Continuous education

COVID certificate

In adult informal education and refresher training it is obligatory for all persons 12 years of age and older to present a valid COVID certificate proving that they

• have completed the course of vaccinations, received an additional dose, or recovered from the disease and received one dose of the vaccine (the so-called equated to a vaccinated person) no more than a year ago or
• have recovered from COVID-19 and no more than six months (180 days) have passed since the moment the diagnosis was confirmed.

If vaccination is contraindicated to a person for health reasons, he can participate in the trainings with a certificate attesting to that fact, issued by a doctor.

Young people in the age bracket of 12 years and three months to 17 years (included), as well as those turning 19 in the 2021/2022 academic year generally do not have to present a COVID certificate in order to pasrticipate in informal education and refresher training, provided that they are asymptomatic and are studying in a general education or vocational school, as they have the opportunity to get tested in the screening tests taking place in schools several times a week.

If a young person is not studying at school, he has to present a valid COVID certificate in order to participate. For children under the age of 18, a negative test result is also accepted. Suitable proofs are a PCR test done up to 72 hours earlier or an antigen-RTD test done up to 48 hours earlier at a health care service provider, as well as a rapid antigen test done at a general pharmacy up to 48 hours earlier for which a certificate has been issued. For adults, a negative test result is not sufficient as a COVID certificate.

The organisers of the activity have an obligation to check the validity of COVID certificates alongside an identity document. COVID certificates have to also be checked if the activity or event takes place at a location of service provision, e.g. when a theatre hall, a conference room or a catering establishment is rented out for training or to an art group.

As an exception, it is not obligatory to present a COVID certificate in the activities of disabled persons, activities connected to the military defence of the country or internal security, and in already started refresher trainings and exams related to them that are necessary in order to receive fixed term professional certificates required for working in certain positions (see kutsekoda.ee (in Estonian)). The latter means the professional and refresher training for people who work in the fields of shipping, aviation and offshore energy, but also drivers (including the ADR training for drivers transporting a hazardous load). It is still necessary to follow general principles like the dispersion of participants and reduction of contacts, wearing protective masks and following disinfection requirements even in the mentioned exceptional cases.

Dispersion

Indoors, it is obligatory to ensure dispersion, availability of disinfectants and following of the disinfecting requirements in accordance with the instructions of the Health Board.

Limits to the numbers of participants

Up to 1000 people may participate in events and activities indoors and up to 2000 people outdoors.

A protective mask is obligatory

Wearing a protective mask is obligatory in public indoor spaces, except in activities where it is not possible (e.g. in direct sports, when coming in contact with water, in the sauna, by the poolside, while eating and drinking). A scarf, a tube scarf, a collar, a visor or any other object that is not clearly meant to be worn as a protective mask do not count as a mask. A preference is given to a medical mask or a mask equated to that (e.g. an FFP1-3 mask or a N95 respirator) which effectively stops the delta strain of the coronavirus from spreading. Wearing a mask is not obligatory for children under the age of 12. If a person cannot wear a mask for health reasons, he must present a medical certificate regarding the contraindication.

The activity must end no later than at 23.00

Events and activities have to end no later than at 23.00. Public indoor spaces are closed for visitors during night-time (between the hours of 23.00 and 06.00) and the only people present are the owner of the location of activities or his representative, the employees, and people connected to performing emergency tasks.

Requirements for the employees

It is obligatory to behave in accordance with the risk analysis of the employer. In employment relationships, the basis for going to work, the requirements regarding the use of personal protective equipment and other control measures of the spread of the virus (including the presenting of COVID certificates, testing, mask wearing etc.) is the working environment risk analysis conducted by the specific employer.

Last updated: 17.11.2021 21:00

Did this response answer your question?

the service?

The exceptions to disabled persons apply in sports, training, hobby activities and informal education, and refresher training. They also apply to participating in sports competitions and events.

If, for instance, the person responsible for the activity is training disabled persons, he can choose whether he checks the certificates of all individuals (including disabled persons) and then the participants are released from the obligation to wear a mask.

The other option is to not check the certificates of only those who belong in the group of disabled persons and then there is an obligation to wear a mask, even if five people out of ten have the certificate. In any case, the choice of approach should be made before the service is provided.

The obligation to wear a mask does not extend to children under the age of 12 and to persons for whom it is not possible to wear a mask for health reasons (e.g. breathing difficulties, certain mental disorders, allergies) or reasonable for other substantial considerations, e.g. special needs or disability. The person should still consider whether health reasons rule out all options of covering one's nose and mouth or whether it would still be possible to reduce the infection risk with some suitable alternative.

A mask does not have to be worn by people with special needs, e.g. if it is not possible for the person to wear a mask as required or put a mask on and take it off by himself due to a mental disorder or a physical aberration. A mask does not have to be worn by a person accompanying a hard-of-hearing person or an individual who is communicating with a person who needs to read from lips, read facial expressions, needs to hear clear speech etc. to communicate if wearing a mask complicates that.

If there are no above described health complaints related to the disability, a mask should also be worn in order to participate in the activity.

Last updated: 26.10.2021 13:23

Did this response answer your question?