This week, the first bottle deposit return machines have been set up in Latvia marking a long-awaited development in waste management. Lithuania and Estonia long had have their deposit systems, just like many other countries in the Europe.
Estonia’s bottle deposit system has operated since 2005 and Lithuania introduced this way of collecting beverage packaging for recycling in 2016.
Latvian statisticians have released the latest data on jobs vacancies, indicating a considerable increase in vacant jobs. Many specialists are sought after by employers in a number of sectors.
Meanwhile, the Lithuanian government has reacted to a sharp rise in Covid-19 mortality and patient numbers in hospitals and has introduced the requirement to present a Covid-19 certificate to enter supermarkets and other public places.
BNN gives you a summary of the most relevant events of the past week in the following topics: Jobs, Waste, Vote, Asylum Seekers, Health and Covid-19 certificates.
Latvia had most vacant jobs among Baltic states in Q2
Photo: Pixabay
In Latvia, in the end of the second quarter of 2021, there were 25.5 thousand vacancies, or 2.6%, compared to 1.9% in Lithuania and 1.7% in Estonia, official statistics showed.
As to the dynamics of available jobs in the Baltic states year-on-year measured at the end of the second quarter, their proportion grew the most in Lithuania by 43.1%. To the north of Lithuania, available jobs increased by 30.3% in Estonia and by 20.1% in Latvia.
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Latvia’s first bottle deposit return machines set up
Photo: Unsplash
As Latvia prepares to introduce a bottle deposit system in 2022, the first five bottle deposit return machines have been erected in five shops in Riga and Ventspils.
This week, the company SIA Tomra Collection Latvia has begun setting up bottle deposit return machines called ‘taromāts’ in Latvian in the central Baltic country starting to fulfil its contract with SIA Depozīta iepakojuma operators. The latter is the company established to operate the deposit system.
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Latvian Health Minister survives no-confidence vote
Daniels Pavļuts, the Latvian Minister of Health. Photo: Ieva Leiniša/LETA
Daniels Pavļuts, the Latvian Minister of Health, remained in office after a no-confidence vote in the Saeima this week.
The vote initiated by the Union of Greens and Farmers took place on Thursday, September 16. In the 100-seat Latvian parliament, 34 legislators voted for the removal of the politician from the liberal party union For Development/For! Meanwhile, 50 other MPs supported Pavļuts to continue in the position, which has not been made easy by the Covid-19 pandemic and the slow progress of the vaccination campaign.
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85 people from Latvian asylum-seeker centre detained in Lithuania and Poland
Illustrative image. Photo: Pexels
The Latvian Centre for the Reception of Asylum Seekers in Mucenieki has been illegally left by 85 people since mid-august. Around a half of them have been later detained in Lithuania and Poland, before taking them to Latvia.
According to information provided by the Latvian State Border Guard, 45 foreign nationals being under the supervision of the Latvian Administration of Citizenship and Migration Affairs have been later detained in Lithuania and Poland. The asylum seekers have been brought back to Latvia in line with the existing international procedure.
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Research: Symptoms of depression found in 43% Latvian doctors
Photo: Pixabay
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of doctors in Latvia. A study by the Riga Stradiņš University found in a study that symptoms of depression have been indicated by 43.6% of doctors and symptoms of anxiety – by 28.9%.
This week, the study was presented by doctoral student Laura Valaine, who is a lecturer at the Riga Stradiņš University’s Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy. The aim of the research entitled Effects of the Covid-19 Crisis on the Mental Health of Medical Personnel is to determine the mental health condition, changes and factors affecting it during the Covid-19 emergency situation.
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Supermarket chains in Lithuania comply with Covid-19 certificate rule
Photo: 15min.lt/Scanpix
Since Lithuania has introduced the rule to present the Covid-19 certificate to enter larger shops, the requirement has been introduced in the supermarket chains of Maxima, Norfa, Rimi and other leading retailers, Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT and Jonas Deveikis report.
These supermarkets only allow access for those holding the pass, which is issued for people who have recovered from the coronavirus in the past 180 days, have a negative Covid-19 test, or have been fully vaccinated. Two types of documents – Lithuania’s own opportunity pass and the EU digital Covid-19 certificate – can be presented to enter the shops.
Read more here.