As explained in the amendments to the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ministry of Health “Epidemiological safety measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection”, now that the 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases has decreased below 200 per 100,000 population, a lower prevalence of Covid-19 risk. Consequently, in the opinion of the Ministry of Health, it is possible to review the obligation to use mouth and nose masks, stipulating their use only indoors and abolishing the requirement to use masks outdoors where there is an intensive gathering.
The amendments also stipulate that a vaccination, testing or disease certificate in paper form will also be available at municipal customer service units. Namely, a person in the Population Register or his / her legal representative will be able to request and receive a certificate both at a medical institution that performed vaccination or Covid-19 test, at any other medical institution, as well as at the unified state and municipal customer service center.
The Ministry of Health points out that in addition to the unified state and municipal customer service centers, which are 93 in Latvia, there are also municipal customer service structural units, which are mainly located in cities and provide only municipal services.
The website where an employee of the state and municipal joint customer service center or municipal customer service structural unit will be able to authenticate and request a certificate from a person or his / her legal representative is “https://pakalpojumucentri.lv ”. It is planned that this possibility will be provided from July 1, but until then the mentioned persons will be able to request a Covid-19 certificate “https://lab.covid19sertifikats.lv”.
The amendments also provide for the possibility to enter data on vaccinations abroad in the e-health system. Vaccinations against Covid-19 performed abroad are registered in e-health if a person is entitled to a state-paid vaccination against Covid-19 in Latvia. Currently, data on individual Covid-19 vaccination facts in eHealth can be entered for Covid-19 vaccines registered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). At the same time, data on Covid-19 vaccines registered by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be available in e-health in the near future.
Initially, the amendments stated that a person with a document certifying vaccination against Covid-19 infection received abroad would be able to apply to the vaccination office of the medical institution and the medical person would verify the authenticity of the presented document. However, after the objections of Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (JV) due to the fact that this would impose an uncharacteristic function on doctors and increase the workload, this item was removed.
Interior Minister Marija Golubeva (HR), assuming the duties of the absent Minister of Health Daniel Pavļutas (HR) at the government meeting on Tuesday, indicated that a solution should be found to the issue and it will be done. As soon as a solution is found as to which authority will check and approve the documents, this issue could be accepted as soon as possible, said Kariņš.
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs (JV) also expressed the opinion that this solution should be found as soon as possible. Thus, the Cabinet finally agreed to give the Ministry of Health two days to find a solution
