Children represent about 20 percent of new infections. (source: TASR)
The number of the daily caseload is gradually growing, while the Delta variant prevails in positive samples.
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Currently, there are about 70 new positive cases on average confirmed by PCR tests every day, with about one fifth (18 percent) being children younger than 16.
At the same time, 80 percent of new cases detected in the past two weeks have not been vaccinated against Covid, according to data presented by the Health Ministry.
Delta variant dominant
The rate of positive Covid tests (both PCR and antigen) is on the rise, too. The seven-day average rate of positive tests even exceeded 1 percent, for the first time since mid-June. It was the highest in the districts of Banská Bystrica (6.4 percent), Myjava (6.1 percent), Revúca (3.5 percent) and Stropkov (3.2 percent).
At the same time, about 100 percent of all sequenced samples, with 180 samples sequenced a week, confirmed the presence of the Delta variant, according to the ministry.
The ministry also reported that 59.2 percent of people aged 50 and older have received the first Covid vaccine shot at least, while the overall share of people with at least one shot is 42.5 percent.
More districts with stricter rules
The new map of districts from August 23, 2021 (source: Health Ministry)
Given the epidemiological situation in the districts of Slovakia, the Health Ministry decided that 12 will switch to the stricter, orange tier from next Monday, August 23 (currently, there are nine). These are namely the districts of Banská Štiavnica, Gelnica, Kežmarok, Košice I-IV, Levoča, Poprad, Spišská Nová Ves, Stropkov, and Vranov nad Topľou.
This means that districts will have to follow stricter rules than those in the green, monitoring tier. Also, some entry limitations for the regimes enabling all people and people with a confirmation of negative test/recovery from Covid/vaccination are stricter, according to the new alert system known as the Covid automat.
Meanwhile, the Data Without Pathos initiative has pointed out several shortcomings of the new system, saying that the border limits are quite strict, which may negatively impact smaller districts with fewer positive cases.
Tiers of districts starting August 23
Districts at Alert Level (orange)
Banská Štiavnica • Gelnica • Kežmarok • Košice I-IV • Levoča • Poprad • Spišská Nová Ves • Stropkov • Vranov nad Topľou
Monitoring (green)
Bánovce nad Bebravou • Banská Bystrica • Bardejov • Bratislava I-V • Brezno • Bytča • Čadca • Detva • Dolný Kubín • Dunajská Streda • Galanta • Gelnica • Hlohovec • Humenné • Ilava • Komárno • Košice-okolie • Krupina • Kysucké Nové Mesto • Levice • Liptovský Mikuláš • Lučenec • Malacky • Martin • Medzilaborce • Michalovce • Myjava • Námestovo • Nitra • Nové Mesto nad Váhom • Nové Zámky • Partizánske • Pezinok • Piešťany • Poltár • Považská Bystrica • Prešov • Prievidza • Púchov • Revúca • Rimavská Sobota • Rožňava • Ružomberok • Sabinov • Šaľa • Senec • Senica • Skalica • Snina • Sobrance • Stará Ľubovňa • Svidník • Topoľčany • Trebišov • Trenčín • Trnava • Turčianske Teplice • Tvrdošín • Veľký Krtíš • Žarnovica • Žiar nad Hronom • Žilina • Zlaté Moravce • Zvolen
