Latvian Prime Minister tests positive amid COVID-19 surge

Riga [Latvia], July 13 (ANI/Xinhua): Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins switched to working from home Wednesday after his COVID-19 test returned positive amid a fresh surge of coronavirus cases in the Baltic country.
The prime minister said on Twitter that he was feeling good but was following his doctor's advice and would work from home this week.
Karins also called on people to take care and follow epidemiological safety rules to protect themselves and others from getting COVID-19.
With COVID-19 infections on the rise again in Latvia, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) reported 908 new cases Wednesday as the country's cumulative two-week COVID-19 incidence rose to 420.3 cases per 100,000 residents.
No new COVID-19 death was reported in Latvia on Wednesday.
Commenting on the latest COVID-19 upsurge, CDC expert Jurijs Perevoscikovs said the infection rate was rising not only in Latvia but also across Europe, driven by the more transmissible Omicron subvariants BA4 and BA5.
The expert indicated, however, "that the situation is not yet particularly worrisome, as COVID-19 patients are not straining the health system and the number of severe cases cannot be compared to what we had with the Delta and Alfa variants."
At this point, "we have to keep in mind the Health Ministry's COVID-19 action plan for the fall and continue to monitor the situation," Perevoscikovs said. (ANI/Xinhua)