Isamaa's board said in a statement that "Vaccination and effective management of vaccination will help to ensure that our society functions and reduce the burden on the hospital network."

A vaccination injury fund, as Isamaa called it, would provide reassurance to those skeptical about vaccinations, in so doing both promoting vaccination and curbing the viral spread, the party said.

The statement, approved by the party's governing board with the blessing of party leader Helir-Valdor Seeder, also said that those who recover from the virus should have a longer period of certification than the current six months.

"Recovery from coronavirus infection and/or the presence of antibodies should entitle a person to a coronavirus passport valid for one year," the board said.

More testing and quarantining is also needed, Isamaa said. "In order to prevent the spread of the virus, in addition to unvaccinated close contacts, vaccinated close contacts should also be PCR tested. An alternative to testing is to self-isolate in case of infection within family."

Seeder says that Estonia must both act decisively and seek societal support in its quest for measures that will help the country get out of the current situation.

"We encourage reduced contact and responsible behavior to limit the spread of the virus," the statement added.

Well over 500 people are currently hospitalized due to the virus, the majority of them unvaccinated, while the estimated capacity in an over-strained healthcare sector which has seen an exodus of staff suffering burnout, at least according to some media reports, stands at around 600 spaces.

Wednesday saw over 2,000 new covid cases identified over the past 24 hours.

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