The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved draft legislation to introduce mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for health and social care workers.
The package will now be tabled to the parliament for approval.
"Under a state-level extreme situation regime or a lockdown and if enough vaccines are available, certain workers could only work after having completed their full vaccination schedule plus a booster shot," Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys said while presenting the proposed amendments to the cabinet.
"Vaccinations will be compulsory for those engaged in two areas: personal health care services, and social services and activities," he added.
The minister noted that vaccinations would be mandatory not only for the staff of health and social care facilities, but also for workers providing services there, including cleaning and food services.
The government will ask the parliament to debate and vote on the amendments under a fast-track procedure. If passed, the package could come into force on February 14.
The Health Ministry's earlier draft also called for compulsory vaccinations for education and public administration workers as well as the military, but these sectors were removed from the latest version.
“We decided to start with the sectors where it is very difficult or impossible to avoid direct contacts with patients or service receivers,” Dulkys said.
The vaccination requirement will not apply to workers who cannot take the jab for medical reasons or those who have recently recovered from Covid-19.
Unvaccinated workers will not be allowed to do in-person work. If possible, they will have to work remotely or will be moved to other positions that do not require mandatory vaccination. If none of this is possible, these workers will be suspended without pay.
Three months after their suspension, employers will have the right to terminate their employment without prior notice or severance pay.
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