Lithuania allows some students to return school ^{'social bubbles' for single people}

"It's like a moral debt to people who live alone and are under psychological stress (...), as well as to children (...) for whom it's hard to learn from home for various reasons," Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told the Cabinet.

The government supplemented the lockdown rules to include the requirement for municipalities to ensure that students of all grades can learn from school, or children's or youth day care centers if they do not have the conditions to do so at home or need other assistance to be able to learn remotely. Decisions on that will be made by the school's child welfare commission.

Health Minister Arunas Dulkys said the aim was to help students from socially vulnerable families.

The Cabinet also introduced the so-called "social support bubbles", allowing two families or households to meet in person if one of them consists of a single adult or if a household has a minor with disabilities or a person in need of care due to disability.

The two households will be prohibited from having any close contact outside their bubble.

Members of households within a support bubble will be able to visit each other even if they live in different municipalities.

Dulkys said the aim was "to provide emotional and practical help" to single people.

Lithuania was placed under a second coronavirus lockdown on November 7 amid spiking COVID-19 infections. On December 16, the lockdown restrictions were tightened and extended until January 31.

Current, many shops and sports and leisure venues are closed and services are restricted. People are banned from traveling between municipalities for non-essential reasons and gathering either at home and in public places.