11-01-2021

Updated list of unsafe countries and regions: changes in isolation requirements for arrivals

As a result of new mutations in coronavirus (COVID-19) and the threat of their outbreak in European Union (EU) countries, the Ministry of Health has tightened requirements for arrivals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa. Following the Friday update of the list of affected countries, Liechtenstein and Switzerland continue on the list along with the third countries. As of Monday, 11 January, people arriving from or travelling through these countries will be required to self-isolate for 10 days or take a test for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Ministry of Health has tightened requirements for arrivals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa in response to the risk assessment published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The ECDC risk assessment indicates that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa are at high risk of introducing and spreading virus mutations in the EU. Given the faster rate of spread of the mutated virus 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.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the ECDC, new cases of the virus mutation, the spread of which has been observed in the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Northern Ireland, have been identified since December in the following EU and EEA countries: Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, cases of a new viral mutation in South Africa have been reported in Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and the UK.

Following the tightening of the requirements, arrivals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa will be required to have taken a laboratory test for coronavirus infection within 48 hours before or upon the entry to Lithuania. Given the lack of data on whether a person that already had a coronavirus can become infected with a new virus mutation and what is the time lapse from the last infection to catch a new mutated virus, requirements have been tightened for those arriving that already had coronavirus by imposing on them a 14-day isolation period.

The 14-day isolation period can be shortened if a test taken on the 10th isolation day at the earliest is negative. Arrivals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa will not 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 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).

Subjected to isolation because of travelling from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of South Africa, foreigners and Lithuanian citizens living or working abroad and those who need to leave for health reasons may leave Lithuania for the country where they live, work or where health care will be provided before the lapse of the required period of isolation. The NPHC must be notified of the planned departure at least 24 hours before the planned departure from Lithuania.

Depending on the rate of notifications and other criteria, all countries are mapped into green, orange, red and grey areas. Lithuania is currently in the red area, and its list of affected countries includes only those countries and regions that are in the grey area.

The grey group includes countries that do not provide data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control or those with the 7-day testing rate lower than 300 cases per 100 000.

Arrivals from the affected countries, i.e. from Liechtenstein and Switzerland (not applicable to arrivals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the Republic of South Africa) will be subject to 10-day isolation or they will be required to evidence the test for coronavirus (COVID-19) taken at maximum 48 hours before the entry to Lithuania with a negative result thereof. This test for coronavirus can also be taken in Lithuania, but isolation will be nevertheless mandatory until the testing result is negative.

Arrivals from third countries cannot bring their test results, they are required to self-isolate or take a test in Lithuania. Please note that even if you have brought a negative testing result, you are nevertheless recommended to avoid social contacts and gatherings for 10 days from return to or arrival in Lithuania. These requirements will not be applicable in the case of those transiting through the affected countries travelling by air through the affected countries when not leaving the airport transit area.

The Ministry of Health notes that passengers travelling on international routes organised and operated by carriers as regular, special and charter services by all modes of transport must register on the website of the NPHC (https://keleiviams.nvsc.lt/lt/form) and present the confirmation of the completed electronic form (QR code) to the carrier before boarding the vehicle, and in other cases - they must register with the NPHC (https://keleiviams.nvsc.lt/lt/form) within 12 hours of returning / arriving in the Republic of Lithuania.

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

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

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

 No

Country (territory)

1.

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

Principality of Liechtenstein

Swiss Confederation

2.

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

Federative Republic of Brazil

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

Israel

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

Republic of South Africa

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