Lithuania intends to add a number of sectors to the vaccination priority list, including supermarket workers and all teachers as the country is seeing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases, the Lithuanian government said on March 24.

The priority groups now also include school-leavers who are receiving in-person tutoring, coaches who are holding classes with children, as well as medical students who work in healthcare and pharmacies.

Previously, only a select group of teachers and specialists, including those working in primary schools and in pre-school education, were included in the priority list.

Under the changes proposed on March 24 by the health ministry, workers of diplomatic representations who plan to travel abroad and their family members will be vaccinated, as well as top-level athletes going to sports events and members of the Eurovision and the Biennale Architettura 2021 delegations.

Lithuania’s Health Minister Arunas Dulkys said there are plans to vaccinate local mayors, so they "show an example".

The under-65 priority group has also been updated and it now includes people waiting for organ transplantation, people who have had cancer over the past five years, those with certain immunodeficiencies, as well as people who need constant care.

There are no plans to ease the lockdown in Lithuania over the upcoming weeks, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on March 24.

"In the existing epidemiological situation, unfortunately, we see no basis to speak about any additional relaxation any time soon," she told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the epidemiological situation in Vilnius County and the city of Marijampole is getting worse.

"We will be able to speak about these issues after Easter already and only on condition that the epidemiological situation at least stabilises over that time," the prime minister said.

Lithuania registered 768 new coronavirus infections and nine deaths from COVID-19 over March 23. the country's statistics office said on Wednesday morning.

Lithuania's 14-day coronavirus infection rate currently stands at 272.3 cases per 100,000 people, and the share of positive tests over the past seven days is at 7.1%.