Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
This is your overview of news from Slovakia that happened on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. This is a free-of-charge service for our readers. If you want to support us, become a subscriber and get access to more detailed news and interesting feature stories from Slovakia.
New strain from the UK not yet confirmed in Slovakia
Scientists have not detected the new coronavirus mutation in Slovakia. Finding it would require a much more detailed analysis of samples, which takes a few days, and this is not being done systematically yet in Slovakia.
The Scientific Park of Comenius University has won several grants to start detecting the coronavirus strain from samples. They expect to start the tests after the New Year and will analyse 500 samples in the first two months of 2021. The Health Ministry has stated whether they are going to try and extend laboratory capacities to allow them to detect the new coronavirus strain.
However, some experts argue that the new, potentially more infections, strain of the coronavirus, which has prompted European countries to impose travel restrictions on arrivals from the UK, may have reached Slovakia by now.The Scientific Park of Comenius University has won several grants to start detecting the coronavirus strain from samples. They expect to start the tests after the New Year and will analyse 500 samples in the first two months of 2021. The Health Ministry has stated whether they are going to try and extend laboratory capacities to allow them to detect the new coronavirus strain. However, some experts argue that the new, potentially more infections, strain of the coronavirus, which has prompted European countries to impose travel restrictions on arrivals from the UK, may have reached Slovakia by now.
Travel advice
Germany has marked all of Slovakia as a COVID risk territory. All those arriving in Germany who have spent the last ten days before their arrivals in risky countries must go into 10-day quarantine. During the 10 days, they may be required to show a negative COVID test or take a test on the fifth day after their arrival at the earliest. Those who test negative may end their isolation.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry also stated that people travelling from December 21 to January 6, 2021, to Italy, have to stay in 14-day isolation. It also applies to countries of the EU, including Slovakia.
Coronavirus-related news:
Agriculture Minister Ján Mičovský tested positive with the coronavirus. He was hospitalised due to his deteriorating health condition. He is stable now.
Economy Minister Eduard Heger is yet another member of the government who tested positive with the coronavirus. He is in quarantine.
President Zuzana Čaputová tested negative. She was tested after she was in contact with Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, who has since fallen sick with COVID.
Čaputová called on people to limit their contacts to a minimum, even beyond the currently-valid measures, after speaking on the phone with Health Minister Marek Krajčí about the development of the pandemic in Slovakia.
We do not need applause on balconies, we do not expect an ovation for our job. We would rather appreciate the help of all citizens. Together, we must ease the pressure on outpatient departments and hospitals. It will happen only if the number of infected and ill decreases. And that will happen only if you stay home.”“
Photo of the day:
Žilina hospital published photos from the COVID department. (source: Michal Burza via My Žilina)
Feature story of the day:
A recent survey by the European Union shows that Slovaks have become one of the most disproving nations on the continent when judging their government’s game plan to contain the viral spread (43 percent of those polled said they were satisfied).
Slovakia has posted the largest decrease in satisfaction with the measures its government took, at 31 percentage points. Only Czechia fared worse, with a 33-percentage-point decrease.
Political infighting, spats with cabinet members and a tossing around of responsibility tainted Matovič’s former reputation as a coronavirus slayer.
Other news:
Bratislava-based car manufacturer Volkswagen Slovakia will stop the production of vehicles as planned. Employees will be home from December 23 until January 6.
The former special prosecutor has been charged with selling decisions and information to the organised criminal group.
The amendment of the rules for public procurement presented by deputy PM for legislation Štefan Holý narrows the public's control of competition and increases the possibilities of politicians and officials to give orders to companies chosen in advance, say five anti-corruption NGOs which are collecting signatures for the mass objection.
A spokesperson for the Slovak Bishops Conference Martin Kramara pointed out several disinformation outlets to which readers should be careful.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď cannot imagine someone else than the PM managing the pandemic. He claimed that the situation with the pandemic is bad around the world and to attribute it to one specific person is “extremely unfair”.
Collapse endangers the Supreme Court, said its President Ján Šikuta. It lacks many judges.
Also on Spectator.sk today:
