LRT English Newsletter: New entry rules and do you need a Covid-19 test?

LRT English Newsletter – August 21, 2020

Two obvious topics dominated our coverage over the past week – the crisis in Belarus, due to Lithuania’s outsized international role, as well as the new entry rules introduced by the Lithuanian authorities

We’ll start with the latter.

Lithuania introduced new entry rules as of Tuesday. Key points:
– No more blacklists.
– All residents and citizens from the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland are allowed entry.
– If your departure destination has reported 16–25 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people, you’ll need to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival; a prior test for the coronavirus is not required (we publish the updated list of countries when we get them, but you can always check with the Lithuanian Health Ministry).
– If your departure destination has reported more than 25 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people, you’ll need to get tested for Covid-19 prior to departure. The test results will be held valid for 72 hours.
– EXCEPTION. You don’t need a prior Covid-19 test If you’re a Lithuanian citizen or resident. However, you will still need to get tested once back in Lithuania; two weeks of self-isolation are also required.

As for more coronavirus measures, Lithuania’s authorities are treading a cautious path between limiting new infections and preventing the country’s economy from grinding to a halt (again).

The health minister said facemask rules in catering establishments and bars may become more stringent, as the current rules are being “abused”. Meanwhile, attendee caps on indoor and outdoor events have been lifted as of Friday. Although, everyone will need to register online, as well as to wear facemasks and keep a one-metre distance from each other. Foreign truck drivers will also need to self-isolate upon arrival, and facemasks may also become mandatory in all catering establishments.

Vilnius’ authorities have planted a tree to honour Wuhan’s late whistleblower doctor, who was one of the first to warn of the impending pandemic.

LITHUANIA AND BELARUS

Now, the hot topic of the past two weeks.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the EU “spoke with one voice” and decided during the European Council meeting on Wednesday to impose sanctions on Belarus. Lithuania’s name was “mentioned numerous times”, and the bloc’s leaders thanked Vilnius for the leadership, according to Nausėda. In an interview with LRT TV, the Lithuanian president also said the EU asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use force in Belarus. More from the interview here.

Lithuania’s parliament declared that Alexander Lukashenko is no longer the legitimate leader of Belarus (a rhetoric, calling Lukashenko a “former leader”, is now being picked up by Lithuania’s political establishment); MPs still hope to visit Minsk in the near future; Baltic ministers also hope to visit the Belarusian capital. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has proceeded to draft national sanctions against the regime in Minsk.

And, according to a Lithuanian diplomat, people in Belarus notice and are thankful for the solidarity displayed across the border.

(PROPAGANDA)SABRE RATTLING?

Belarus has kicked off military drills near the Lithuanian border, with Lukashenko citing the need to keep NATO in check. The alleged threat is aimed at internal propaganda, according to Lithuanian Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis, and the drills “pose no direct military threat”.

BREAKING RANKS

One Lithuanian MP, however, broke with the national pro-opposition consensus in the country and claimed Lukashenko has been “defending the constitution”, despite the emerging evidence of torture and police brutality.

Similar narratives stemming from across the border have also found an audience among Lithuanian social media users, LRT FACTS report. And no, Lithuanian troops have not been spotted in Belarus, according to another LRT FACTS investigation.

To understand the torture and humiliation detainees in Belarus had to go through, read an exclusive witness account here.

HUMAN CHAIN FROM ‘VILNIUS TO KYIV’

Or so Lukashenko claimed, vowing to “prevent actions like this”. Organisers of the human chain on the anniversary of the Baltic Way, when millions of people linked hands from Vilnius to Tallinn to demand independence from the Soviet Union, said “thanks for the idea”.

The actual event on August 23 will stretch from Vilnius to the border with Belarus. Now, more countries – including Lithuania’s Baltic neighbours, Georgia, Ukraine, and others – are joining the act of solidarity with Belarusian protesters.

CHILD ABUSE

A pastor in Lithuania has been dismissed from service after a court found him guilty of gathering and disseminating child pornography. We remind you of an earlier investigation, discovering that child pornography has been proliferating across Instragram. Read it here.

WHITE-RED-WHITE ART

Artists for Belarus, a group on Facebook and Instagram, has been featuring artists – including from Lithuania – who seek to support the Belarusian protesters. Have a look.