Direct flights cannot be opened between Estonia and 22 European countries
Direct flights cannot be opened to 22 countries from Estonia until September under updated guidelines published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. The government will meet on Thursday to discuss the future of travel restrictions.
Under the current rules direct flights cannot be opened between Estonia and another country with a coronavirus rate of 25 new cases per 100,000 people over a 14 day average.
The list of European countries exceeding hits total now includes Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, the Netherlands, Croatia, Ireland, Iceland, Greece, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, France, Sweden, Romania, Switzerland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Direct flights are currently allowed to operate between Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
The ministry reviews the epidemiological situation every Friday afternoon and opens or restricts the opening of routes according to the spread of the virus.
The Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas (Center) signed an order in May, which expires on August 31, that sets the limit at 25 per 100,000. However, as infection rates are increasing across Europe more and more direct flights are being suspended and the government does not want to cut Estonia off.
Aas told ERR on Wednesday that the government does not want a situation where it would no longer be possible to fly from Estonia to larger hubs, as they remain in countries subject to restrictions. The government will meet on August 27 to discuss the future of flight restrictions.
The newest list of infection rates can be viewed here. It comes into effect from Monday.
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Editor: Helen Wright