Indoor children's attractions may resume operations subject to strict safety requirements

Upon approving amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 360 of 9 June 2020, “Epidemiological Safety Measures to Limit the Spread of Covid-19 Infection”, the Cabinet of Ministers decided on 29 June this year to allow the resumption of economic services related to indoor attractions. The provision will enter into force after the amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers regulations are published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

The amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers regulations stipulate that, if the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases over 14 days per 100 000 inhabitants is below 100 (until it exceeds 120), economic services related to indoor attractions (including at water parks, entertainment and amusement centres, trampoline parks, children's playrooms and childcare facilities (including those in shopping centres)) may be provided indoors under the partially safe regime:

- persons holding a valid interoperable vaccination certificate;

- persons holding a valid interoperable certificate of recovery;

- persons holding a valid interoperable testing certificate;

- children under 12 years of age accompanying the persons referred to above (without certificates).

Service providers must ensure checks at the entrance to identify whether visitors meet the requirements (vaccinated/recovered persons, persons with a negative test, and children under 12 years of age). Persons who do not meet these requirements may not be present indoors or on the premises where the event takes place or the service is provided. Service staff must also meet the above requirements.

Visitors and participating employees must also be registered (first name, surname, contact information). If a visitor or employee is found to have Covid-19, the personal data of visitors and participating employees will be transferred to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) at its request.

At least 15 m2 of the publicly accessible floor area of the service location available to visitors must be provided per person. At the same time, visitor flows must be organised so as to ensure a distance of 2 m between individual visitors or households and prevent crowding.

Both staff and customers must wear face coverings indoors, except where this is not possible while using the attractions. The number of commonly used surfaces and objects should also be reduced as far as possible, and surfaces, including equipment and work tools, must be cleaned and disinfected regularly (if possible, after each customer).

At the same time, entertainment services for which it is not possible to ensure the disinfection of equipment and surfaces and compliance with distancing between visitors (for example, children's ball pits) may not be provided. Such services may be provided only to one person or one household at a time, with equipment and surfaces disinfected between visitors.

Hand sanitiser must also be available to visitors, regular ventilation of the premises must be ensured (the carbon dioxide (CO2) level may not exceed 1000 PPM (parts per million)), and a responsible person must be appointed to organise the implementation of epidemiological safety measures. Information on the maximum permitted number of people who may be present at the service location at the same time, as well as the responsible person's contact information and the direct telephone number for police assistance, 110, must be displayed in places visible to visitors (at least at the entrance and cash desk).

At the same time, it is the duty and responsibility of the event organiser or economic service provider not to provide a service to a person who fails to comply with epidemiological safety requirements. This means that the service provider must monitor visitors' compliance with the conditions for gatherings, physical distancing, the maximum permitted number of people in the premises and on the attraction, the requirements for using face coverings, and so on. If violations of epidemiological safety requirements are identified, the service provider will ask visitors to comply with the epidemiological safety requirements or, if the service recipient disregards the service provider's instructions, remove the person from the service area or contact the municipal police or State Police.

Author:

Public Relations Division

Ministry of Economics

em.gov.lv