- Latvia's parliament voted to ban lawmakers from voting if they don't have the COVID-19 vaccine.
- The country is looking to introduce more laws to protect its healthcare system.
- A lawmaker said the bill is "necessary to promote public confidence" in the government.
Latvia's parliament voted to ban lawmakers who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine from voting on legislation.
New rules were passed on Friday by 62 of the 100 members of parliament in the Eastern European nation, Reuters reported.
The rules say that members who can't vote because of the new rule also won't get paid until they receive a vaccine. There are exceptions for people who recently had COVID-19, or who can't get vaccinated for medical reasons.
Latvia has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the EU, according to European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) data.
According to Reuters, nine Latvian MPs have so far rejected the COVID-19 vaccine.
A press release by the Latvian parliament cited Juris Rancāns, who helped steer the legislation, saying it was "necessary to improve public trust in the COVID‑19 infection control policy in Latvia."
During the last week, Latvia saw 29,251 COVID-19 cases and 524 deaths, ECDC data shows. Per Reuters, Latvia is considering reimposing a lockdown over winter.