The hospital announced it will still allow visits if the visitor is cleared medically, the patient has not had any contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 over the last 14 days, the patient has no respiratory illnesses or a flu over 37.5C, and has not travelled from a high-risk country over the last 14 days. A list of these countries can be seen here.

Kuressaare Hospital's decision to limit visitations comes in the light of a potential outbreak in Tartu, when a person displaying symptoms visited many public spaces, most notably a party at Vabank night club, which directly led to at least 29 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed, as of Monday.

The island of Saaremaa was the hardest hit region in Estonia during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April, with travel between the island and mainland Estonia suspended in March. By March 27, cases diagnosed in Saaremaa (218) overtook Harju County (208), with then-mayor Madis Kallas also among those to contract COVID-19. However, since late April its rate has flatlined, with the last recorded case on the island being on the last day of that month.

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