Kallas: Opening schools conceivable

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on the «Otse Postimehest» webcast. Photo: Pilt videost

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on the “Otse Postimehest” webcast on Tuesday that regionally opening schools is possible and that the government will return to the matter next week.

“We did not make any such decision at the cabinet meeting but will discuss it next week whether we could move forward with opening schools to better organize education in regions where the threat level is orange or yellow,” she said.

You have no good news for us as the government is not about to relax measures?

The current restrictions will remain in effect until April 25. The [COVID-19 scientific] advisory council and the government discussed whether some of the measures could be lifted once we reach the end of April. Unfortunately, the infection rate today matches the situation in mid-February. Back then, it forced us to introduce tougher measures as the case rate was putting a lot of pressure on hospitals. We still have over 500 people hospitalized today, including 51 on respiratory assist. Stage three ICU beds are full of Covid patients. We cannot allow the infection rate to spike in such a situation. The plateau is too high.

We agreed to return to the matter of restrictions next week and see whether the downward trend persists. We can discuss alleviating restrictions if the figures come down.

Measures could be lifted in May should the indicators permit?

Precisely – if they permit. We are very grateful to everyone who has complied with the measures. We will go over the places where things could be relaxed next Tuesday as decisions need time to take effect. Different infection levels dictate activities that need to be undertaken gradually.

Which indicators are you monitoring? The reproduction number R, the 14-day case rate per 100,000 people, hospitalization and how many people require assistance breathing?

We are monitoring a lot of different things. The 14-day case rate, number of people in hospitals and how many are on respiratory assist. We are also looking at the mortality trend – whether it is going up or down.

Also, whether the person knows where they were infected. This matters because we can identify close contacts and keep the situation under control if we know where the infection happened. If more people cannot say how they took ill, it means the virus is widespread and risks greater.

That is why we came up with the white book last week, so that people would not have to dive into statistics and the situation could be gauged using four threat levels – green, yellow, orange and red. Every threat level comes with guidelines for how to act.

Talking about the white book, what is the current threat level?

We are deep in red today I’m afraid.

Do I have it correctly that the white book places greater responsibility on ordinary citizens, including entrepreneurs?

It does not. We know which fields are suffering most from the virus. We have spent over a year in this situation and no sector wants to be shut down.

We want to discuss matters and for sectors to propose mechanisms of self-regulation. For example, malls have suggested they could check whether customers are wearing a mask on the door, dial back public Wi-Fi and remove seating. This kind of self-regulation is necessary.

I do not think we will manage to put the white book into practice this spring. I believe we will spend spring discussing measures. It needs to be finished by fall, which is when we will get new waves. This virus is not going anywhere. We will continue vaccinating people, while we must also learn to live with this virus without having to shut down society.

Does this mean that entrepreneurs should close their cafes themselves upon seeing a high threat level come fall?

No, of course not. Decisions that something needs to be closed can only be made by the government as no one will voluntarily shut down their business. The goal is never to have to come to that.

The Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association has suggested in the course of consultations keeping outdoor terraces open if dispersion of customers can be ensured. Smaller businesses that might not be members of the association can also follow these rules. Those that do will not be ordered to close.

Irja Lutsar and Urmas Reinsalu said on “Otse Postimehest” that schools need to be opened first, while it needs to be done regionally. Based on where the infection rate is smallest. We have seen this debate before when it was found that this would manufacture education inequality.

It is in everyone’s interests to open schools and allow children to return to contact study because it [the current situation] is having long-term effects on their education. Schools are perfect places for infectious diseases as people have many close contacts there. The Ministry of Education has put together guidelines for schools once they are opened. How to disperse people, air out the premises and prevent the infection from spreading. We are still discussing whether to open schools in full or only allow elementary and high school students to return.

Regional restrictions would not work in other fields as closing restaurants in Tallinn would simply see people drive to Tartu and take the virus with them. Things are different for schools. A child who goes to school in Tallinn will not go to the island of Kihnu because the school there is open. That is why regional exceptions can be considered in the case of schools.

Therefore, allowing kids to go back to school in Saaremaa but not in Tallinn can be considered?

We did not make any such decision at the cabinet meeting [on Tuesday] but will discuss it next week whether we could move forward with opening schools to better organize education in regions where the threat level is orange or yellow.

Pubs and restaurants that offer outdoor service have opened their doors in the United Kingdom. When will Estonians be able to enjoy a cup of coffee and some cake in front of a restaurant?

Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt met with the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association (yesterday – ed.) to discuss how customers could be served outdoors. The meeting was in the spirit of the white book, in terms of what hotel and restaurant owners can come up with. Businesses want to open outdoor terraces, but how to ensure the virus is kept in check? We are discussing with restaurants what they could do to manage risks and open terraces.

What about using rapid tests in companies and schools?

Rapid tests are available and entrepreneurs are free to use them. I know that some already have. Rapid tests are allowed, while the Health Board recommends using them under the supervision of qualified medical staff.

Will there be state support for use of rapid tests?

State support is meant for PCR testing in Synlab laboratories. We were also planning on using rapid tests during the state examinations period to make sure students would not spread the virus. But it was decided not to use these tests because the sample is taken from the nasopharynx, which is quite unpleasant. The Health Board and the education ministry agreed to use gargling tests, while these are not rapid tests. We have no specific plan for them, but if entrepreneurs want to use rapid tests, it is possible.

The Health Board no longer has resources to monitor close contacts in Tallinn. What will these so-called Covid detectives be doing come fall?

It is true that the board stopped calling close contacts of infected people when the case rate spiked as they could not keep on top of the effort. They have caught up in recent weeks so to speak. We have involved volunteers from different ministries who are busy calling people.

Does the government see a need for Covid detectives?

It worked at first. The question of whether people really isolate upon being told they have been in close contact will become increasingly relevant. The goal is for the vaccination effort to reach a point where close contacts would no longer have to isolate. We know of work collectives that have been forced to isolate several times. This is not sustainable in the long run.

People are eagerly awaiting summer, hoping it will deliver us. Will we have outdoor events in summer?

I hope that the infection rate will come down and that we can enjoy all the things we are accustomed to in the summer.