Latvia on Friday banned lawmakers not vaccinated against COVID-19 from attending face-to-face and remote meetings of Parliament starting Monday, when a month-long lockdown ends. Their wages will also be suspended for those who do not work.
The law, approved by the Saeima – the only chamber in the country – by 62 votes in favor and 7 against with two abstentions and 29 absent legislators, requires that members of Parliament and local government officials be vaccinated against COVID-19 .
Legislators will be able to participate in meetings after they present to the Saeima Mandates, Ethics and Proposals Commission a certificate confirming that they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus or that they have already recovered from the disease, or an opinion of a a specialist from a medical university hospital who recommends postponing vaccination for a certain time, along with a negative diagnostic test for COVID-19, the Baltic News Service reported.
The law will be implemented from November 15 and will remain in effect until July 1, the BNS added.
Latvian television indicated that 91 of the 100 members of the Saeima have a certificate, as well as 696 of 758 local government officials.
Last month, Latvia implemented a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as coronavirus infections worsened in this country of 1.9 million people with a coastline in the Baltic. Most stores are closed, and indoor or outdoor gatherings are not allowed, including entertainment, sporting and cultural events. These restrictions expire on November 15.
This month, the Saeima authorized employers to fire workers who are required to be vaccinated against COVID but refuse to do so.
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