Eduard Heger (source: TASR)
People unvaccinated against Covid may face further restrictions.
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To slow down the spread of the virus in Slovakia and stabilise the critical situation in hospitals (only about 20 beds with mechanical ventilation are currently empty), the concilium of experts that forms an advisory body to the Health Ministry has proposed strict anti-pandemic measures. They will be discussed by the cabinet on Thursday, November 18, and if approved, they should be in force for three weeks.
“We need to toughen up the measures significantly for the next three weeks so that we can stabilise the situation in hospitals,” PM Eduard Heger (OĽaNO) told the press on November 16, adding he supports the restrictions.
Both Heger and Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský (OĽaNO nominee) called on people to get vaccinated.
What do the experts propose?
entry to the workplace only for people who can prove they have been vaccinated, have recovered from Covid (no more than 180 days since recovery) or have a negative Covid test result;
mass events only for the fully vaccinated;
non-essential shops, including shopping centres, open only for the fully vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid;
sports competitions, wellness centres and water parks open only for the fully vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid; professional sports competitions open for the vaccinated, those who have recovered from Covid, and people with a negative test result;
accommodation facilities open for the vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid only, except for the black tier, where they would be closed entirely.
If these measures do not help stabilise the situation in hospitals, the government is ready to adopt even tougher restrictions, Heger noted.
If the situation improves, the measures will be changed after three weeks and a new alert system will be introduced with more perks for the vaccinated.
