page_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia
section_title: March 2020
hierarchical_section_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia / Timeline / March 2020
caption_attribution_description: Latviešu: Rīgas pilsētas autobusa vadītāja kabīnes norobežošana COVID-19 pandēmijas laikā English: Restriction to approach bus driver during the COVID-19 pandemic in Riga Русский: Ограничения в общественном транспорте в Риге во время карантина вызванным распространение COVID-19 в Латвии.
context_page_description: The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Latvia on 2 March 2020.
  On 13 March, the government closed all educational institutions and banned mass gatherings until 14 April, which was later extended to 12 May. Many concerts and events were cancelled and moved to other dates. As of 20 March at least 1,600 culture and entertainment events had been disrupted.
context_section_description: On 2 March, the Latvian Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in Latvia. The infected person was a woman who had flown from Milan to Riga through Munich. The day after her condition had improved considerably and a repeated test came out negative she was discharged from the Latvian Center of Infectious Diseases with instructions to remain in self-insolation for 14 days. The same day the Latvian government allocated an additional 2.6 million euros to the Ministry of Health for various anti-coronavirus measures. Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele rated country's preparedness for coronavirus 8 out of 10.
  On 8 March, the Latvian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control confirmed that a second patient in Latvia had tested positive for COVID-19, and had since been taken to the Infectious Disease Centre of the Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital. As reported, Latvia's second COVID-19 case was a woman who had returned from a skiing resort in Cervinia on a Milan-Riga flight on Saturday, 7 March. By that date, Latvian authorities had tested 222 people.
  On 9 March, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latvia had risen to six. All of the infected people had recently returned from Northern Italy. The following day the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latvia had risen to eight. Both people had returned from Italy. Since 29 February, a total of 274 tests had been carried out.
  On 12 March, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced that the government had declared a state of emergency and that starting 13 March and until 14 April large public gatherings with over 200 people were banned and schools would conduct distance learning, along with other safety recommendations.
  On 13 March, the government announced a billion euro support for businesses affected by coronavirus provided as "financial instruments" (such as tax holidays or sick leave pay) via the state-owned ALTUM development bank. Minister of Finance Jānis Reirs stated that Latvia was in a good financial position compared to the 2008 financial crisis. Minister of Agriculture Kaspars Gerhards explained that no food shortages were expected and that internal food production could more than satisfy the population's needs.
  A list of emergency measures took effect on 14 March. On 14 March, Kariņš announced that starting 17 March international travel would be halted, however, this would not affect private travel within the European Union, returning citizens or flow of goods. Furthermore, organised public events are banned and other gatherings may not exceed 50 participants. On 16 March, the Latvian State Police carried out 376 checks and recorded 14 instances of COVID-19 emergency measure violations.
  On 17 March, the number of cases had grown to 71, including the first child diagnosed with COVID-19. Viņķele reported that currently there are 120 infectology beds available for COVID-19 patients, but the number could be increased to 400 by reorganization and ultimately pushed to a maximum of 1,000 beds. In preparation of a possible COVID-19 patient influx most of the hospitals began reducing or stopping most unrelated scheduled and outpatient treatment, with the exception of critical operations.
  On 19 March, the Head doctor of Infectology Centre of Latvia Baiba Rozentāle stressed the importance of people repatriating from foreign countries to remain in self-isolation and warned that even though the situation with COVID-19 in Latvia is stable at the moment it may be "quiet before the storm". At 21:00, a country-wide "Sakām Paldies" ("Say Thanks") flashmob took place, where people from their windows applauded and thanked the medics, police, teachers, pharmacists, salespeople, news journalists and everyone else working during the pandemic.
  On 20 March, the Saeima independent deputy Artuss Kaimiņš revealed on Twitter he had tested positive for COVID-19, apologising to everyone he had met on 15 and 16 March and urging them to get tested. After that other members of the parliament and ministers that were in contact with Kaimiņš underwent testing.
  On 25 March, 24 addi
caption: Restrictions in Riga public transport on 26 March
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