Post-lockdown Covid-19 rebound should not be so big to require new restrictions - health minister

RIGA - A resurgence of Covid-19 infections following the end of strict lockdown in Latvia should not be so strong to require fresh restrictions, Health Minister Daniels Pavluts (Development/For) said in an interview to Latvian Radio. 

The minister said that Latvia did a significant job during the lockdown, quickly increasing its share of vaccinated people, and that Latvia's vaccine uptake is now close to Europe's average figure, which means that there is no longer a reason to expect a steep upsurge in Covid-19 cases. However, Latvia must be prepared for all scenarios, Pavluts said. 

The minister admitted that vaccine uptake in Latvia's senior population still represents a challenge. As for booster doses, the minister believes that the government's decisions have already made the third shot available to everyone who wants to receive it. 

Pavluts also believes that the number of counterfeit Covid-19 certificates is not extremely high in Latvia and that most of the medics involved in the vaccination process are honest people who are doing their job properly.