19.05.2020 Covid-19 Latvia: Updates regarding Covid-19

General

• As of 15 May 2020, the Baltic States resumed their international passenger air, sea, bus, and rail services.
• Transport and passenger transport service providers and passengers, cargo or technical flight crew, performing their work duties or seafarers going to their jobs on board or returning therefrom, as well as foreigners, where the need to bring them into Latvia for compliance of the obligations of merchants has been confirmed by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, are allowed to cross the external and internal borders of the European Union in the territory of Latvia.

• The employer will be able to apply to the SRS with an application for the receipt of the idle time benefit for employees (including for the period from 14 March 2020), who simultaneously performs educational and creative work in a state or municipal institution or capital company and whose monthly income does not exceed EUR 430.
• If the employer knows that it did not qualify for the idle time benefit, the employer shall still be entitled to submit an application to the SRS to ensure that the SRS informs the State Social Insurance Agency about granting and issuing the idle time assistance benefit to the employee.
• One of the criteria for receiving the idle time benefit has been specified, if the average turnover has decreased by 20%, a 10% reduction in the volume of exports, supplies of goods and services by the affected employer shall be taken into account only in the territory of the European Union.