"We call on people to work together so that the coronavirus does not ruin our normal lives. There has been a sharp increase in the spread of the coronavirus in Estonia, and the coming weeks will be decisive in whether we can stop the larger wave of the virus among the population," the statement issued on Tuesday afternoon said.

"Controlling the spread of the virus is necessary for all of us and for the whole of Estonian society in order to avoid re-imposing stricter restrictive measures to protect the health of every Estonian. We believe in the sensible behavior of the Estonian people which helped us to successfully cope with the outbreak of the disease that began in the early spring."

The government is calling on people to:

- Behave carefully, cautiously and smartly. The behavior of each person helps to prevent the damage caused by the spread of the virus.

- Keep a larger distance between strangers and acquaintances than usual. This is the most effective way to prevent infection. 

- Stay at home when ill and showing symptoms. It must be remembered that a person is most at risk of infection two days before and two days after the onset of symptoms.

- In areas with a high infection rate, avoid crowded places. If this is not possible, wear a protective mask in crowded places and on public transport. 

- All parties, including those held with family and close friends, are a source of increased risk of infection and should be considered very carefully.

- Download the "HOIA" mobile app. The free app can be downloaded at the Google Play Store or App Store.

- Follow hygiene rules to prevent infection with the virus.

- If you have any reason to suspect that you are having a coronavirus, call your doctor or the GP line 1220.

The chart below shows the number of new cases of coronavirus diagnosed weekly in Estonia since February. It shows the number of cases has clearly risen in the last month.

ERR News' publishes a weekly round-up of new cases every Monday. This most recent can be viewed here. See previous articles here.

See more data at koroonakaart.

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