The Health Board is ending the healthcare-related state of emergency

The current healthcare-related state of emergency is being brought to a close through a resolution which has been issued by the director-general of the Health Board. The acceptance that there remains the continued risk of a re-imposition of a state of emergency will remain in place.

Birgit Lao, the Health Board’s director-general, signed a resolution which means that the level of preparedness which is required by healthcare service providers is being lowered as of 1 June. Instead of the previous level two state of preparedness for healthcare service providers, level one will now be applied. This primarily means a change in the level of preparedness for the ambulance service, and the providers of in-patient specialised medical care and general medical care, all of whom will now be able to return to the process of rebuilding their reserves and conducting the normal activities which they would be expected to undertake in order to ensure future preparedness.

According to the Health Board’s director-general, the number of beds which are being reserved for potentially contagious COVID-19 patients will be reduced in hospitals around the hospital network. Based on these changes being made to the number of available hospital beds, a total of 134 beds will be reserved for treating potentially contagious COVID-19 patients, which will allow the main focus to be on returning to scheduled treatments and replenishing stockpiles.

Estonia has been under a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic since 11 August last year, when sixty-three COVID-19 patients were receiving hospital treatment. As of Monday morning, thirty people were being treated in hospital due to symptomatic COVID-19. In total, hospitals have closed 17,905 COVID-19 cases involving 17,037 individuals. Based on the epidemiological assessment, the R₀ rate is at 0.89 and the risk matrix which is based on hospitalisations indicates that the risk level regarding the spread of coronavirus is now low. In total, 63.7% of the Estonian population has been fully vaccinated.

According to Birgit Lao, director-general of the Health Board, people themselves will now have to bear the majority of responsibility for their own health. ‘Now is the time for considerate and responsible health behaviour, following the prevention measures with which we are already familiar,’ she explained. According to Lao, anyone who develops symptoms of a viral disease should remain at home and contact a physician if necessary. ‘The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for over two years. During the course of this difficult period, the population has acquired the skills required to prevent infection,’ said Lao, adding that the Health Board will continue to monitor the situation and will keep people updated about any epidemiological changes.

The organisation of the healthcare system during a crisis is based on the principle of resources being limited and having to be reallocated, primarily to ensure the capacity to provide emergency care. The healthcare risk situation is divided into three categories in Estonia.

• Level 3: applied in the event of an extensive crisis.
• Level 1: applied in the case of there being a risk of a crisis
• Level 2: applied in a crisis situation, ie. when the risk has materialised and causes interruptions to the continuity of a vital service