25-01-2021

Countries with spreading coronavirus mutations listed as affected

As a result of new mutations in coronavirus (COVID-19) and the threat of their outbreak in the European Union (EU), Lithuania has tightened requirements for travellers to control the spread of the virus. 

This means that the list of affected countries will include not only the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa but also other countries where mutations have been found. The list of affected countries will also include the EU countries marked in red in the maps published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 

All the travellers are required to have evidence of the test and to self-isolate. 

New coronavirus mutations have already been reported in many EU and world countries, but 7 countries around the world have been raising a particular concern due to the fast-spreading new coronavirus mutations: Ireland, Denmark, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Israel and South Africa. 

As of Monday (25 January), all the travellers from the affected countries will be required to evidence the test taken within 48 hours before the entry or take a test in Lithuania. 14-day self-isolation is also mandatory for everyone, with a possibility of shortening the isolation time by taking a coronavirus test at their own expense on the 10th day of isolation.

Please note that those arriving from countries with fast-spreading virus mutations will be subject to different isolation requirements compared to arrivals from other countries. The former will be subject to more stringent isolation requirements: they will not be allowed to leave the place of isolation unless they need urgent medical assistance and have to go to a medical facility, or they have to go to a mobile testing point. People in isolation may go to a funeral, change the place of isolation, or go to a medical facility for other health care services with the permission of the National Public Health Centre (NPHC). Arrivals from the countries with fast-spreading virus mutations will have to self-isolate in a separate apartment or a house, or on another well-isolated floor of a private house or apartment or in a separate isolated room with a separate bathroom. Self-isolation will be possible in the same premises only with those that travelled together, except children, who will be allowed to stay with other family members, who will be subject to the same period of self-isolation. 

Travellers from other affected countries may take a walk within the radius of 1 km. and leave the place of self-isolation without the notification of the NPHC or without its permission according to the list of exemptions. They can also self-isolate in the same apartment with non-traveling family members, only in another room, while reducing movement around the home and sharing of the common space. 

The Ministry notes that self-isolation may not be required in specific cases. The exempted occupation groups and those coming for important medical reasons or for important family matters (funerals or visiting terminal patients) will be only required testing for coronavirus. The list of exemptions is much shorter for those travelling from third countries. 

Those transiting through the Republic of Lithuania, crew members, who are employed in companies engaged in international commercial transportation, or who carry out international commercial transportation by all the means of transport will not be subject to self-isolation or testing requirements.  

It is also important to point out that those who already had the virus or have been vaccinated following the full vaccination schedule will not be required to test or self-isolate provided they have a medical certificate or vaccination certificate (with translation into Lithuanian, English or Russian) confirming that they had the virus within 90 days prior to the entry or their vaccination.

Tighter requirements for travellers have been taken in the light of the latest risk assessment published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (ECDC). According to the ECDC, viruses are constantly changing due to ongoing mutations. Some of them do not play a major role in spreading of the virus, but some can cause the virus to spread faster or cause a more severe form of the disease. Several mutations in the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are currently being observed around the world for their faster-spreading and a consequently adversely affecting the epidemiological situation. 

According to the latest available information, the likelihood of such coronavirus mutations entering and spreading in the EU is assessed as high or very high. And given the faster rate of spread of the mutated coronavirus caused infection, a significant impact of the spread of new mutations on hospitalisation rates and deaths is likely, particularly among at-risk individuals, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

In order to slow down the risk of new coronavirus mutations entering and spreading, the ECDC recommends, along with non-medical coronavirus prevention measures, to refrain from non-essential travelling and strengthen the requirements for travellers, including testing and self-isolation, particularly for travellers from the territories with fast-spreading new coronavirus mutations. 

Maps outlining the status of the common criteria for EU countries and regions published by the ECDC are available here.

The list of affected countries is published every Friday to take effect on Monday for the duration of that week.

LIST OF COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS INFECTION)

 No

Country (territory)

EU and EEA countries (as per country/region data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)

Republic of Austria

Kingdom of Belgium

Republic of Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Republic of Estonia

Republic of Iceland

Kingdom of Spain

Italian Republic

Republic of Cyprus

Republic of Croatia

Republic of Latvia

Republic of Poland

Principality of Liechtenstein

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Republic of Malta

Kingdom of Norway (Oslo, Wicken and Rogaland only)

Portuguese Republic

French Republic

Romania

Slovak Republic

Republic of Slovenia

Kingdom of Sweden

Swiss Confederation

Hungary

Federal Republic of Germany

Countries where the spread of new SARS-CoV-2 virus mutations has been found

Ireland 

Kingdom of Denmark

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Federative Republic of Brazil

Israel

Republic of South Africa

Other countries

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Republic of Albania

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

American Samoa

Principality of Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentine Republic

Republic of Armenia

Aruba

Australia

Republic of Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Kingdom of Bahrain

Republic of Belarus

People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Barbados

Belize

Republic of Benin

Bermuda*

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Republic of Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

Burkina Faso

Republic of Burundi

Kingdom of Bhutan

Central African Republic

Republic of Chad

Republic of Chile

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Republic of Côte d 'Ivoire

Republic of Djibouti

Egypt

Republic of Ecuador

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Ethiopian Federal Democratic

Republic of the Fiji Islands

Republic of the Philippines

Gabonese Republic

Republic of Guyana

Islamic Republic of Gambia

Republic of Ghana

Gibraltar*

Grenada

Georgia (Sakartvelo)

Guam*

Guadeloupe

Republic of Guatemala

Republic of Guinea

Republic of Haiti

Republic of Honduras

Republic of India

Republic of Indonesia

Republic of Iraq

Islamic Republic of Iran

Jamaica

Japan

Republic of Yemen

Jordan

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States of America

United Arab Emirates

Montenegro

Cayman Islands

Christmas Island

Kingdom of Cambodia

Republic of Cameroon

Canada

Qatar

Republic of Kazakhstan

Republic of Kenya

People’s Republic of China

Kyrgyzstan

Curaçao

Republic of Colombia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

Republic of Costa Rica

Republic of Cuba

Coco islands

Kuwait

People’s Democratic Republic of Laos

Kingdom of Lesotho

Republic of Lebanon

Liberia

State of Libya

Republic of Madagascar

Malaysia

Republic of Malawi

Republic of Maldives

Republic of Mali

Kingdom of Morocco

Martinique

Republic of Mauritius

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Mexico

Myanmar

Republic of Moldova

Principality of Monaco

Mongolia

Montserrat

Republic of Mozambique

Republic of Namibia

New Zealand

Federal Republic of Nepal

Nigeria

Republic of Niger

Republic of Nicaragua

Sultanate of Oman

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Palestine*

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Republic of Paraguay

Republic of Peru

South Korea

South Sudan

French Polynesia

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Equatorial Guinea

Reunion

Rwanda

Russian Federation

Solomon Islands

Republic of El Salvador

Republic of San Marino

Republic of São Tomé and Principe 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Seychelles

Russian Federation

Republic of Serbia

Singapore

Syrian Arab Republic

Federative Republic of Somali

Republic of Sudan

Republic of Suriname

Swaziland

Republic of North Macedonia

Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka

the Holy See (Vatican City State)

Republic of Tajikistan

Thailand

Tanzania

Turks & Caicos Islands

Republic of Togo

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Republic of Uganda

Ukraine

Uruguay

Republic of Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Republic of Venezuela

Republic of Vietnam

Republic of Zambia

Republic of Zimbabwe

Republic of Cabo Verde

 * Territories without the status of a state

Press Service, Ministry of Health