About 28,000 self-employed people in Lithuania who lost income due to the coronavirus crisis have received grants from the government, according to the prime minister.

“Assistance is already being provided, and [the money] has already been paid out to more than 28,000 out of the total registered 45,000 [self-employed] individuals,” Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis told Delfi TV on Wednesday evening.

Read more: Retail workers hit hardest by quarantine in Lithuania

According to Skvernelis, around 35,000 businesses have reported downtime, affecting over 240,000 employees, but only about 10 percent of them have applied for government subsidies.

A monthly grant of 257 euros is available for self-employed people who lost income due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Read more: Benefits for employers and workers – how to claim