Prime Minister Kaja Kallas says the recent actions of the police during demonstrations against amendments to an act which would boost the authority s scope to enforce COVID-19 restrictions did not constitute an unreasonable show of force.
Responding to questions at the Riigikogu Wednesday, Kallas said that while demonstrating is legal, the dispersal requirement applies, as it does to all large gatherings, which means the Police and Border Guard (PPA) did not exercise undue force in ensuring restrictions were adhered to.
Several people were detained at Sunday s protest in Vabaduse väljak (Freedom Square) in Tallinn, against the amendments to the Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act (NETS).
Elmar Vaher, director general of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), has made a proposal to Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani to appoint Joosep Kaasik head of the North Prefecture of the board. Joosep Kaasik has repeatedly proven his values, skills and abilities as a leader. Throughout his long police career, he has held a wide variety of positions and has always focused on community-based policing. He has very good theoretical knowledge of management and practical experience from both the police and Tallinn University of Technology, Vaher said. I am sure that these will help Kaasik to create the best possible security for the residents of Tallinn and Harju County and to support the team of the North Prefecture in the best possible way, he added.
Teachers, rescuers and policemen have now received their first vaccine dose and on Thursday (February 18), the vaccination of Defense Forces employees will start. The Ministry of Social Affairs hopes that all frontline employees who want to be vaccinated will be in the coming weeks.
Of the 2,100 employees of the Rescue Board, 69 percent have said they wish to be vaccinated and Deputy Director of the Rescue Board, Andreas Anvelt, said on Wednesday that the number will likely increase. In two days, 360 Rescue Board members will have received the first vaccine dose and private company Qvalitas has been administering the vaccinations to rescuers and policemen.
The travelers presented certificates supposedly from private medical company SYNLAB.
On Thursday, the company checked the certificates against its database and realised they were fakes, PPA spokesperson Kristjan Lukk said. Criminal proceedings were started for use of a forged document.
A fine or three-year prison sentence can be handed down for using a fraudulent document.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani explained the situation: We got a tip from SYNLAB that counterfeit certificates are in use. This morning people from SYNLAB and the PPA visited Tallinn Airport to carry out checks. We checked about 500 people who wanted to travel by plane and we identified five counterfeit certificates.