Lockdown extended until June 16

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on Tuesday that the government would on Wednesday consider extending the lockdown until the end of June.

Asked why the lockdown had been extended for two weeks instead of one month, he refused to disclose any details.

“Because that was the decision made by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania,” Skvernelis told the reporters on Wednesday.

The Cabinet also approved other changes related to the lockdown regime.

In particular, it allowed extending the working hours of cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs by one hour, till 11 p.m.

In addition, it allowed holding cultural, entertainment, sports and other events with no more than 100 spectators indoors and no more than 300 spectators outdoors on June 1–15, on condition that the required safe distance between attendees is maintained – of one meter outdoors and two meters indoors.

From June 16, the maximum number of spectators at outdoor events will be raised to 500. For indoor events, the maximum will be 150 people.

Moreover, the government agreed to allow reopening more flights from European countries with low coronavirus morbidity rates.

Starting from June, flights will be allowed from the countries with no more than 25 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents in the previous two weeks.

Passengers arriving from such countries will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The list of eligible countries will be announced by Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga each Monday.

If such a list were compiled today, it could include Iceland, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Norway, Hungary, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Lithuania imposed the lockdown on March 16 in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.