Lithuanian PM expects lockdown restrictions to stay in place in summer

VILNIUS – Coronavirus lockdown restrictions will continue to loosen in Lithuania as more people get vaccinated, but some of them will likely remain in place in the summer, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Wednesday. 

"As the share of the vaccinated population increases, the need for some special requirements will diminish, but I don't expect it will completely disappear as soon as in early summer," she told a news conference. 

Restrictions on people's gatherings will likely remain in place, according to Simonyte.  

"At the moment, we can't talk about any improvement in the situation, because the daily number of cases remains high," she noted.

Lithuania's 14-day coronavirus infection rate currently stands at 575 per 100,000 people and around 1,000 new cases are confirmed daily. 

The second coronavirus lockdown, in place in Lithuania since early November, 2020, was last extended until May 31.