Public health is government's top priority during pandemic - PM Karins

  • 2021-02-04
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - During the Covid-19 pandemic, public health is the government's main priority, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) told representatives of the retail sector on Wednesday, urging the retailers to cooperate in curbing the virus. 

As Karins' spokesman Sandis Sabajevs informed LETA, Karins underlined that when deciding on measures aimed at containing the pandemic, the government always looks for the least damaging solution, because during the times of pandemic there are no easy, simple and quick solutions. 

"We are proposing a gradual implementation of the following model - from February 8 the lists of permitted goods would be phased out, introducing at the same time stricter epidemiological rules," Karins said, adding that concrete decisions will be taken on Thursday, February 4. The government might decide on further safe trade measures at the end of February. 

During the meeting with the retailers, Karins indicated that the trends of recent days suggest that Covid-19 incidence in Latvia is on the rise again. The new, much more transmissible coronavirus strains are also causing concerns, the prime minister said. Therefore, instead of easing Covid-19 restrictions, the government considers rearranging the existing measures, to make them more effective and easier to understand. 

Karins, the ministers of health, economics and finance, as well as the head of the State Chancellery met with representatives of the trade sector on Wednesday to discuss Covid-19 restrictions and support to crisis-stricken companies.