Latvija in brief - 2009-07-29

  • 2009-07-29
Twelve out of 91 suspected cases of human infection with a new virus AH1N1 have been confirmed, deputy director of Latvian Infection Center (LIC) Jazeps Keiss informed Latvian news agency LETA on July 24. As earlier reported, taking into account the gradual increase in the number of new cases, Keiss predicts that more and more people will attend LIC for the check-up and the disease will begin to spread more rapidly. However, in his words, he says that "it is a fact that there is relatively mild spread of the infection and there were no severe cases in Latvia so far."

"Ten existing schools will be closed and merged with others as of Sept. 1, 2009," Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs told the press on July 27. Overall, 30 schools will be reorganized by 2011, he says. The Riga mayor explained that a number of primary schools would be merged with high schools, and new kindergartens set up in the relinquished space. This will make the high schools in question 'stronger', he added. The municipality will no longer maintain schools that are rented from private owners, and will abandon those school buildings deemed unsuitable for learning. As a result of this reorganization, the municipality plans to save about 200,000 lats (285,000 euros), but next year - 1.7 million lats.

Ex-prime minister, current MEP Ivars Godmanis during his interview with LNT's morning program '900 seconds' said that the leading coalition parties have to stop this 'fair of hypocrisy' and support Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and Finance Minister Einar Repse. According to Godmanis, in the current situation the prime minister and head of the Ministry of Finance have done nothing to be reproached about, except for the lack of involvement of other ministers, in the process of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. The MEP outlined that the leading parties should reconsider their attitude towards the situation in the country and stop protecting only the areas relevant to 'their' ministries. They should be responsible for all areas, as a whole.

Almost a day after the tragic murder of a gas station cashier in Kandava's Vane district, police have detained four suspects. "Four persons have been detained on suspicion of attempted robbery and the murder of a gas station attendant in Vane, the State Police's public relations officer Ieva Reksna told LETA on July 25. According to the information, all of the detained have criminal records. Reksna added that police had enough evidence to take all four suspects into custody. As reported, the murder happened early Friday morning, when the woman was found dead with a gunshot wound. The investigation continues.

Latvia's Ministry of Education and Science on July 28 prepared the draft of new rules on teachers' wages, according to which pay will be reduced from 345 lats (490 euros) to 250 lats per month, as of Sept. 1. Teacher salaries in primary, secondary and professional schools are set to decrease by 30 percent, and approximately by 25 percent for high school and university professors. The budget cuts in the public sector, including education, would allow the government to save about 52 million lats this year, and almost 104 lats next year.