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Tens of thousands of people participated in the mass testing organised in the Nitra district, Košice and Púchov during the past weekend.
The positivity rate differed between 1 and 2 percent.
Compared with the first round of nationwide testing, which took place across the country at the turn of November 2020, the positivity rate exceeded 2 percent in seven districts. The worst situation was in Čadca with a positivity rate of more than 3 percent.
Nitra district
As many as 95,558 people were tested in the Nitra district between January 8 and 10. 2,329 of the tests were positive, which accounts for 2.44 percent, the SITA newswire reported.
Cabinet approves stricter curfew in Nitra Read more Apart from Nitra, the town of Vráble and all 60 villages in the district attended the testing. Large employers in the district organised the testing as well. Car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover tested 4,368 people on January 7 and 8. Of these tests, 78 were positive (or 1.79 percent).
The whole district entered a stricter lockdown starting on the morning of January 11. It is necessary to have a negative PCR or antigen test result no older than seven days when travelling to work, going to nature or to e-shop dispensing sites.
The next two rounds of mass testing are planned for the following two weekends.
Košice
More than 53,000 people were tested in Košice between January 8 and 10. 894 of them tested positive, which represents a positivity rate of 1.67 percent, SITA reported
The city secured 110 testing teams at 66 testing sites. It is still possible to undergo testing on January 11 at the testing sites in Kulturpark (open until 17:00) and U.S. Steel Košice (open until 19:00).
Púchov
In Púchov (Trenčín Region), 12,056 people were tested during the weekend and 133 were positive. This accounts for a positivity rate of 1.1 percent, SITA wrote.
New coronavirus strain confirmed in Bratislava Read more The testing was organised by the town and nine villages in the district.
The town of Púchov will now prepare the PCR testing that will be open for everybody who tested positive during the weekend antigen testing, the TASR newswire wrote.
Lockdown is not enough
PM Igor Matovič (OĽaNO) called on the mayors of all municipalities in Slovakia to follow the example of the Nitra district. The current statistics on COVID-19 positive cases show that the three-week lockdown is not enough and it should be accompanied by testing, as reported by SITA.
He added that the state will help municipalities with testing.
Read more about the coronavirus outbreak in Slovakia:
Do I have the new coronavirus? How to proceed if you have a suspicion
I encountered a person who is COVID-19 positive. What do I do next? (FAQ)
When will I get my COVID vaccine? FAQs about vaccination in Slovakia
