(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. The Wednesday, February 16 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
First measures could be relaxed by the end of February
Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
People in Slovakia will soon need no proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test, when shopping or using services.
As of February 28, all shops and services could be open under the "basic" regime, meaning open to everyone regardless of the immunity status of a person. For now, only shops are opened to everyone.
At the same time, the home isolation following contact with a student who tested positive in a classroom is expected to be cancelled.
This is the first phase of a relaxation of measures, as presented by PM Eduard Heger (OĽaNO). The second phase should become effective a month later, on March 28, when capacity restrictions should be dropped, and there should no longer be a limitation on opening hours. A change is also expected regarding the rules for wearing masks and FFP2 respirators.
This is a proposal for now, but Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský said that he expects no major changes in the ordinances written by the Public Health authority, which translates the rules into measures effective for the country.
Amendment of Citizenship Act approved
Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
After almost a year in parliament, MPs have approved the amendment of the Citizenship Act.
The amendment was proposed to ease the conditions of losing one's Slovak citizenship after accepting the citizenship of another state, among other things. MP Milan Vetrák of the OĽaNO caucus submitted several amending proposals on the day of voting.
He said that the law will improve the conditions for gaining Slovak citizenship in relation to several categories of Slovaks living abroad.
The first category is Slovaks living abroad with the certificate proving so; the second category is offspring of Slovaks who fled Slovakia under the previous regime; and the third is Slovaks living abroad who would like to obtain the citizenship of another state without losing the Slovak one.
More coronavirus and vaccination news
(source: Sme - Marko Erd)
19,955 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 34,570 PCR tests performed on Tuesday. The number of people in hospitals is 2,466 people. 22 more deaths were reported on Tuesday. The vaccination rate is at 51.16 percent, 2,782,979 people having received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.
1,113 people registered for vaccination with the new Novavax vaccine against Covid on the first possible day of registration. 533 people registered for the first dose and 580 for another dose. Registration for the two-dose vaccine is open to people older than 18.
Slovakia is at the peak of the Omicron wave, said Matej Mišík from the Institute of Health Analyses, which operates under the Health Ministry. He added that there are the first signs of stabilisation or even a decrease in the number of cases. However, there is still a large amount of positive tests in the country everyday.
Travel information
Austria will cancel almost all anti-pandemic measures as of March 5. However, when entering the country, confirmation on vaccination, recovery or a negative test will be still necessary.
Photo of the day
More than 70 Slovak monuments turned on the public lighting of buildings or placed a black flag on a facade as a protest against the draft Construction Act. They claim that the law, if approved, may paralyse the protection of monuments in Slovakia.
Feature story for today
The city, the railway operator and the state have joined forces to revamp the train station. But even if things go smoothly from now on, it will take years before the project is completed. Some small improvements could come to pass even before the municipal election this year.
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In other news
The vaccine against HPV, the virus which causes cervical cancer, will be paid from public insurance as of May. About 200 women die of cervical cancer in Slovakia every year, according to the Health Ministry.
The government approved the offering of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, worth €1.7 million. Slovakia will offer Ukraine the Božena mine-clearing systems and healthcare material, PM Eduard Heger announced.
The Ministries of Economy and Finance agreed with power producer Slovenské Elektrárne on a solution to stabilise household electricity prices in the next two years. Under the deal, Slovenské Elektrárne will sell baseload power for about 61 euros per MWh, irrespective of wholesale price developments in the markets.
MPs passed an amendment of the law on asylum towards a second reading. Asylum seekers could have access to the labour market six months after the asylum procedure starts. There is currently a nine-month period. They should also be entitled to the provision of the social and psychological counseling as well as a cultural orientation course.
The government does not agree with the proposal of a group of MPs to express no confidence in Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OĽANO). The Smer opposition submitted a motion to remove Mikulec from office on February 14, and was also signed by MPs from the non-parliamentary Hlas and MPs around Tomáš Taraba.
The Slovak team beat the USA after a dramatic match that ended with a penalty shootout. Slovakia won 3:2 and will compete for medals in the Olympic ice hockey tournament. Slovakia will play against Finland in the semifinals. The match is scheduled for Friday at 5:10 of CET.
One last note: The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) issued several warnings against wind in the mountains for almost all Slovakia for Thursday. The third-degree warnings are applicable in districts of northern Slovakia.
Weather warning for February 17, 2022. (source: SHMÚ)
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