"That quarantine is more of a word that irritates everyone, everyone is bored of it, compared to some other special measure. We have already eased a lot, changed, recalled, and a lot of restrictions are gone. It's more of a symbolic thing when you wake up in the morning and it's hard to see anything magically different," Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga told BNS, asked what the difference between an emergency situation and quarantine was.

Lithuania has spent three months in quarantine that was introduced on March 16.

Once the quarantine is lifted, requirements for personal protection equipment will be further eased and it will not be mandatory, only recommended, in shops, on public transport, in offices and during events.

"We hope that people will follow the recommendations and act responsibly. But we will probably see cases when people will be bold and without masks. That's one thing that people will feel. Next, the new resolution no longer includes restrictions on the nighttime operation of public catering venues," Veryga said.

The physical distance requirement will remain and cafes and restaurants will need to keep tables two meters apart.

The minister also said it would not be mandatory to self-isolate, even after contact with a person with COVID-19.

"It will be only a recommendation, except for exceptional cases. (…) A person can go somewhere where there are no people around, walk around if they do not pose risk and threat, and there's no problem about that. But if a person receives such a recommendation and fails to stick to it, will have contact with a group of people and infect someone, they will face liability," Veryga said.

As of Wednesday, up to 700 people can attend open-air events, and up to 150 can take part in closed-space events. The number will increase to up to 1,000 and 200 respectively as of July 1.

Closed spaces cannot be filled with more than 50 percent of participants, and seats should be placed in a chess scheme.

Healthcare institutions are still required to regulate patient flows and, if possible, provide as many services remotely as possible.

Temporary internal border controls at international airports, the port of Klaipeda and on the border with Russia and Belarus will be extended until midnight of July 16

The Lithuanian Health Ministry published on Tuesday a list of 45 countries most affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Foreigners can travel to Lithuania from these countries only in exceptional cases. They must register with the National Public Health Center (NPHC) within 48 hours after their arrival and are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The coronavirus "blacklist" includes many non-EU or EEA countries, such as Belarus, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Singapore. Sweden, the United Kingdom and Portugal are also on the list.

A country is considered as affected if its COVID-19 infection count exceeds 25 new cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days.

People arriving from Belgium will no longer be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Baas of Tuesday, a total of 1,776 coronavirus cases had been recorded in Lithuania and 76 people had died.

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