The occupancy of Covid beds will be one of the main factors for the classification of districts. (source: SITA)
Restaurants, fitness centres and shopping centres, including those in the worst, black-tier districts, may reopen for the fully vaccinated and those who have recently recovered from Covid. This stems from a draft alert system, known as the Covid automat in Slovakia, which the Sme daily has at its disposal.
The new Covid automat is set to be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday, January 12. If it is approved, it will come into force next Monday, January 17.
As many as 34 districts would be classified in the black tier. However, daily life in these areas should be less restrictive than last year, mostly for the vaccinated and recovered.
Even though the draft of the new Covid automat is ready, it is not clear whether it will be adopted as both experts from the Science Helps initiative and the council of experts who advise the Health Ministry on the pandemic and measures oppose it.
Their objections concern mostly the unpredictability of the highly contagious Omicron variant that is expected to become dominant in Slovakia in the coming days or weeks.
The Health Ministry has not commented on the new Covid automat. Its spokesperson Zuzana Eliášová told the Sme daily that the ministry and the experts are currently analysing the situation and will report on the final changes after the Wednesday cabinet session.
The map of districts of the new Covid automat was approved. (source: SME)
