DIP partially amends COVID instructions for election

The recommendations have been made for the purpose of preventing the spread of the coronavirus infection.

DIP thus recommends that on Sunday morning eligible voters measure their body temperature and in the event that it is higher than 37.2°C and if they also have respiratory symptoms characteristic for the COVID-19 disease, they are supposed to telephone their doctors.

Under the amended recommendations, voters diagnosed with COVID-19 who are therefore isolated cannot vote during the elections as they are placed in isolation as a measure stipulated by Article 2 of the law on protection of the population against infectious diseases, which bars infected persons from making physical contact with other persons, including polling committees' members. This means that under the amended instructions the ban on turning up at the polling stations or voting at home refers explicitly to active COVID-19 cases.

Other persons with elevated body temperatures that can be accompanied with other symptoms typical for the infection with coronavirus are now advised to telephone their doctors. The amended instructions do not explicitly mention that they are banned from turning up at polling stations to vote in the election or from arranging with polling committees a meeting at their home to vote there.

DIP explains that it has amended the instruction following various interpretation of its previous recommendations.