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Coronavirus pandemic

Estonia introduces strict one-month quarantine from March 11

All retail shops will be closed, except for those selling medicines, food and other essential items

TALLINN, March 9. /TASS/. The government of Estonia ruled to introduce strict one-month quarantine starting from March 11 due to rapid spread of a new SARS-CoV-2 strain first detected in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

"We decided to close the country as much as possible," she said during an ETV+ channel broadcast.

In line with the decision, all educational facilities will have to switch to remote lessons for all students, except for those with special needs. Parents of pre-schoolers were advised to take their children to kindergartens only in case of urgent necessity.

All retail shops will be closed, except for those selling medicines, food and other essential items. Goods can be handed over to customers only outdoors.

Only takeaway services are allowed for cafes and restaurants. Sporting activities indoors are prohibited. Citizens were advised to observe social distancing when outside.

The overall number of cases in the country has reached 76,183, and 667 of them are fatal. Between December 28 and January 17, the government introduced tough coronavirus restrictions in the Harju County, including the capital Tallinn, and later extended them until January 31. On February 1, the cabinet of ministers announced new nationwide quarantine measures, further toughening them on March 1 and March 6.

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