Lithuania extends lockdown until New Year, tightens rules as cases soar

As of Monday, Lithuania reported 1,037 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks, three times more than the 340 cases when the lockdown was announced on Nov. 4. The country now lags only Croatia and Luxemburg on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control list.

Lithuania on Monday extended its coronavirus lockdown until the end of this year, days after it rushed to third place of worst-affected European Union countries. As of Monday, Lithuania reported 1,037 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks, three times more than the 340 cases when the lockdown was announced on Nov. 4.

The country now lags only Croatia and Luxemburg on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control list. "If people precisely kept to rules, we would not need to tighten them today," said acting Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis.

The outgoing government also banned any grouping of more than two households, told all companies to have employees work from home, and told primary schools to close for early holidays on Dec. 14. The government did not approve the national health authority's request to ban all but essential shopping and to ban contacts between households. Restaurants, gyms, universities and secondary schools will remain shut. Shops have been told to limit the number of customers and close off most parking spaces at their premises.