Ratas in Saaremaa: the crisis is over, let us focus on the future now

08.05.2020 | 00:00

News

Kuressaare, Saaremaa, 8 May 2020 – Upon visiting Saaremaa and Muhumaa today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas said that as Estonia has overcome the health crisis thanks to the joint effort of our people, we can focus carefully and cautiously on rebuilding everyday life.

“The corona crisis has affected all Estonians in many ways. It has affected the people of Saaremaa especially painfully, 26 of whom died of the coronavirus. Even though the difficulties are not over yet, now is the time to focus on the future and start dealing with social and economic challenges,” said Ratas.

The companies operating on the islands have been hit hard by the crisis, which is why state support for the normalisation of the situation is crucial. The economic package provides 1 million euros to support the island tourism sector, 500,000 euros to support micro and small enterprises, 1 million euros to support the revenue of local governments, and 3 million euros for investment.

“Everyone can contribute to relaunching the economy. A good and simple way to do this is to spend your summer vacation in Estonia and consume Estonian products,” the prime minister gave an example.

According to Ratas, the islanders have shown a great sense of community throughout the crisis. “I commend all parties for their efforts and selfless action. Cooperation between the state, local governments, people, and companies has been extensive and all of today’s meetings have confirmed that for me. We learnt a lot from this lesson and it will help us to be better prepared for new surprises and to protect the lives and health of our people more efficiently,” the prime minister confirmed.

As an example, he mentioned the municipality of Muhu, whose e-learning system was so well set up during the crisis that it can continue to be used to protect the teachers and students during future virus seasons. However, data collection needs to be improved, as different state agencies repeatedly asking for the same information has created an unnecessary administrative burden for local governments. Several crisis plans related to the procurement of personal protective equipment and training to use them also need to be reviewed.

During the day, Prime Minister Ratas met with Raido Liitmäe, the mayor of Muhu rural municipality; council chairman Ain Saaremäel; Märt Kõlli and Edward Laane, the board members of Saaremaa Hospital; Margus Puust and Robert Pajusaar, chairman of the board, from Saaremaa Business Association; rural municipality mayor Madis Kallas; council chairman Tiiu Aro; and the members of the Saare County crisis committee.

Photos of the visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmN5GFZJ

Government Communication Unit

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