Someone from the UK came back – do they need to isolate themselves, do a test?

According to preliminary data, the new strain of coronavirus can reach up to 70%. More contagious than its main variant, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously reported, but there is no information that it hinders infection.

To prevent the introduction of the new COVID-19 variant in Lithuania, the Government has decided to suspend all passenger flights from the UK.

The UK has been treated as an affected country in Lithuania since Monday, meaning citizens entering Lithuania by all other means must be isolated for 10 days or must receive them 48 hours in advance. a negative COVID-19 test performed prior to arrival in Lithuania.

The COVID-19 test can also be performed in Lithuania, but isolation is required until a negative coronavirus test is obtained.

A week earlier, that is, as of December 14, only Northern Ireland was considered a COVID-19 affected region, so citizens arriving in Lithuania from other parts of the UK were free to do so without evidence or isolation.

They will not be asked to isolate or test themselves even now, although the National Center for Public Health (NVSC) recommends doing so.

“NVSC recommends isolation in all cases, regardless of the fact that such an obligation is not provided for in the legislation.” 15 minutes said Justina Petravičienė, NVSC’s public information specialist.

NVSC recommends isolation in all cases.

Aistė Šuksta, spokesman for the Minister of Health, assured that the Minister will not make decisions or recommendations directed at citizens who returned to Lithuania from the UK last week.

The risk that these citizens have brought a new variant of COVID-19 to Lithuania, according to her, is, but according to the representative of this population, it will not infect it.

“There may be a risk all the time, but we cannot suddenly take any restrictive or advisory action for people who returned a week ago without information yet. That would be ineffective. It would be a tool in the name of a tool, but how should it actually be implemented? How to count them all, in what way? ”Asked A. Šuksta.

“They are subject to the rules that were in effect last week,” he said.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, from December 14 at 1 p.m. until December 20 at 1:00 p.m. 3,485 passengers arrived in Lithuania from Great Britain: 2,139 people arrived at Vilnius airport, 1,346 arrived at Kaunas airport.

According to Lithuanian airport spokesperson Tadas Vasiliauskas, 7,000 people from the UK were able to come to Lithuania last week. people.