President Zuzana Čaputová meets with experts to discuss the coronavirus and its impact on Slovak economy in Bratislava on April 14, 2020. (source: TASR)
This is your overview of news from April 14.
For all news about the coronavirus in Slovakia click here.
Read more about the measures currently in place in Slovakia.
Coronavirus in Slovakia (updates)
- Slovakia has 66 new coronavirus cases. Altogether 47 of the positive cases are in the retirement home in Pezinok that has since been quarantined. See detailed statistics here.
- Pezinok Mayor Igor Hianik filed a criminal complaint based on an anonymous letter that described alleged violations of epidemiologic rules in the retirement home in Pezinok, where an outbreak of the coronavirus was recently detected.
- Most infections have been detected in people aged 30 - 44 years (246 people). Another 221 persons who tested positive are 15 - 29 years old. In the 45-59 years old category, 171 persons are positive, while 152 of those infected are above 60. Children up to 14 years of age comprise 42 cases, and the age has not been given in three positive cases. There are now 101 infected people in the at-risk category of 65+.
A man wearing a gas mask walks into an underpass on Hodžovo Square in Bratislava on April 14, 2020. (source: TASR)
- The police have detected 1,165 cases of obligatory quarantine violations so far. (Facebook of the Police Corps)
Coronavirus measures in Slovakia
-Some planned surgeries will proceed again. Read more.
- The government will present a plan to ease the anti-coronavirus measures next Monday, April 20. They want to make sure that the number of infected people does not increase while the economy is able to take a breath, PM Igor Matovič said.
- Slovakia will provide humanitarian aid to Italy. The cabinet assigned the Finance Ministry to earmark €250,000 for this purpose. The assistance should include sending health care staff to Italy, providing or lending health care materials and protective equipment, and placing patients in health care facilities in Slovakia.
- Most Slovak soldiers will return from Afghanistan, the Defence Ministry announced. (SITA)
- A face mask vending machine has been put into operation at the Bratislava main bus station at Mlynské Nivy. (Sme)
Crossing borders
- As of April 14, only those who are able to prove their health condition with a no more than four-day-old negative COVID-19 test are able to enter Austria. The test result must be in German, English, French or Italian. The measure does not apply to cross-border workers (pendlers). (Radio Slovakia International)
- Checks at border crossings with Austria, Czechia, Poland and Hungary have been prolonged until May 7. The cabinet greenlighted the proposal on Tuesday. Only selected airports and border crossings are open for incomers. (SITA)
Coronavirus in business (updates)
- The Slovak government agreed on April 14 to introduce kurzarbeit, although the term itself is not mentioned in any document. The parliament will have to approve the measure first. Read more on who will be entitled to help. (Index)
- President Zuzana Čaputová held a meeting with a group of experts in economics and epidemiology to discuss the prospects of opening up the Slovak economy again. One month in a partial lockdown will not damage the economy irreversibly, but maintaining the lockdown for several months might leave scars on the economy, said head of the budgetary responsibility council Ivan Šramko. The economy is not in a total risk scenario right now, but if the measures continue for another few months, the risks are expected to increase, he said.
We are destroying 10,000 small, mostly Slovak stores to the benefit of big retailers offering the same goods.“
- Furniture maker Ikea has halted production lines in its plants in Trnava and the nearby municipality of Majcichov for one week due to the coronavirus. Its employees are on paid leave.
- The Stará Turá-based Chirana T. Injecta company sold 2.5 million certified protective masks to Slovakia for €0.39 apiece. The governmental special plane will bring the material from China, most likely this Friday.
- The government approved, on April 14, changes submitted by the Justice Ministry that are to help the business community during the pandemic. A proposal will introduce the temporary protection of entrepreneurs against liquidation, including suspension of liquidation proceedings already initiated by creditors.
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