Unvaccinated service providers will also be able to apply for downtime support for June

On 1 June, a number of service providers may resume working in person if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months. However, downtime support for June will still be available to service providers who are unable to resume providing services because they have not yet been vaccinated.

From 1 June, service providers vaccinated against Covid-19 may individually provide all types of beauty services, sports equipment rental and photography services, as well as other in-person business services related to entertainment and well-being. Only the service provider and one client may be present in the service premises (in the case of sports equipment rental, spas, saunas and photography services, one service provider and one household). In this case, clients do not have to be vaccinated.

Downtime support may be received by employees of employers if they are not employed, as well as by self-employed persons and patent-fee payers, for the period from 9 November 2020 to 30 June 2021, but no longer than the period during which the restrictions on business activities established by legislation in connection with epidemiological safety measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection are in force.

Applications for support for June of this year may be submitted in the State Revenue Service’s EDS system from 1 to 15 July. When applying for support, applicants must submit both information on the reduction in revenue and justification of its connection with the restrictions on business activities. The justification may be, for example, insufficient or unsuitable premises to ensure epidemiological safety requirements, the person is not vaccinated and therefore cannot provide services, or another reason.

Employers, self-employed persons and patent-fee payers whose revenue from business activities may also apply for downtime support:

  for the specific support month, compared with the average monthly revenue in August, September and October 2020 during which the company actually operated, has decreased by at least 20%, and this decrease in revenue is related to restrictions on business activities,

or

  for the specific support month, compared with the revenue in the corresponding month of 2019, has decreased by at least 30%, and this decrease in revenue is related to restrictions on business activities.

Until 30 June, businesses may also apply for a wage subsidy for partially employed employees, a grant for working capital, as well as a grant to compensate for the decline in rental revenue of shopping centres and the turnover of sports centres that have been in prolonged downtime, caused by measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Author:

Ministry of Finance

fm.gov.lv