ECDC removes Latvia from dark red zone of Covid-19 travel warning map

RIGA - The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has removed Latvia from the dark red zone of its Covid-19 travel warning map denoting European countries with the highest infection rates, the ECDC's updated map shows. 

On the ECDC's Covid-19 map, Latvia had remained in the dark red zone, which includes countries where the cumulative 14-day Covid-19 incidence exceeds 500 cases per 100,000 population, since the end of January.  As of Thursday, Latvia is in the red zone denoting countries where the cumulative 14-day Covid-19 incidence is between 150 and 500 cases per 100,000 population. 

Of the three Baltic states, Estonia remains in the dark red zone and Lithuania is colored red like Latvia. 

At present, Latvia currently has the sixth highest Covid-19 incidence among member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), according to the latest data released by the ECDC. 

According to ECDC estimates about the situation from February 15 to 28, Latvia's cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 population is 496.9. The five EU and EEA countries with higher Covid-19 incidence are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta.

In Estonia, the cumulative 14-day Covid-19 incidence has risen to 1,038.5 cases per 100,000 population, which is the second highest infection rate among EU and EEA member states after the Czech Republic. In Lithuania, Covid-19 incidence has continued to decline and in the past two weeks has dropped to 229.3 cases per 100,000 population.

Latvia's 14-day rate of Covid-19 deaths per one million population dropped to 87.5 cases, placing Latvia sixth among EU and EEA member states. Higher mortality rates were recorded in the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Slovakia and Hungary. Lithuania recorded 58.7 Covid-19 deaths and Estonia 66.2 Covid-19 deaths per one million population.