HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2021) Estonia may introduce a lockdown as the number of new coronavirus cases in the country keeps increasing, likely due to the UK strain, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Monday.
According to the health authorities, the country already confirmed 136 cases of the UK strain.
"I received information that the so-called UK strain of the COVID-19 virus is spreading more widely than it has been thought until now. It is more aggressive and infectious than others, which is likely to explain the rapid spread of the disease in Estonia. If this information, which we are verifying, is correct, then it means we will have to lock down the country for the time being," Kallas wrote on Facebook.
According to the prime minister, the new lockdown may include closing all shops, safe for those selling food and necessities, as well as all catering facilities, with the exception of takeouts. All classes will be held remotely and all sporting activities are to be done alone.
The situation with Estonia is getting worse as there have been 9,427 new cases detected last week, which is the largest weekly increase since the start of the pandemic. The country has confirmed a total of 76,183 cases, including 667 fatalities.
