Curfew and closed schools. Slovakia goes into a mild lockdown this weekend

Nationwide testing will follow, accompanied by another curfew.

Illustrative stock photoIllustrative stock photo (Source: TASR)

Slovakia is going into a mild version of lockdown. Preschoolers and the youngest pupils will continue going to school.

The government is still ready to pursue nationwide coronavirus testing, using antigen tests, most of which were delivered to Slovakia earlier today.

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Epidemiologists recommended a hard lockdown for two to three weeks, according to Matovič. The government eventually decided for a milder version of the lockdown.

"There is no other way," Matovič said.

SCHOOLS
Secondary schools and grades five to nine of primary schools will be taught online from Monday, October 26 until Friday, November 27.
Kindergartens and grades one to four of primary schools will remain open.

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CURFEW:

For the whole of Slovakia between October 24 - November 1
Exceptions: between 1:00 and 5:00, testing, going to work, accompanying children to school, visiting the doctor, caring for a close person, attending the funeral of a close person, visiting the closest shop selling foodstuffs or a pharmacy, testing, taking out pets within a perimeter of 100 m from your place of residence, caring for farm animals, visiting the post office, bank, insurance company, dry cleaner, petrol station or getting a car serviced. Travelling to home until October 25.
It is possible to go out into nature, but only within your district.
This will change after the first round of testing on October 30 - November 1. (SEE BELOW)

Different rules for Orava and Bardejov, where a pilot mass testing is taking place this weekend (October 23-25):

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The curfew also applies between October 24 and November 1.

  • Exceptions without negative test: between 1:00 and 5:00, visiting the doctor, closest shop selling foodstuffs or pharmacy, testing, taking out pets within a perimeter of 100 m from place of residence, caring for farm animals, attending the funeral of a close person. Travelling to home until October 25.
  • Exceptions with negative test result: between 1:00 and 5:00, going to work, accompanying children to school, visiting the doctor, closest shop selling foodstuffs or pharmacy, testing, taking out pets within a perimeter of 100 m from place of residence, caring for farm animals, attending the funeral of a close person. It is possible to go out into nature, but within your district.

NATIONWIDE TESTING

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď (OĽaNO) repeatedly stressed that the pilot testing in Orava and Bardejov will take place this weekend, starting Friday morning at 8:00.

Meanwhile, the mayors continue with preparations for nationwide testing. Head of the Union of Towns and Cities of Slovakia, Trenčín Mayor Richard Rybníček, told journalists after he attended the session of the crisis staff, that the crisis staff will assess the result of the pilot testing after this weekend, and then decide how to proceed.

The government plans the first round of the testing on October 30 - November 1.

Curfew after testing: between November 2 and November 8.
Exceptions will apply for people with negative test results dated after October 30
(can be antigen or PCR test, not necessarily from the mass testing).
Exceptions: testing, going to work, accompanying children to school, visiting the doctor, caring for a close person, attending the funeral of a close person, visiting the closest shop selling foodstuffs or pharmacy, testing, taking out pets within a perimeter of 100 m from place of residence, caring for farm animals, visiting the post office, bank, insurance company, dry cleaner, petrol station or having a car serviced.
It is possible to go out in the nature, but only within your district.

Related article Nationwide testing - an ambitious plan with an uncertain result Read more 

Fines

Violating the rules as outlined by the authorities is punishable with a fine of up to €1,659. The Interior Ministry has said that the fines are likely to be in a few hundreds of euros.

Why the lockdown

Health Minister Marek Krajčí reiterated that Slovakia is heading down the same route as Czechia, and the exponential growth in Slovakia is even slightly steeper than the Czech one over the past seven days.

The daily mortality rate for COVID-19 in Slovakia is 18, and it is expected to grow.

The number of hospitalised patients per week increased from 424 to 731 in one week. These are confirmed COVID-19 patients.

The number of patients on lung ventilation is not growing as fast as hospitalization.

The percentage of positive tests from the overall testing is growing, which means the infection is out of control, according to Krajčí. The reproduction number currently stands between 1.25 and 1.45.

Read more about the coronavirus outbreak in Slovakia:

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