Slovakia will switch to the daylight savings time this coming Sunday. (source: TASR)
This is the Friday, March 26, 2021 edition of Today in Slovakia. Learn about politics, business, and other notable events of the day in Slovakia in less than five minutes. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.
Check out the Spectacular Slovakia roundup for weekend reading tips
Anti-Covid measures in effect in Slovakia this Easter
Although the situation in Slovakia has started improving, with most districts no longer on top-level alert, Easter, like last year, will be spent under lockdown to keep the trend in hospitalisations and deaths descending.
Finance Minister Eduard Heger, currently also acting health minister, likened the pandemic curve to a mountain hike, asking citizens to take trips only within their district.
“We’re descending from the Lomnický Štít peak, but we’re not even at Skalnaté Pleso lake yet," commented Heger in reference to the downward trend in the pandemic situation in Slovakia, after he introduced the measures to be in effect during Easter.
Vaccination rollout slows
Some large-scale vaccination centres will not open this weekend, due to shortages in AstraZeneca Covid vaccine supplies to Slovakia.
The Health Ministry is working on yet another adjustment to the vaccination strategy, to give preference to people with chronic diseases. Slovakia currently considers mostly just the age of the people who want to get the Covid jab.
New drinking fountain is contactless
On Monday, March 22, on the occasion of World Water Day, the Bratislava Water Company (BVS) presented a new model of drinking fountain. It is contactless and people can conveniently pour water into their own bottles. BVS hopes this will contribute to the reduction of plastic waste littering the countryside.
The first contactless drinking fountain has been installed in the garden of the Waterworks Museum in Bratislava’s Karlova Ves borough as part of a pilot project.
Gallery for today
The premises of the reconstructed Slovak National Gallery are planned to open in June 2022.
Feature story for today
Writer Elena Lacková (1921-2003) dedicated her entire life to the development and enlightenment of the Roma community in Slovakia. When she graduated from university in 1970 and defended her master's degree at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, she was almost 50 years old and the grandmother of nine grandchildren.
"So, Roma! Only now do I really belong to you and I will do everything to prove that the Roma are also human," she said to herself at her graduation ceremony.
In other news
If PM Igor Matovič quits as prime minister, some OĽaNO MPs may quit its caucus. This stems from a letter by an anonymous OĽaNO MP published by the TA3 news channel on Friday. Coalition party Za Ľudí have given Matovič until Monday, March 29 to resolve the coalition crisis, otherwise they will quit the coalition, they said.
Slovakia will switch to daylight savings time, central European summer time, over night, between Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28.
The most common cause of death in Slovakia in 2020 was cardiovascular disease (more than 27,000 people), followed by cancer (around 14,000 people) and the novel coronavirus (4,004). The Statistics Office.
Bratislava city councilwill buy a dilapidated building that used to house a night club in Sad Janka Kráľa park for €1.68 million.
The Bratislava public transport company DPB will strengthen bus routes 43, 52 and 144 to Bratislava forest park as of Saturday, March 27, until October to enable people to get into the countryside more conveniently.
Bratislava Zoo is offering discounted season tickets to be used after the zoo re-opens.
Easter food shopping will be cheaper by 0.5 percent compared with the previous year.
Bolt is launching an electric scooter sharing system inNitra. In total there will be 200 e-scooters.
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