(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. The Thursday, February 3 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready, giving you the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Vaccination in Slovakia now possible after previous jabs abroad
Vaccination centre (source: TASR)
The Health Ministry and National Health Information Centre (NCZI) claim that they have solved a major problem for foreigners and Slovaks who got their Covid-19 jabs abroad.
What had been a complex and lengthy process to get recognition of their vaccination, and, therefore, allow them to get further jabs, should now be at an end.
After receiving a second or third dose in Slovakia, anyone who was previously vaccinated abroad can apply online at korona.gov.sk for an EU Digital Covid Pass, in which only the dose administered in Slovakia will be recorded.
More coronavirus and vaccination news
Triage tent in front of Trnava Hospital (source: TASR)
19,032 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 35,766 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals with Covid is 1,810. 19 more deaths were reported on Wednesday. The vaccination rate stands at 50.91 percent, 2,800,040 people have received a first dose of a vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.
Firefighters started setting up triage tents outside hospitals - the tents are to be set up in front of 21 hospitals, and will provide a place for doctors and medical staff to consider the seriousness of their conditions.
Slovak scientists have proved the effectiveness of a monoclonal antibody they developed against the Omicron coronavirus variant.
Testing of employees at companies will continue although the requirement to test all unvaccinated staff and those who have not had Covid once a week will end over the weekend, following a Cabinet decision. Mainly large companies are planning to continue testing their employees.
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Photo of the day
Extensive restoration work has been carried out in recent years at the Church of St John the Baptist in the village of Liptovský Ján in the Žilina Region. Restoration workers found old paintings under a thick layer of newer plaster.
Feature story for today
“The Himalayas and mountains taught me humility, which for me means an acknowledgement of, and respect for, universally valid principles such as gravity and balance,” Zoltán Demján says in the opening scene of the film ‘Dhaulagiri Is My Everest’.
In other news
MPs approved an amendment of the university law in a first reading in parliament and sent it for a second reading.
The Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party wants to convene a round table on February 15, with the participation of political parties and all churches, to address the separation of the Church from the state. This is due to the fact that, although there are fewer believers than previously, according to the census, the Church will continue to receive the same amount of funds as before.
An extraordinary parliamentary session on energy prices and the Saber Strike multinational exercise will not go ahead. MPs failed to approve a programme for the session, which was initiated by the opposition party Smer and lawmakers in a grouping headed by non-affiliated MP Tomáš Taraba.
A judge at the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok has dismissed charges against businessman Zoroslav Kollár and Tomáš Rajecký, associated with the Piťovci gang, Kollár's lawyers said. The verdict is not yet final, and the case will go to the Supreme Court.
Inflation in Slovakia and the Eurozone rose much more than expected in January. In Slovakia, it might have increased by as much as 8.5 percent year-on-year, according to Eurostat data. This would be the biggest rise since December 2003.
Another streaming service, SkyShowtime, will come to Slovakia this year. It will offer content from Universal Pictures, Sky Studios, Peacock, Showtime, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon.
Do not miss on Spectator.sk today
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