In March 2020, COVID0-19 pandemics started in Latvia. Despite of the crisis, Latvian Red Cross (LatRC) continued to provide help and services:
- Distribution of EU Support packages (food, hygiene, school supplies, hot meals);
- All 17 Social care, rehabilitation, crisis and day care centers;
- Home Care service, at the beginning of 2021 Home Care service was extended: two new regions Carnikava and Jekabpils were included in LatRC Home Care service;
- Health Care centers;
- Motivation program;
- Humanitarian aid and Aids rental;
- Social worker and social mentor services to Asylum seekers and refugees
- Etc.
During the provision of help and services all epidemiological precautions were taken into account very strictly – distancing, hand washing, disinfection of hands and surfaces, wear of a protective face masks. LatRC also actively invited other society members to stay safe and do not let the spread of COVID-19 to continue.
The main additional activities during COVID-19 pandemics:
- LatRC offered the help of volunteers to persons in self-isolation and quarantine by getting products which are necessary to that particular person and deliver products over that persons home;
- After receiving donations of disinfectants and protective face masks, LatRC shared them among the staff and volunteers in Latvia to keep them safe while providing help;
- LatRC became the coordinator of the sharing of disinfectants and protective face masks (bought by Latvian Government) among other NGOs of Latvia;
- In cooperation with the IFRC, a large-scale public information campaign “How to protect yourself from COVID-19 infection” has been developed – more than 200 information materials made in Latvian, Russian, English, Dari, Turkish and Arabic languages and spread through LatRC communication channels (homepage, social networks), digital and printed versions of the materials were distributed among LatRC structural units and LatRC partners;
- In cooperation with the Latvian Automobile Club, the campaign “Drive Healthy” was implemented to strengthen the knowledge and skills of the society on health safety while using private, rented and public transport. In addition, face masks and information material on the proper wearing and disposal of protective masks were distributed on the streets in capital Riga. The campaign was organized with financial support of FIA;
- After receiving a multiple donation of hot meals from the restaurants of the “Olympia”, they were delivered to the LatRC social center “Gaiziņš” and served to more than 100 homeless people to restrict their movement in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic;
- LatRC continued to organize educational activities and online seminars about different topics such as mental health, motivation program, preparedness and and response capacity in emergency situations etc.