Estonian govt to allow more vaccinated people to events from mid-June

  • 2021-05-27
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - The Estonian government plans to ease the coronavirus related restrictions again from mid-June, with one change being to allow events with a larger number of participants if the participants are either vaccinated or have recovered from the virus.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said at the government's press conference on Thursday that the infection rate in Estonia has now dropped to the level of October 2020. Since infection rates are declining in a stable manner, it will be possible to ease restrictions further. 

Kallas said that the government is planning to ease restrictions again from June 14. Plans are for permitted opening hours to be extended until midnight and the maximum permitted numbers of participants in events to be increased.  

According to the prime minister, events with higher numbers of participants can be held from June 14 if they are attended by vaccinated people or people who have recovered from COVID-19. To this end, it is planned to introduce a COVID-19 certificate. 

Minister of Health and Labor Tanel Kiik added that participant numbers in indoor events could be capped at 2,000 and in outdoor events at 6,000, provided that the participants have a digital certificate, which could potentially be introduced from mid-June.

At the same time, Kiik emphasized that it's important to avoid discrimination when the digital certificate is introduced.