Tallinn, Stenbock House, March 14, 2020 – The person in charge of emergency situation, Prime Minister Mr Jüri Ratas issued yesterday orders to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) concerning the border crossing points, incoming passengers, the list of at-risk areas, and the arrangements for kindergartens.
“With this order more specific measures are established in order to protect the health and lives of the people taking into account the overwhelming public interest in connection with the containment of the spread of the virus”, is stated in the explanatory memorandum. The order entered into force at the time of signature.
The person in charge of the emergency situation, Prime Minister Mr Jüri Ratas instructed local authorities to develop and present solutions as soon as possible to ensure the care of children of kindergarten age when their parents must be at work, and to submit them immediately to the person in charge of the emergency situation.
The Police and Border Guard Board must carry out healthy checks at border crossing points in order to identify the country of departure of persons, and their self-declared symptoms of disease. This includes the external border of Estonia; Ikla, Valga and Lilli border crossing points, and at ports and airports open to international travel.
The police will request the following data at the manned border crossing points: the name of the person, the country of departure, the country of transit, country of destination, e-mail, telephone, place of residence or place of stay in Estonia. The person must be informed of the rules in force in Estonia to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in co-operation with the Ministry of Social Affairs, must give the person in charge of the emergency situation a daily overview of the areas of high virus spread, where the persons arriving from these areas must avoid contact with other persons for two weeks (self-isolation). The list of countries will be extended by the order of the person in charge of the emergency situation. The rules of isolation will be developed with the Ministry of the Interior by March 16.
In addition, the person in charge of the emergency situation instructed the government authorities to note that, as a result of the proposal and risk assessment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regions with high virus spread currently are as follows:
1. People´s Republic of China
2. Republic of Korea (South-Korea)
3. Republic of Singapore
4. Islamic Republic of Iran
5. Italian Republic
6. French Republic
7. Federal Republic of Germany
8. Kingdom of Spain
9. Kingdom of Belgium
10. Kingdom of Denmark
11. Kingdom of Norway
12. Kingdom of Sweden
13. Arab Republic of Egypt
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in co-operation with the Government Office, will ensure that embassies and citizens of these countries are informed.
Prime Minister Mr Jüri Ratas, the person in charge of the emergency situation, instructed the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in co-operation with passenger shipping companies:
1) to develop and implement measures to limit the spread of the virus;
2) to inform passengers when buying the ticket and those who have already bought the ticket of the above requirements of isolation.
In case of the failure to observe the emergency measure, the administrative coercive measures referred to in Section 28 (2) or (3) of the Law Enforcement Act shall be implemented. The order can be challenged in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Code of Administrative Procedure.