Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Riga, Latvia (May 8, 2020)
Location: Latvia
Event: Latvia Extends State of Emergency, Eases Some Restrictions
On Thursday, May 7, the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia extended the state of emergency until June 9, and announced a gradual reduction of some restrictions starting on May 12, 2020. Details in the Latvian language can be found on the Cabinet of Ministers’ website here. A summary of the changes is as follows:
- Gatherings of up to 25 people, private and public, will be permitted as long as those present remain two meters apart. Inside gatherings can last a maximum of three hours.
- Kindergartens can reopen for ages five and six.
- Other schools will remain closed but some sports’ training may resume with limitations.
- Museums, Libraries, and other cultural institutions including concert halls and cinemas will reopen gradually.
- Shopping centers will reopen on the weekends.
- Extended hours for restaurants and other entertainment venues will be 7:00 am to midnight.
- Residents of and foreigners currently present in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will be able to cross shared borders without compulsory quarantine, providing that those crossing have not been outside the Baltic States in the past 14 days.
- Use of face coverings, scarves, shawls, or self-made masks, will be mandatory on public transportation.
- International passenger travel continues to be suspended under the State of Emergency.
Please check our COVID-19 page for up-to-date information and links.
Departure options from Riga Airport:
Air Baltic flights currently available from Riga Airport are as follows:
May 11, 2020 11:00 Riga (RIX) – Amsterdam (AMS)
May 12, 2020 11:00 Riga (RIX) – Amsterdam (AMS)
Please go to the Air Baltic Travel Updates page and follow the directions on that page to book a flight. You can book onward flights to the U.S. from Amsterdam directly with the airlines, through a travel agent, or through online travel sites.
U.S. citizens must have a ticket for a connecting flight in order to transit the Netherlands. U.S. citizens are permitted to transit through Amsterdam for the purpose of connecting to an outbound flight to the U.S. but will not be permitted to leave the airport while transiting.
Please let us know if you are planning to depart Riga by sending an email to askconsular-riga@state.gov.
Actions to Take:
- Email us directly at askconsular-riga@state.gov if you are trying to depart Latvia for the U.S.
- 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.
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.
