Latvia Is First Country to Reimpose Lockdown in Europe’s New Covid Wave

THE GUARDIAN: Baltic state once seen as coronavirus success story announces month of restrictions including curfew

The prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, blamed Latvia’s low vaccination rate for the surge in hospital admissions.Photograph: Reuters
Latvia has announced a month-long Covid-19 lockdown after an unprecedented surge in infections, becoming the first country in Europe to reimpose far-reaching restrictions amid a new wave of cases in countries across the continent.

The Baltic country has one of the highest rates of new Covid cases relative to population in the world, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after successfully keeping the virus at bay for months.

“Our health system is in danger … The only way out of this crisis is to get vaccinated,” the prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, said on Monday evening at an emergency government meeting. He said the country’s low vaccination rate was to blame for the surge in hospital admissions. » | Pjotr Sauer in Moscow | Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Ein Lockdown als «Brandschneise»: Lettland versucht die vierte Covid-19-Welle in den Griff zu bekommen: In den baltischen Staaten wächst die Sorge vor einer übermächtigen vierten Covid-19-Welle. Lettland verhängt für die Dauer eines Monats einen drastischen Lockdown. Auch in Estland und Litauen steigt angesichts einer vergleichsweise tiefen Impfquote die Nervosität. »

Jewish Survivor Zelda-Rivka Hait Testimony

Latvian Politician 'Praised Nazi Shooting of Gays'

Ms Priede represents the Kandava district in western Latvia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Inga Priede, member of Latvia's ruling Unity party, resigns after tweeting "Thank God! The Germans shot them in their time" about homosexuals in same-sex marriage debate

Latvia's ruling party has been forced to distance itself from comments by one of its members which appeared to praise the Nazi extermination of homosexuals.

Inga Priede, a member of the Unity party, has resigned after making the comments in a Twitter discussion on Monday night about same-sex marriage legislation.

“Thank God! The Germans shot them in their time. Birth rate was going up," wrote Ms Priede.

She wrote that Latvian citizens in rural areas were "in shock" about the possibility of same-sex marriage legislation being introduced, and that homosexuals living in these regions were "not proud" of their sexuality because "there are basic values". » | Andrew Marszal | Wednesday, Decembrer 03, 2014