On the conduct of service, wedding and funeral during the emergency

Dwellings are not closed 
On 17 March 2020, the Ministry of Justice held a meeting with representatives of the religious Union (churches), with the aim of discussing the state of emergency declared in the country and the restrictions imposed on it.
During the meeting, it was stressed that, during the crisis, the people needed mental care provided by religious organisations, however, the necessary restrictive and precautionary measures were also stressed, taking into account THE rapid spread OF COVID-19.
The meeting reached a common understanding of the need to comply with national restrictions by agreeing on such action in the Cabinet of Ministers. The execution of Order No 103 of 12 March:
1. The maintenance of a service by the spiritual staff within the scope of their duties, but not brought to a friend, does not constitute a religious activity within the meaning of paragraph 4.5 of that order.
2. The church is not closed to individual visitors, but only a number of people who allow strict compliance with social distancing are permitted in religious posts, without infringing the maximum number of people who are 50 people at the same time. If the area of the church does not provide adequate distance for 50 people, the number of people is reduced accordingly.
3. Religious organisations will publicly call on the believers to “stay at home”, as far as possible from public places, including church visits, using remote forms of participation. In particular, this applies to persons who are in a risk group.
4. The Ministry of Justice will provide the necessary support to enable religious organisations to carry out their activities while respecting the restrictions imposed.
Representatives of both the Ministry and the religious Union (churches) expressed a common position on the need to increase social responsibility, calling for a very cautious assessment of health risks every time the contact with other people takes place and called for the use of this period of social separation, focusing on their mental growth.
Organisation of marriages and funeral ceremonies
In view of the exceptional situation in the country, both religious organisations and the General Registry departments recommend that citizens be responsible for their own and surrounding safety, taking into account the national precautions in the organisation of marriages and funeral ceremonies. Notice a distance of 2 metres, not to gather more than 50 people, and assess the need for assembly and potential risks.
The General Registry Offices continue to work in Latvia, so the registration of marriage is also possible at this time. Of course, certain restrictions must be observed: the total number of guests must not exceed 50 and the distance must be respected, preferably two metres.
On the basis of Sub-paragraph 4.1 of Cabinet Order No. 103 of 12 March 2020 “on the announcement of emergency situation”, which determines, during an emergency situation, the State and local government institutions, to assess and, as far as possible, ensure the provision of local services at a distance, the majority of the General Registry Offices have stopped customer service in the face-to-face, by organising the work remotely via non-spot channels – by telephone, using electronic mail or the State administration service portal www.latvija.lv.
At the same time, in view of the fact that the Ministry of Justice is carrying out the methodological management and supervision of the General Registry Offices in the field of registration of civil status documents, the General Registry Department of the Ministry of Justice has called on the General Registry Office to provide persons of special importance during the emergency situation – the registration of the fact of birth and death. Separate General Registry Offices shall also register before the announcement of an emergency situation. It should be noted that, for reasons of security, registration of marriages occurs only in the presence of witnesses without guests.
If persons do not wish to register the previously applied marriage during an emergency situation, the registration of the marriage may be transferred in agreement with the General Registry Office regarding another time of entering into the marriage. Contact details of the General Registry Offices available at the Ministry of Justice on the website
What and how will control of restrictions be controlled? 
The National Police will monitor, in cooperation with the local police, the public places where people could gather, as well as, upon receipt of information, the police will respond and assess possible violations. THE MP calls on citizens to be responsible and to follow the precautionary measures. Each case will be assessed individually. The objective of the restrictive measures is to prevent or stop the massive assembly of persons. If the restrictions are infringed, a penalty may be imposed. The Commission will be able to impose a fine of up to eur 350 (APK 176.2) on the violation of restrictions or prohibitions imposed by the government.
According to information provided by the Latvian local government