was declared, as available on the State Gazette (Riigi teataja) site. These appear in rough chronological order of date passed, rather than date of coming into effect.

Orders actually winding up the various aspects of the emergency situation (the emergency situation itself is to be ended by an act which passed the Riigikogu on May 13, and will also install a follow-up, less severe emergency ("hädaolukord") are also included.

Two acts - the Emergency Act and the Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act - were also amended and were the most significant pieces of legislation to pass the Riigikogu in relation to the emergency situation. The legislation passed shortly before the end of the emergency situation, and these are included as well.

Please note translations are not classified by the state as the authentic text and so are not likely to carry the same legal status as the original Estonian text, which is also available on the State Gazette's site.

Please also note that not all internet browsers support the document platform; click on the State Gazette site above if yours does not.

Declaration of Emergency Situation in the Administrative Territory of the Republic of Estonia

Application of measures of emergency situation

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation concerning restrictions imposed on institutions accessible to the public

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing restrictions on the freedom of movement in the territories of the rural municipalities of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Vormsi, Ruhnu, Kihnu and Muhu and the island of Manija

Temporary Restoration of Border Checks and Border Control at the Internal Border

Appointment of persons in charge of emergency situation work for coordinating compliance with orders and organising SMS alerts

Involvement of the Defence League in Protecting Public Order During Emergency Situation

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on movement after crossing the state border

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on movement after crossing the state border  

Suspension of the Right to the Retail Sale of Alcoholic Beverages throughout the State from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Imposition of Restrictions on Prescribing and Dispensing Medicinal Products 

Suspension of the Right to the Retail Sale of Alcoholic Beverages throughout the State from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing restrictions on the freedom of movement in public places

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on movement after crossing the state border

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in commercial establishments

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation concerning restrictions imposed on institutions accessible to the public

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in commercial establishments

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement on persons diagnosed with the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease and on persons living with or permanently staying in the same place of residence as said persons

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing additional restrictions on the freedom of movement and prohibition on stay in combating the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease in the rural municipalities of Saaremaa and Muhu

Involvement of the Defence League in ensuring security in the territory of the rural municipalities of Saaremaa and Muhu

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in social welfare institutions

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in commercial establishments

Order of the Person in Charge of Emergency Situation for Imposing a Restriction on the Freedom of Movement in Hall of Residence at Raatuse 22, Tartu

Conditions of and procedure for payment of benefits and for services through the Estonian Health Insurance Fund in emergency situation

Application of Measures of Emergency Situation  

Declaration of Emergency Situation in the Administrative Territory of the Republic of Estonia 

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing additional restrictions on the freedom of movement and prohibition on stay in combating the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease in the rural municipalities of Saaremaa and Muhu

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing restrictions on the freedom of movement in the territories of the rural municipalities of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Vormsi, Ruhnu, Kihnu and Muhu and the island of Manija 

Order of the Person in Charge of Emergency Situation Concerning Restrictions Imposed on Institutions Accessible to the Public  

Application of Measures of Emergency Situation  

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing restrictions on the freedom of movement in the territories of the rural municipalities of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Vormsi, Ruhnu, Kihnu and Muhu and the island of Manija

Order of the Person in Charge of Emergency Situation Concerning Restrictions Imposed on Institutions Accessible to the Public  

Order of the Person in Charge of Emergency Situation for Imposing a Restriction on the Freedom of Movement in Hall of Residence at Raatuse 22, Tartu  

Application of measures of emergency situation

Application of measures of emergency situation

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in commercial establishments

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing restrictions on the freedom of movement in the territories of the rural municipalities of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Vormsi, Ruhnu, Kihnu and Muhu and the island of Manija

Application of measures of emergency situation

Application of measures of emergency situation

Application of measures of emergency situation

Imposition of Restrictions on Prescribing and Dispensing Medicinal Products

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on movement after crossing the state border

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on movement after crossing the state border

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Temporary Restoration of Border Checks and Border Control at the Internal Borders

Declaration of Emergency Situation in the Administrative Territory of the Republic of Estonia

Application of measures of emergency situation

Suspension of the Right to the Retail Sale of Alcoholic Beverages throughout the State from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Involvement of the Defence League in ensuring security in the territory of the rural municipalities of Saaremaa and Muhu

 Involvement of the Defence League in ensuring security in emergency situation zone

Temporary restriction on crossing the state border due to the spread of the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on movement after crossing the state border

Order of the Person in Charge of Emergency Situation for Imposing Restrictions on the Freedom of Movement in Public Places

Appointment of persons in charge of emergency situation work for coordinating compliance with orders and organising SMS alerts

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in commercial establishments

Order of the person in charge of emergency situation for imposing a restriction on the freedom of movement in social welfare institutions

Orders related to or following the end of the emergency situation on May 17

After extending the emergency situation expiry date from the end of April 2020, to midnight on Sunday, May 17, government orders needed to be issued to deal with this aspect, which follows. These mainly consisted of the same orders reissued declaring them terminated. Two significant legal amends also passed the Riigikogu, the Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act and the Emergency Act, and these also follow. 

Imposition of temporary restrictions on crossing the state border and establishment of quarantine upon crossing the state border in order to prevent a new outbreak of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease

Imposition of quarantine on persons diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and on persons living with or permanently staying in the same place of residence as them

Suspension of the right of retail sale of alcoholic beverages throughout the state from 22.00 to 10.00

Restrictions on the freedom of movement and on holding public meetings and public events as necessary for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease

Imposition of temporary restrictions on crossing the state border and establishment of quarantine upon crossing the state border in order to prevent a new outbreak of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease

Suspension of the right of retail sale of alcoholic beverages throughout the state from 22:00 to 10:00

Restrictions on the freedom of movement and on holding public meetings and public events as necessary for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease

Restrictions on the freedom of movement and on holding public meetings and public events as necessary for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease

Imposition of temporary restrictions on crossing the state border and establishment of quarantine upon crossing the state border in order to prevent a new outbreak of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease

Restrictions on the freedom of movement and on holding public meetings and public events as necessary for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease

Restrictions on the freedom of movement and on holding public meetings and public events as necessary for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease

Imposition of temporary restrictions on crossing the state border in order to prevent a new outbreak of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease

Restrictions on the freedom of movement and on holding public meetings and public events as necessary for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease

Amended Acts 

Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act

Emergency Act

--

This article will be updated as new orders and legal amends get published in English.

*Under Estonian law, a state of emergency ("erakorraline seisukord") is only declared in case of a threat to the constitutional order of Estonia and it is not possible to eliminate a threat without the implementation of the measures provided for in the State of Emergency Act. Under the Emergency Act, the Estonian government may declare an emergency situation ("eriolukord") for the resolving of an emergency caused by a natural disaster, catastrophe or spread of a communicable disease.

--

Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!