News digest: Slovakia gets a silver medal and a new UNESCO site

NCZI will check for vaccination among attendees of Pope-related events. Pro-vaccination gathering planned in Bratislava on Friday evening. Storm warnings this weekend.

(Source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)

Good evening. Catch up on the main news of the day in less than five minutes with the Friday, July 30 edition of Today in Slovakia . We wish you a pleasant read.


For weekend tips and reads, check out our Spectacular Slovakia roundup. This week, Peter Dlhopolec is covering a Slovak singer's rainbow flag scandal in Poland and Slovakia's version of Stonehenge in the Tatras region.

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Slovakia has a new UNESCO site

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to add the western part of the Danube Limes, which includes two cultural monuments on Slovakia's territory, to the list. It is Slovakia's eighth UNESCO-inscribed cultural heritage site.

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Related article Another UNESCO world heritage site in Slovakia dates back to the Roman Empire Read more 

The limes stretched from Great Britain to Central and Eastern Europe and from the Middle East to North Africa. Danube Limes refers to the military frontier of the former Roman Empire that follows the course of the Danube River from the German state of Bavaria through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.

The list entry concerns only the western part of the frontier, stretching from the Bavarian town of Bad Goegging to the village of Iža in eastern Slovakia.

Slovak water canoeist wins Olympic silver

Slovak slalom canoeist Jakub Grigar won the silver medal for Slovakia at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

He came in second in the men's slalom K-1 on July 30. It is his very first Olympic medal and also Slovakia's first Olympic medal in this event. Before him, only Elena Kaliská managed to win two gold medals in the women's category, the public-service broadcaster RTVS reported.

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Slovaks in Tokyo:

  • Runner Gabriela Gajanová did not make it to the semifinals in the 800 metres on Friday. She ended seventh in the sixth heat, missing the semifinal by one place. (Sportnet)
  • Rory Sabbatini is tied with three more golfers for 11th in the Olympic golf tournament after the second round that took place on Friday. He still has a chance to win a medal. The tournament continues on Saturday and Sunday. (Sportnet)

In other news

  • PCR tests confirmed 44 new Covid cases in Slovakia on Thursday. Currently, 36.5 percent of Slovakia's population has been fully vaccinated, while the uptake of the first dose is at 40.8 percent.
  • The non-parliamentary Progressive Slovakia party is organising the "For a Vaccinated Slovakia" gathering at the Namestie Slobody square in Bratislava on Friday at 17:00. Attendance will only be possible with proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test. There will also be a pop-up vaccination point.
  • Only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to attend the events connected to the Pope's visit to Slovakia in mid-September. Participants' vaccination status will be checked by the National Health Information Centre (NCZI) and they will most likely be asked to register beforehand.
  • Slovak meteorologists have issued warnings against storms and heat. Storms are to be expected in the whole of Slovakia on Saturday morning and in the north and east of the country in the afternoon. On Sunday, a storm warning has been issued for nearly the entire country for the whole day. (SHMU)
  • Former head of the Financial Administration František Imrecze has been released from prison upon the decision of Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipšic, who said the reasons for his custody are no longer valid since the due procedures have been wrapped up.
  • The new office for the administration of detained property will start working as of August 1, the Justice Ministry said. It will run under the Justice Ministry.
  • Dušan Roll, a co-founder and long-term general commissary of the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava, passed away at the age of 94.
  • Pezinok, one of the traditional vine growing and winemaking towns on the foothills of the Small Carpathians, has scrapped its plans for the traditional grape harvesting festivities, vinobranie, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has also adopted preventive measures to stop the disease from spreading. Originally, the festival was planned for September 17-19. The festivities did not take place last year either.


Do not miss on Spectator.sk today

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If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

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