Railway station in Košice (source: TASR)
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See the precautions effective since March 13 here.
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The National Reference Centre, running under the Public Health Authority, has confirmed eleven new coronavirus cases. Three people are from Bratislava, one from Košice, one from Trnava, one is in Banská Bystrica and the remaining five are all relatives. The Health Ministry first reported they were all hospitalised in Martin hospital. The hospital later demented the information, saying they only had one patient in their care and the others were in home isolation. The total number of confirmed cases in Slovakia has thus risen to 32.
The Czech government has banned entry to all foreign citizens effective midnight on Sunday, with the exception of foreigners with permanent or temporary residence. All Czech citizens and foreign residents will likewise be banned from leaving the country as of midnight on Sunday.
Austria is closing all shops apart from groceries, pharmacies and drug stores.
The National Reference Centre, running under the Public Health Authority, has been until recently the only place where samples have been tested for the coronavirus. It has checked 832 as of Thursday. The number is expected to increase significantly in the following days as PM Peter Pellegrini (Smer) agreed with other institutions to test the samples. These include the Institute of Virology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, and the biggest lab network in the country, Medirex. (SME)
People who drive the others to operating airplanes (for example to Vienna) will have to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine. This does not include pilots, truck drivers and engine drivers, said PM Peter Pellegrini (Smer). He also called on companies to enable their employees to work from home. (Rádio Expres)
The state has prolonged the deadline for taxpayers to submit tax returns on their income tax from the end of March to the end of May 2020. This does not concern those who have to communicate with the tax offices electronically. Everybody still has a chance to prolong the deadline by three months or six months if they receive income from abroad.
The clients’ centres across Slovakia have restricted their opening hours (for more information click here). Some registry offices are also working in a limited operation.
The National Bank of Slovakia will close its cash desks from March 16 until further notice. This includes the headquarters in Bratislava, and branches in Nové Zámky, Banská Bystrica, Žilina, Košice, and Popad. The filing office will also be closed to the public. (NBS)
The branches of the private health insurer Dôvera will be closed due to the coronavirus as of March 13. Clients can contact the insurer via phone at +421 (0)850 850-850.
The Aupark shopping centre in Košice was closed after an elderly man fainted there. Although he did not test positive with the coronavirus, the centre was evacuated and will remain closed until Monday, March 16. (Korzár)
All mountain chalets will be closed from March 13 until further notice. Some of them will close on Sunday or Monday. (Hiking.sk)
Bratislava-based hotels Grand Hotel River Park, Sheraton Hotel and Crowne Plaza, as well as Doubletree by Hilton in Košice have been temporarily closed.
The biggest Bratislava boroughs have closed children’s playgrounds and sports areas. They recommend people do not visit those that cannot be locked.
The town of Ružomberok has asked all providers of restaurants and pubs to close on Friday evening and during the weekend. (SME)
The Bratislava Self-Governing Region publishes information and recommendations about the coronavirus outbreak on its website in English.
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