In order to control the threats of the coronavirus, the Government declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.
With this decision, the government also decided to establish the State Emergency Operations Center, which will coordinate actions from now on. Health Protection Minister Aurelijs Veryga has been appointed as the head of this center.
Deputy Minister of Health Algirdas Šešelgis said that the decision is necessary due to the increase in the number of people infected with the COVID-19 virus and its spread in Europe.
"The list of territories affected by this virus in the European region can change quickly, which increases the risk of introducing the infection to other countries belonging to the European Union and the European Economic Area, as well as to the Republic of Lithuania," said A. Šešelgis.
According to him, declaring an emergency situation will make it easier to use the state reserve to manage the situation, to purchase various measures without public procurement, as well as to issue mandatory instructions on migration from certain states or their regions to Lithuania and vice versa.
"All recommendations will be reviewed and some of them will become mandatory instructions - then it will be possible to make decisions, the implementation of which will be mandatory", explained A. Šešelgis.
As Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis' advisor Skirmantas Malinauskas told BNS, the State Emergency Situations Operations Center should be selected already on Thursday, after A. Veryga returns from his business trip and Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis ends his vacation earlier.
The center should, among other things, present a conclusion on whether the spread of the virus in northern Italy prevents holding Friday Beautiful the planned match between "Žalgiris" and "AX Armani Exchange Olimpia" basketball clubs in Milan.
The government has also made it easier to declare states of emergency. The Ministry of the Interior, which submitted the amendments to the Law on Civil Protection, indicates that this is a response to the legal deficiencies that became apparent during last year's fire at the Alytus tire processing plant.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, more than 19 people have been infected with the new virus, COVID-80, and almost 2,7 people have died.
The virus has already spread to 28 countries and there are growing concerns about new outbreaks in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. As the virus spread in northern Italy, with more than 300 cases and ten deaths, the country announced restrictions on movement in 11 cities.
Author Ignas Jačauskas
