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20 March, 2020










Line, bar and pie charts by Flourish team
On the 20th of March the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Estonia rose to 283 






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Friday 
20. March
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Enamik hospitaliseeritud nakatunutest on pÀrit Saaremaalt
(ERR)
“Tallinna ja PĂ€rnu haiglatesse toimetatud koroonaviirusesse nakatunutest enamik on pĂ€rit Saaremaalt. Alles neljapĂ€evast kehtib korraldus, et haige vĂ”ib viia talle lĂ€himasse haiglasse.”

















Estonia has ordered two weeks of isolation for every arrival
(ERR | Estonian World)
“All those entering Estonia will also have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period during which they must remain at home and not have direct contact with any other individuals. The quarantine measures mean it is unlawful for those so placed to leave their place of residence or permanent place of stay during that two week period which follows arrival in the country …”
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Finland bars work commuting from Estonia during coronavirus emergency
(ERR)
“… reversing a move which had allowed this to happen for Estonians holding Finnish residency permits as an exception to quarantine conditions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Finnish government's crisis committee made the decision Thursday night, ERR's online news in Estonian reports, and will take effect from Sunday, March 22, at midnight.”
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“Those who permanently reside in Estonia but commute regularly to Finland for work must now decide which side of the Gulf of Finland they will remain on while the emergency situation persists. Both countries require all those arriving, including citizens, to undergo 14 days' quarantine as a coronavirus measure.”



Estonia moves fast to get funding to COVID-19 solutions
(Science Business)
“Hackathons are now commonplace among professional developers, but not generally organised by governments. The speedy organisation of last weekend’s event underlines how Estonia, known as one of the most tech-friendly countries in the world, potentially has greater resilience as the pandemic forces economies online.”



Euroopas on kriisi vastu kÔige paremini kaitstud Eesti
(Postimees)
“See vĂ”ib olla Eesti tĂ€hetund, kirjutab mĂ”jukas pĂ€evaleht. See vĂ€ike Balti riik on euroala ĂŒks dĂŒnaamilisemaid majandusi. Eelmise aasta majanduskasv oli ĂŒle nelja protsendi, tööpuudus alla viie protsendi, valitsusvĂ”lg on pea olematu ja see annab piisavalt ruumi fiskaalstiimuliteks.”











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Thursday 
19. March
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Piirikontrolli algne eesmÀrk on Euroopa riikides hÀgustunud
(ERR)
“Sisejulgeoleku eksperdi Erkki Koorti hinnangul on paljudes Euroopa riikides sisepiiridel kontrolli kehtestamise algne eesmĂ€rk hĂ€gustunud ning sisepiiridel ja vĂ€lispiiridel ei peaks olema ĂŒhesugune kontroll. … et Euroopa on sattunud justkui Schengeni-eelsesse aega ehk 1980. aastatesse ja see nĂ€itab, kui mugav inimeste elu tegelikult tĂ€napĂ€eval on.”



Piiride tagasitulek
 Kristi Raik, Postimees
“Loetletud nĂ€htustel on ĂŒks ĂŒhine nimetaja: riikide ja inimeste vahelisi ĂŒlemaailmseid sidemeid peetakse ĂŒha enam erinevate ohtude allikaks. Eriti lÀÀne avatud ĂŒhiskonnale on tegu pĂ”hjapaneva mĂ”ttelaadi muutumisega. Sellega kaasnevad poliitilised, majanduslikud ja meie igapĂ€evaelu mĂ”jutavad muutused, mille tagajĂ€rgi on raske ette nĂ€ha.”



PiiriÀÀrsed firmad kardavad katastroofi
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Mitu Kagu-Eesti ettevĂ”tet on katastroofieelses olukorras, sest peale ukrainlaste ei pÀÀse eilsest enam tööle ka lĂ€tlased.”



Piiride sulgemine nÀitab, et Euroopas saavutatu vÔib pÀevaga kaduda
(ERR)
“Euroopas panid liikmesriigid oma sisepiirid kinni ilma naabritega kooskĂ”lastamata. Me nĂ€eme seda, et saavutatu vĂ”ib ĂŒhe pĂ€evaga kaduda. Kui veoautod seisavad ummikus Poolas 80-kilomeetri pikkusel maanteelĂ”igul, siis pole mĂ”tet rÀÀkida Euroopa ĂŒhest alusvÀÀrtusest, aluspĂ”himĂ”ttest, kaupade vabast liikumisest. Selgelt Euroopa Komisjoni sekkumine sellesse piiride sulgemisse on jÀÀnud liiga aeglaseks.”



Eesti tÔstatas Poola piiri teema NATO-s ja USA-s
(ERR)
“VĂ€lisminister lisas, et Eesti Saksa-saadiku andmetel on nĂ€iteks ĂŒhes piiripunktis Poolaga kasvanud jĂ€rjekord juba 70 kilomeetri pikkuseks ja selles on umbes 10,000 veokit.”




The impact of COVID-19 on military exercises in Europe
(ICDS)
“Essentially, all movement of personnel and equipment from the United States to Europe has ceased and several of the linked exercises have been cancelled. The list of cancelled exercises includes … Saber Strike (a combined-joint exercise to take place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland) …”



Tallinna-Peterburi-Moskva rongi vÀljumised peatati
(Postimees)
“Seoses Covid-19 haigust pĂ”hjustava koroonaviiruse levikuga on alates 20. mĂ€rtsist Tallinna-Peterburi-Moskva rongi vĂ€ljumised ajutiselt peatatud ning juba mĂŒĂŒdud piletid ostetakse tagasi.”



Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists options for returning to Estonia
(Baltic Course)
“In cooperation with Estonian company AlphaGIS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also created a new map application indicating the transit options for returning to Estonia as at 9 a.m. local time on March 19, which can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3b0Sv4S."
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“People returning from abroad must remain in isolation at home for a period of 14 days. The purpose of isolation is to prevent the spread of coronavirus.”



TransiidivÔimalused Eestisse naasmiseks
(VĂ€lisministeerium)



Koroonaviirus vallandas sotsiaalmeedias vÀÀrinfotsunami
(Novaator)
“Olukorras, kus toimub palju, tehakse palju suure mĂ”juga otsuseid ja olukord on erakorraline, on kindlasti normaalne, et inimestel tekib igasuguseid erinevaid teooriaid ja nĂ€gemusi," nentis Hannes Krause, valitsuse strateegilise kommunikatsiooni juht …”



Only people in risk groups to be tested for coronavirus in Estonia
(ERR)
“The ability to test for the virus exists in Health Board, Tartu University Hospital, Synlab, North Estonia Medical Center, Ida-Viru Central Hospital and PĂ€rnu Hospital laboratories. By yesterday morning, 2,020 tests had been administered for an average of 500-600 a day.”

















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Wednesday 
18. March
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Eesti ja LÀti vahel lÀks piir kinni
(LÔunaEesti Postimees)
“Eesti lĂ”unapiiril taastati koroonaviiruse leviku tĂ”kestamiseks teisipĂ€eva sĂŒdaöösel ajutine piirikontroll, mis jĂ€tab enamiku vĂ€lismaalastest raja taha ning koju naasvad Eesti elanikud peavad arvestama piirangutega.”















Ferries organized as hundreds of Baltic residents stuck on the Germany–Poland border
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“On the evening of March 16, Poland opened the border with Germany to foreign buses and minibuses with more than seven seats, allowing some Baltic residents to return home during the coronavirus pandemic. But last night more than 500 people were still stuck on the German side of the border as Poland didn't let passengers cars through. …”














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Russia | Putin
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Moscow has closed or restricted the borders with all but three neighbors
(Meduza)
“Russia maintains open borders with three contiguous neighbors: Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Finland. Various restrictions are in place at Russia’s borders with its other 11 neighbors: Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, North Korea, Ukraine, and Estonia.”



















A New Russia Is Taking Shape and There Is No Turning Back
(Moscow Times)
“What is happening is unprecedented in Russian history. The head of state is openly announcing that he is prepared to find a way of staying in the presidential post even after the timeframe set by the law has expired — and that he plans to stay for a long time. Moreover, he is doing that just as expectations that he would depart sooner had become quite intense. ”



Putin Worries Coronavirus Could Screw Up His Constitutional ‘Coronation’
by Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast
“Russia’s parliament has just paved the way for Vladimir Putin to run in rubber-stamp elections and serve in office until he’s in his 80s. … Although the Russian parliament passed the necessary amendments to the constitution on March 11 with a vote of 383 to 0, they are supposed to receive popular approval in a plebiscite scheduled for April 22. And if the coronavirus pandemic takes off in Russia before then—or, rather, can be seen to have taken off—the new czar might have to wait for his quasi-constitutional quasi-coronation. …”



Coronavirus and the Kursk Submarine Disaster
by Masha Gessen, The New Yorker
“The most striking aspect of Putin’s failure to accept responsibility for the Kursk disaster was his retreat into bureaucratese. It was a preview of the twenty years since (and possibly the next twenty). Putin’s use of bureaucratic language is a means of misleading the public and deflecting responsibility, but it also offers an insight into his understanding of government. He saw himself as a figurehead who might get in the way of people doing their work, and seemed unaware that his job was to lead the effort. Perhaps as a result, the Russian Navy and government were overcautious, rejected foreign help, and didn’t even respond to the S.O.S. signals from the submarine.”



Fortress Russia Begins to Show Cracks as Coronavirus Spreads
(Foreign Policy)
“As the coronavirus pandemic has spread, bringing nations to a halt and killing over 8,000 people in recent weeks around the globe, Russia emerged as a rare spot of calm—or perhaps indifference. … However, in less than 48 hours, that image has begun to crumble as the Russian government has kicked its response to COVID-19 into overdrive: shutting down its borders, limiting air travel, closing schools, and launching a large economic stimulus as medical experts have begun to question Russia’s official coronavirus statistics and the true efficacy of the response to limit its spread.”




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Posted by at

13 March, 2020



Peaminister JĂŒri Ratas: "Eesti on jĂ”udnud hĂ€daolukorda" 




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Friday 
13. March
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Estonian government declares state of emergency to fight coronavirus
(ERR)
“The state of emergency is in effect through May 1, unless the government should decide otherwise. Changes in effect under the state of emergency will affect schools, cultural events and ferry travel, and public events are banned.”










Koroonaviirusega vÔitlemise Ôppetunnid
Tomas Pueyo - Postimees



Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now
by Tomas Pueyo - Medium



Estonia announced it was closing schools and banning public gatherings until 1. May
(US News)
As of 13. March: “Estonia has around 70 cases of the coronavirus so far, one of over 115 countries with infections.”















VĂ”rumaa «koroonapeole» jĂ”udis viirus Taist
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“VĂ”ru linna kĂŒlje all tĂ€histati möödunud nĂ€dalavahetusel tuntud sporditreeneri 50. sĂŒnnipĂ€eva, kolmapĂ€eval tabas kĂŒlalisi ĆĄokeeriv teade: Tallinnast kohale sĂ”itnud kĂŒlalisel diagnoositi koroonaviirus.”
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“VĂ”rus on praegu suur paanika, kĂ”ik arvavad, et neil on koroona,” kirjeldas ĂŒks peol viibinud naine. “Telefon heliseb vahetpidamata, tuttavad uurivad, kuidas mul tervis on …”



VÔru second Estonian municipality in coronavirus schools closure
(ERR)
“The move follows a discovery that an individual carrying the virus had attended a private party in VĂ”ru County last Saturday. The closure will last at least until next Tuesday, the authorities said.”



Christianity Has Been Handling Epidemics for 2000 Years
(Foreign Policy)
“In 1527, when the bubonic plague hit Wittenberg, Martin Luther refused calls to flee the city and protect himself. Rather, he stayed and ministered to the sick. The refusal to flee cost his daughter Elizabeth her life. But it produced a tract, “Whether Christians Should Flee the Plague,” where Luther provides a clear articulation of the Christian epidemic response: We die at our posts. Christian doctors cannot abandon their hospitals, Christian governors cannot flee their districts, Christian pastors cannot abandon their congregations.”



A relapsed Soviet’s guide to surviving coronavirus shortages
(Politico-Europe)
“If you’ve got a newspaper, you’ve got toilet paper.”
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“If there's a queue, join it.”
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“Get (medical) friends in high places.”
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“Avoid crowds (With the exception of the all-important queue.”)
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“Don't forget to laugh.”



How Russia Is Responding to the Coronavirus: Cameras, Deportations and Skepticism
(The Moscow Times)
“From enforcing quarantine with facial-recognition cameras to deporting Chinese students, Russia is bracing for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”




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Vladimir Putin
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Putin: Possibly President for Life
by Anna Nemtsova - The Daily Beast
“The deed is done. Russia’s parliament voted 383 to 0 to change the Russian constitution so he can hold on to the presidency until 2036. This is a shock to some, but not exactly a surprise. It feels so Soviet.”







Vladimir Putin Positions Himself to Become Russia’s Eternal Leader
by Joshua Yaffa - The New Yorker
“In January, with no warning, Putin dismissed the government and declared a need to revise the constitution …”



Putin vÔib uuesti Venemaa presidendiks kandideerida
(Postimees)
“PĂ”hiseaduse kohaselt peaks Venemaa president 2024. aastal teise ametiaja lĂ”ppedes ametist taanduma, kuid tĂ€na pakkus vĂ”imupartei Ühtne Venemaa parlamendiliige vĂ€lja ettepaneku, mis muudaks pĂ”hiseadust selliselt, et Putini ametiajad hakkaksid taas nullist jooksma.”
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“PĂ”himĂ”tteliselt oleks see variant vĂ”imalik, aga ĂŒhel tingimusel: kui pĂ”hiseaduskohus teeb ametliku otsuse, et selline muudatus ei oleks vastuolus pĂ”hiseaduse pĂ”himĂ”tete ja peamiste sĂ€tetega,” ĂŒtles Putin.





Putin Wants the World to Keep Guessing
by Mark Galeotti - Foreign Policy
“The Russian president’s goal isn’t necessarily to be president for life. Unless it is. … Vladimir Putin does like to surprise. …”



Vladimir Putin Opens Door to Extending Rule until 2036
(The Moscow Times)
“Tuesday offered clarity. During a State Duma session on the amendments, Valentina Tereshkova, a deputy who was the first woman in space, proposed adding another change to the list — resetting presidential terms to zero after the constitutional amendments are passed to allow Putin to run for president once again.”
— 
“This would be a stabilizing factor for our society,” she said. 












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Thursday 
12. March
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Estonian Health Board recommending that intl events be postponed until 2nd half of 2020
(Baltic Times)
“In its decision, the Health Board is guided by the epidemiological situation in the world, in the European Union and also in Estonia, the authority said. Health Board adviser Karena Leiger said that the spread of the virus in European countries indicates that international events may encourage the local spread of the virus.”



As of 12. March: 27 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Estonia
(ERR)
“Ester Öpik, head of the Northern Regional Department of the Health Board, said the Health Board has raised the risk level and a local spread of the virus has been identified. … "Certainly the focus is on those places (Tallinn, Saaremaa, VĂ”rumaa) and the people who get the diagnosis, but the focus is no longer on widespread contact identification," she said.
—
Öpik said the risk groups for the virus are already known - the elderly - and because of this they are the main focus of protection.”








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Wednesday
11. March
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Eesti saab kriisist tugeva löögi
(Postimees)
“Baltimaade seas vĂ”ib Eesti niinimetatud tarneĆĄokiga kĂ”ige rohkem kokku puutuda, Kesk- ja Ida-Euroopa riikides impordivad Hiinast rohkem vahetooteid ainult Poola ja TĆĄehhi,» mĂ€rkis ökonomist. Baltikumi sektorid, mis vĂ”ivad Hiina vabrikute pikaajalise sulgemise tĂ”ttu tarneĆĄokki kannatada, on tekstiili- ja rĂ”ivasektor, mille puhul on vahetoodete impordil Hiinast osatĂ€htsus Eestis 38,6 protsenti, LĂ€tis 10,4 protsenti ja Leedus 14,1 protsenti.”





Supply shock may cause biggest harm to Estonia in Baltics
(Baltic Times)
“The sectors in the Baltics that may suffer from a supply shock as a result of a long-term shutdown of factories in China are textile and garments, in whose case the share of the import of intermediate products of Chinese origin is 38.6 percent in Estonia, 10.4 percent in Latvia and 14.1 percent in Lithuania.”
—
In computers and electronics it is 26.6 percent in Estonia, 12.2 percent in Latvia and 10.5 percent in Lithuania, in machinery and equipment 17.1 percent in Estonia, 4.5 percent in Latvia and 3.6 percent in Lithuania, and in non-metal minerals 8.5 percent in Estonia, 5.1 percent in Latvia and 10.2 percent in Lithuania.”



How the EU is trying to prevent a virus-induced recession
(Christian Science Monitor)
“Suddenly staring recession in the face, European leaders are lining up an array of tax breaks, financial support for companies, and likely central bank measures in the hope of preventing the coronavirus outbreak, officially designated a “pandemic", from dealing long-term damage to the economy.”



How Can Europe Pursue Further Integration?
(CEPA)
“A series of strategic policy initiatives that are likely to be crucial for the vitality of the EU are under way: a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, a new rule of law framework, a new Western Balkan enlargement methodology, and potentially a new Eastern Partnership (EaP) framework, among others involving emerging technologies or the environment. And somewhat surprisingly, all of them have an underlying topic: preventing backsliding on democratic norms and strengthening the rule of law within and around EU borders. …”



'Secret' Maps: Patriotic Activist Flees Russia After Being Charged With Possessing Maps of the Karelia region from the ‘60s and '70s
(RFERL)
“Anton Kolomitsyn is used to receiving official papers. For more than 30 years, he has spent much of his free time tramping the remote corners of Russia looking for the undiscovered remains of Soviet soldiers killed in the area during World War II.”
—
“But early on the morning of January 21, agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) presented Kolomitsyn with two more official documents: a search warrant and an arrest warrant on charges of possessing state secrets. "They took the computers, the discs, the flash drives," he added.”








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Tuesday 
10. March
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Good environmental status of Baltic Sea will not be achieved by 2021
(Baltic Times)
“While 70 percent of the common measures planned under the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) action plan have been taken, of domestic measures, however, the parties have managed to implement just one-third. Objectives yet to be met include creating offshore protected areas and ascertaining the impact of marine litter on the natural environment and human health. With regard to domestic measures, Estonia has not managed to sufficiently reduce marine litter burden; more specifically -- the amount of phosphorus that ends up in marine environment has declined, however, nitrogen levels are not exhibiting a similar trend.”



US, UK and Estonia call out Russia over cyber attacks against Georgia in UN Security Council first
(Fox News)
“Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Estonia’s Ambassador Sven Jurgenson said it was clear who carried out the cyber attack.
“We are clear that Russia's military intelligence service, the G.R.U, conducted the cyber attacks in attempt to sow discord and disrupt the lives of ordinary Georgian people. These cyber attacks are part of Russia's long-running campaign of hostile and destabilizing activity against Georgia and are part of a wider pattern of malign activity.”
https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-uk-estonia-call-out-russia-cyber-attacks-against-georgia



'You really have to stand up for yourself': Estonia's first woman president on gender and politics
(NBC News)
“There are challenges, not only for me but all my female colleagues,” President Kaljulaid told Mika Brzezinski. “Quite often, I mean, you get pushed aside and you really have to stand up for yourself.”
—
"People have to learn that the presidents may look different, prime ministers also, maybe women over 40, and they're exactly like everybody else,” Kaljulaid said. “You cannot look at the person and decide who they are. This is extremely important.”



The Best Foreign Policy Puts Women at the Center
(Foreign Affairs)
“Greater Equality Leads to Greater Wealth and Security for All.”






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