(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. Catch up on the main news of the day in less than five minutes with the Thursday, September 9, edition ofToday in Slovakia. We wish you a pleasant read.
Papal visit will bring several limitations to transport in the capital
Traffic limitations on September 12, 2021 (source: Police)
Bratislavans and those who plan to travel to the capital during the papal visit should prepare for numerous travelling restrictions.
These will impact not only public transport in the city but also roads, highways and border crossings. The first limitation will start on Sunday, September 12, when Pope Francis' is expected to arrive at the Bratislava airport and will continue until Wednesday, September 15, when he flies back to Rome.
The operator of public transport in the capital, DPB, said that the most reliable form of travel during these days is a tram. The police have published several maps noting the time intervals roads will be affected by restrictions. They also pointed out that several border crossings with Austria, Hungary and even the Czech Republic may face limitations.
However, the times given are only approximate and may change. The police have asked people to reconsider travelling during these times and in these places unless necessary.
Slovak cabinet apologises for anti-Jewish law adopted 80 years ago
(source: Archive of the SNP Museum in Banská Bystrica)
Slovakia marks 80 years since adopting the legislation that eliminated Jews from public life. The Eduard Heger cabinet apologised for adopting the Order on the Legal Status of Jews, also known as the Jewish Code.
“The Slovak cabinet feels a moral duty to publicly express regret over the crimes committed by the ruling power of that time, especially over adopting a condemnable regulation restricting the fundamental human rights and freedoms of citizens of Jewish origin on September 9, 1941,” reads the official declaration adopted on September 8, 2021.
In practice, the Jewish Code created a base for authorities to issue official decisions on various areas of the life of Jews.
“It was written in a way that Jews could not defend themselves against its provisions and official decisions,” historian Ján Hlavinka said, explaining that the code made it impossible for Jews to appeal official decisions in courts.
Coronavirus and vaccination news
Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
478 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 34,226 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals has increased to 182. The vaccination rate is 43.60 percent; 2,258,574 people have received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.
Children who cannot learn online will learn in small groups of five in school in case of quarantine. This applies only to children who have recovered from Covid or are vaccinated. Teachers must teach these children in schools; it has not been obligatory until now. (Expres)
The state-run health insurer Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa agreed with providers united in the Association of laboratories on the adjustment of prices for PCR tests. They lowered the price from €42 to €36. Medirex, Unilabs Slovakia, Synlab Slovakia and Klinická Biochémia are among the association's members.
Photo of the day
Pictured below is the settlement of Stones of the Disappeared (Stolpersteine) in front of Emil Pásztor's house on Kúpeľná Street 3 in Bratislava. The stones commemorate and honour the monuments of the victims of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime.
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Feature story for today
Though trained as an agricultural engineer, Vladimír Makara decided to start hand sewing shoes so that the tradition of footwear made in Poprad would not die out.
For more than 15 years, he has been producing award-winning shoes worn by hikers, climbers and foresters.
In this interview, he speaks about the basis of quality footwear when going on a trip to the mountains, how even a pair of shoes made 40 years ago can be repaired, and what his shoemaking dream is.
In other news
Štefan Hamran will serve as acting Police Corps President. He was appointed by Interior Minister Roman Mikulec. Hamran, a commander of the Lynx Command, has applied for the position in the past.
The extraordinary parliamentary session at which the opposition wanted to remove Roman Mikulec (OĽaNO) from the post of Interior Minister did not take place. Only 53 MPs presented themselves in the parliament. Participation of an absolute majority (at least 76) was required. MPs will have another attempt to open a meeting on Friday, September 10 at 9:00.
The Constitutional Court will deal with the opposition's initiative against the coalition amendment to the Labour Code, but it has not suspended its effectiveness. Critics led by the Smer opposition party attacked the possibility of giving notice to an employee from the age of 65 and a stop sign for collective agreements valid throughout the industry.
Profesia.sk recorded an abnormally high number of job advertisements in the summer. There were more than 55,000 of them in July and August, which is 10,000 more than in the same period of 2018, the strongest year, so far. There are usually fewer job offers in the summer.
The Wolt delivery service will open a brick-and-mortar shop in the centre of Bratislava, followed by other cities. The store will be used to deliver food and goods from drugstores over short distances.
Michal Šipoš, chair of the OĽaNO caucus, said that OĽaNO will accept the remaining members of the Za Ľudí caucus if they are interested in joining.
Several inspirational projects that have flourished during the pandemic were recognised with Via Bona Slovakia 2020 awards, granted by the Pontis Foundation to responsible and fair businesses.
Do not miss on Spectator.sk today
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