The first week of 2022 has passed. During this time Latvia’s government decided to extend the state of emergency in the country, impose a validity term for Covid-19 vaccination certificates and notice that it has held the reins over Latvia for longer than all previous governments in the history of democratic Latvia.
Salaspils council decided to prohibit all gambling within the city’s territory. Minister Artūrs Toms Plešs has yet to comment on this even though there was one after Ķekava council decided the same thing previously. When Plešs ordered the decision halted, the council in Ķekava moved to overturn it.
The year kicked off in Kazakhstan with riots following the rapidly growing prices on liquified natural gas. The resignation of the government and reduction of the gas price did not help quell the riots. Radio Free Europe reports with reference to the President of Kazakhstan that constitutional order has been restored in the country.
BNN gives you a summery of the most relevant events of the past week in the following topics: Omicron in coming; Lasting government; Gambling; Covid in Lithuania; Covid in Estonia; Inflation heights and Unrest in Kazakhstan.
OMICRON IS COMING
Omicron forces Latvian government to extend state of emergency until March
Photo: UnsplashDue to the rapid spread of Omicron variant of Covid-19, the state of emergency in Latvia has been extended until 28 February, as confirmed by amendments to the order on the declaration of the state of emergency passed at the 6 January extraordinary meeting of the government.
The Ministry of Health, which submitted the amendments, notes that to prevent a rapid surge of infections, it is necessary to maintain the epidemiological restrictions that are already in place, adding that it is currently unacceptable to lift them.
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LASTING GOVERNMENT
Krišjānis Kariņš’s government becomes the longest standing one in democratic Latvia’s history
Photo: Ieva Leiniša/LETAThe government led by PM Krišjānis Kariņš has become the longest standing one on the history of democratic Latvia. This government has remained in power in the country for 1 078 days, according to the entry posted by the Cabinet of Ministers on Facebook.
The current Cabinet of Ministers in Latvia was approved on 23 January 2019.
Since the approval of the government a number of ministers have been replaced. Ralfs Nemiro was originally the Minister of Economics, now it’s Jānis Vitenbergs. The Minister of Environment Protection and Regional Development Juris Pūce was replaced with Artūrs Toms Plešs. Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele was replaced with Daniels Pavļuts, Minister of Education and Science Ilga Šuplinska was replaced with Anita Muižniece, Minister of Welfare Ramona Petraviča was replaced with Gatis Eglītis and, finally, Minister of the Interior Sandis Ģirģens was replaced with Marija Golubeva.
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GAMBLING
Salaspils Council decides to limit gambling activities
Photo: PexelsAll gambling location Salaspils will need to close down in the next five years, as reported by Salaspils Council public relations specialist Ginta Zēberga.
On 29 December 2021 Salaspils Council passed binding regulations and local planning for the organisation of gambling activities within the territory of Salaspils. This was done in an effort to limit the availability of gambling within city limits.
This means that in accordance with Section 42 of the Law on Gambling and Lotteries, the municipal administration has the right to issue binding rules with which to outline locations and territories within which no gambling is allowed.
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COVID IN LITHUANIA
BNN ANALYSES | Nausėda warns Cabinet over minors’ right for OP amid surge of Covid cases
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. Photo: AFP/SCANPIXLithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has not yet conjured up for the public reputation of a vocal supporter of the vaccination against Covid-19.
Furthermore, the head-of-state has been bickering with the liberal-conservative Government, scolding it for he says are chaotic and divisive governmental Covid-19 policies.
His latest Covid-19-stoked resentment has flared-up already this year – the President gave the Cabinet an ultimatum: either agree to issue minors aged 12 to 15 the Opportunity pass (OP, also known as the Covid-19 pass) after a rapid antigen test taken by a child produces negative results or face scrutiny of the Constitutional Court over the decision not to allow that.
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COVID IN ESTONIA
Estonia reduces self-isolation time for unvaccinated people
Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas. Photo: Jacques Witt/SIPA/SCANPIXThe government of Estonia has opted for a shorter self-isolation period for people not vaccinated against Covid-19 and infected with the virus SARS-CoV-2. Thus far the self-isolation period was ten days long, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.
Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas stated on Thursday, January 6, that the self-isolation period for unvaccinated people would be cut from ten days to seven. On Wednesday, January 5, Estonian Minister of Health and Labour Tanel Kiik noted that the current ten-day requirement for self-isolation was unreasonable.
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INFLATION HEIGHTS
Inflation in Turkey reaches 36%
A money changer counts Turkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange office in Ankara, Turkey September 27, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/SCANPIXYearly inflation in Turkey reached 36% in December, pointing serious difficulties in the large economy of the NATO member state, British public broadcaster BBC reports.
Most affected during the period of very high inflation have been the costs of transport, food and other staples. The national currency, the Turkish lira, lost 44% of its value against the US dollar in 2021 and on Monday, January 3, it lost another 4%.
Addressing business leaders on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, noted a speech that Turkey was «going through a transformation in economy and rising to the next league». According to him, the nation is «reaping the fruits especially in exports of our country’s efforts and hard work in the past 20 years to bolster our foreign trade».
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UNREST IN KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan announces end of unrest after 42 victims
A man stands in front of the mayor’s office building which was torched during protests triggered by fuel price increase in Almaty, Kazakhstan January 6, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/SCANPIXIn Kazakhstan, where sudden protests grew into unrest this week, its President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has announced the restoration of constitutional order after 42 rioters, police and troops have been killed, American broadcaster Radio Free Europe reports.
During the protests, which broke out after a hike in the prices of liquidified natural gas, according to the Kazakh Healthcare Ministry, more than 1,000 people have been injured and 400 hospitalized. Doctors were said to be fighting for sixty-two people in intensive care units.
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BNN summary of the week: Lasting Latvian government. Fate of gambling. Unrest in Kazakhstan
