Pavluts promises to organize in-person queue experiment for Covid-19 vaccination in the coming days

  • 2021-04-05
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - Health Minister Daniels Pavluts (For Development) promises to organize an in-person queue experiment for vaccination against Covid-19 in the coming days, he posted on Twitter today.

He indicated that he planned to respond to calls for a live queue option, but that this would be done in a managed manner.

"We must not create uncontrolled gatherings, confusion and epidemiological risks, nor must we ignore the situation of priority groups against people with a much lower risk of illness," the minister explains.

He noted that it was planned to agree with the municipal police and the National Armed Forces on how to organize a controlled experiment for a free-queue approach in one of the vaccination centers in the coming days, maintaining the priority group approach, ensuring public order and not creating epidemiological risks.

The Minister also apologized for some of the failures observed during the opening of large vaccination centers over the Easter holidays.

According to him, from the technical point of view everything is in order - the centers are well prepared, working smoothly and able to vaccinate a large number of persons.

"Unfortunately, we encountered an unexpectedly low response when addressing priority groups - due to the holidays and concerns about a particular vaccine. There is unused capacity. This is a new situation," the minister explains.

Therefore, a decision has been made to send additional invitations to several existing priority groups, as well as to open new groups - family members or those caring for of seriously ill children, as well as seniors 60 years and older.

He also thanked everyone for their hard work this Easter holiday - doctors, home guards and soldiers, municipal employees, volunteers and those who went out to get vaccinated.