Estonia caps indoor events attendance at 750

Despite a rise in Covid-19 cases, the situation seems under control

From today, 29 September, new limits regulating the number of people who may attend indoor events in Estonia are in force, ERR reports. The government has acted upon the advice of its scientific council and the Health Board to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus, even if the country’s uptick in new cases seems modest compared to the rest of Europe.   

Now, the maximum number of guests who will be allowed to attend indoor public meetings and events with stationary seating has been halved from the previous 1500 to 750. The new rule applies to sports competitions, conferences, cinema screenings, theatre performances, and concerts. Event organizers must ensure distancing between people and provide disinfectants.

Epidemiological situation under control

On Monday, the Health Board reported 67 new cases of Covid-19 from 2 873 tests analyzed. The situation seems under control, as most of the new cases are close contacts of previously detected carriers or their workplace colleagues. They have been told to self-isolate to avoid infecting others.  

The region which casts a shadow on the calm picture in Estonia so far is Ida-Viru County. It has seen 130 new cases per 100 000 inhabitants in a fortnight and eight outbreaks. 

With Estonia being a pioneer in IT solutions, it is no surprise that the country’s coronavirus tracing app “HOIA” has become so popular. The app which will alert you if you have been in close contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus, has been downloaded by almost 145 000 people now. The exposure notification tool can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store and App Store.