Police are investigating why guests, including Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, were not wearing respirators at the Kaunas mayor’s reception on Saturday.
Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis welcomed guests at Žalgiris Arena before the official opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture 2022.
Photos released by the Government Office show Šimonytė, Matijošaitis, and other guests were not wearing respirators – mandatory for public events – at some points during the reception.
The prime minister was not wearing a respirator while giving a speech at the event.
In accordance with current regulations, respirators must be worn at indoor events in Lithuania because of the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant.
The officers are investigating the circumstances of the possible administrative offence, said Odeta Vaitkevičienė, a spokeswoman for Kaunas Police.
“We’ve received four reports […] on respirators not being worn during the event at Žalgiris Arena on Saturday. A decision will be taken after clarifying the circumstances,” she told LRT.lt.
The offenders could receive a fine of between 500 and 1,500 euros, Vaitkevičienė added.
Tomas Jarusevičius, a public relations adviser to the Kaunas mayor, told BNS that a few hundred guests wore respirators during the reception, only removing them while eating and drinking.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
