News digest: Passport required when travelling from Slovakia to the UK again

Good afternoon. The weekend is coming and we have prepared a quick summary of the main news of the day in our Friday, September 17, 2021 edition of Today in Slovakia. We wish you a pleasant read.

For weekend tips and reads, check out our Spectacular Slovakia weekly roundup. This week, Peter Dlhopolec reports on US musicians who worked on a Slovak singer's new album, an interesting hiking challenge, and events in and outside the Slovak capital.

Matúš Vallo during election night. (source: SME)

The London-based City Mayors Foundation announced the winners of the 2021 World Mayor Prize and Awards on Monday, September 13. Matúš Vallo, Mayor of Bratislava, is among them.

Vallo received the World Mayor Future Award for his efforts to transform the Slovak capital into a green, compassionate city through various projects.

“Even before Matúš Vallo was elected Mayor of Bratislava in 2018, he, together with 76 experts on urban planning and development, began work on his Bratislava Plan. The Plan, which was presented to the public during the 2018 election campaign, aims to provide high-quality public spaces, sustainable forms of transport, with an emphasis on public transport and cycling, as well as the provision of affordable rental housing,” Tann vom Hove, Senior Fellow at the City Mayors Foundation, said.

Picture of the day

Sky by Monika and Bohuš Kubinský is one of the art pieces on display during the White Night Festival, starting on Friday evening (source: Courtesy of Biela Noc)

Feature story for today

Illustrative stock photo (source: Archive of Sme)

What to expect from the Delta wave

Health Ministry officials and disease modelling experts have said they do not think Pope Francis' visit will have a major impact on what authorities admit is a rapidly worsening epidemic situation in Slovakia.

Speaking to The Slovak Spectator, Matej Mišík, chair of the Institute of Health Analyses (part of the Health Ministry) added: “We expect a significant growth of [Covid-19] infections in the upcoming days regardless of the Holy Father’s visit, both in the districts he visited but also in those he did not.”

His comments come as Slovakia enters its third Covid-19 wave. Infection numbers have risen sharply in recent days. The Health Ministry is predicting between 1,500 and 3,000 new cases daily by the end of September. The number of hospitalised people is also on the rise.

Anniversary of the day

Historical lenses including those designed by Jozef Maximilián Petzval as exhibited in his museum in his native village Spišská Belá. (source: TASR)

Today, Slovakia, and the photography world, mark the death of Jozef Maximilián Petzval (6.1.1807 – 17.9.1891), a mathematician, inventor, and physicist best known for his work in optics. Among his inventions are the Petzval portrait lens and opera glasses, both still in common use today.

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Coronavirus and vaccination news:

902 people were newly diagnosed as Covid-positive out of 8,999 PCR tests performed on September 16. The number of people in hospitals has increased to 393. The vaccination rate is at 43.91 percent; 2,415,044 people have received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.
Those interested in vaccination will be able to be vaccinated again without the need for registration. The list of vaccination sites and dates when vaccination will be available is published on the Health Ministry's website.
Hospitals are prepared for a surge in the number of Covid-19 patients. If the epidemic situation deteriorates, hospitals are prepared for the re-prioritisation of their beds, said Zuzana Eliášová, spokesperson of the Health Ministry.

In other news

Coalition party Sme Rodinawill not take part in the working group that should focus on restoring trust in the rule of law, its leader Boris Kollár stated. He called on partners to focus on "what we promised", listing mostly economic and social reforms.
From October 1, Slovakscantraveltothe UK only with a passport. An exception will be made for citizens who are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and have registered in a timely manner within the residence scheme, the so-called Settlement Scheme, the Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote on its website.
Slovak batteries for electric cars developed and manufactured by InoBat Auto are highly efficient and safe. This was proven by tests conducted by the Korean testing agency NCT.