The Estonian government has revised its coronavirus self-isolation requirement rules – when previously, people coming from a European country with 16 new infections per 100,000 people in the last two weeks had to self-isolate, then now the new infection rate was raised to 50 per 100,000.
“The mandatory self-isolation does not apply to passengers arriving in Estonia from a country of the European Union and the European Economic Area, the Schengen area and a country included in the common list of the EU with an infection rate below 50 persons per 100,000 inhabitants. From now on, this limit will be reviewed on a weekly basis on Fridays and the new limit will take force the following Monday,” the Estonian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Based on the coronavirus infection rate, starting from Monday, 12 October, a two-week self-isolation requirement will apply to people arriving in Estonia from the following European countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The self-isolation does not apply to people arriving from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Norway and the Vatican.
Lithuanians face further restrictions
According to the 25 September decision of the Estonian government, the self-isolation requirement does not apply to people arriving from Lithuania in the following cases: if they arrive for the purpose of working, studying or receiving health services or for family reasons or transit and they have no symptoms and known contacts with infected people.
On 7 August, the Council of the European Union reviewed the list of third countries included in Annex 1 of its recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, and according to the list, it is possible to travel to Estonia from Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. People arriving from Canada, Georgia and Tunisia are subject to a two-week self-isolation.
From 1 September, people arriving in Estonia from high-risk countries can shorten the mandatory self-isolation and return to work by testing for COVID-19 at the airport and port. Additional information about testing is available on the website of the Estonian Health Board.
Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Estonian foreign ministry advises against any non-essential international travel.
Cover: Cruise ships docking in Tallinn during good times, in 2018. Photo by the Port of Tallinn.
