Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Riga, Latvia (March 16, 2021)
Location: Latvia
Event: Latvia Updates Restrictions. U.S. Embassy Riga continues to monitor the rapidly changing conditions due to COVID-19 in Latvia and in other locations worldwide. The most current information regarding the impact of COVID-19 may be found at our COVID Information Page. On Friday, March 12, the Cabinet of Ministers updated restrictions on education, remote work and public transportation and permitted travel to/from countries outside the EU. For the full announcement, please visit: https://covid19.gov.lv/en/aktualites/government-approves-safety-measures-aim-decreasing-spread-covid-19-easter.
Updated Restrictions from March 16:
Education:
- Pre-schools will continue to operate allowing only children of those who work onsite and children of parents whose work does not enable them to work remotely and provide childcare at the same time to attend.
- In municipalities with a 14-day cumulative rate of less than 250 new cases per 100,000 people the following can take place:
- Students in grades 1 – 4 can return to school.
- Up to five formal education classes and two non-formal education classes can take place outdoors per week for a class of up to 20 people.
- For a list of eligible municipalities please visit https://www.spkc.gov.lv/lv/covid-19-saslimstibas-raditaji-pasvaldibas.
Remote work
- Only employees whose duties cannot be performed remotely, as determined by their employer, can work onsite. In these cases, employers must ensure at least 15 square meters per person. If this is not possible, then work should be organized in shifts to accommodate.
Public transport
- Public transport cannot have more than 50% capacity and passengers must follow posted instructions when choosing a seat.
Travel
- Beginning March 17, in addition to presenting a negative PCR test result done within the previous 72 hours, travelers arriving from outside of the EU/Schengen zone will be required to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival at their own expense. If the result is positive, the traveler must pay for self-isolation in one of the tourist accommodations specified by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency.
- Non-essential travel from the EU/Schengen zone continues to be banned with limited exceptions including work, study, family reunification, medical treatment, transit, return to home country, funerals, or accompanying a minor. The traveler must include the purpose of travel when registering at covidpass.lv and be ready to present justification documents upon arrival to the State Police or Border Guards.
- For more information on all travel restrictions/rules please visit https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/consular-information/news/66019-emergency-situation-in-latvia-to-restrict-the-spread-of-covid-19.
Actions to Take:
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Latvia.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.
- Follow travel.state.gov on Facebook and Twitter.
- Visit https://reopen.europa.eu/ for information on border openings and entry/exit requirements for countries within the European Union.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Riga, Latvia
Samnera Velsa iela 1
Riga LV-1510
+371 6710 7000
+371 6710 7000 (after hours)
askconsular-riga@state.gov - After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +371 2920 5708
- State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Latvia Country Information
- Enroll in Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
