(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. The Tuesday, July 13, 2021 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes. We wish you a pleasant read.
Most foreigners want to stay
Foreigners coming to Slovakia are dissatisfied with lengthy and bureaucratic immigration process. (source: SITA)
Though Slovakia does not belong among first-choice countries of foreign migrant workers, most of them want to stay here.
This stems from a recent online survey carried out by the International Organisation of Migration (IOM). The survey addressed foreigners who came to work in Slovakia from countries outside the EU and the EEA.
More than 57 percent of respondents said that Slovakia was not among the countries they originally wanted to come and work in. However, foreign workers appreciate that the country is safe and belongs to the EU. Most of the respondents even said that they want to stay here in the future.
Another finding of the survey is that the majority of respondents do not work in the field in which they studied. They are willing to accept a job that does not correspond with their qualification or does not even require a specific qualification.
Two different statistics on vaccination-related deaths
Only four deaths resulting from the Covid-19 vaccine have been confirmed in Slovakia. (source: TASR)
Even if in most cases there often is little proof that the death of a vaccinated person was a direct result of the vaccine, it is not uncommon for people to claim a connection between deaths and the Covid-19 vaccine. They also say that state controllers are not revealing the real number of victims who died after vaccination. In their opinion, the actual number is much higher
The State Institute for Drug Control (ŠÚKL), the country’s medicines authority, has two statistics for these kinds of deaths – one for Slovakia with fewer victims, and the second for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) with more victims, the Sme daily reported.
ŠÚKL has not properly explained why it reports different data on deaths related to vaccination.
More Covid and vaccination developments
The large-capacity vaccination centre in Bratislava (source: TASR)
28 people out of 6,528 tested with PCR tests were diagnosed with Covid in Slovakia on July 12; out of 7,133 new antigen tests, 13 were positive. One more person died of Covid.
All vaccination centres run by the self-governing regions will start with walk-in vaccinations in the coming days, meaning that they will also administer vaccines to people without an official invitation. The service has already been provided in several large-capacity vaccination centres.
The combination of vaccines from two different producers will be possible soon, said Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský (OĽaNO nominee). Currently, it is possible to administer two different vaccines only based on the recommendation of a doctor, but the ministry wants to make it possible for people to choose whether they want to be inoculated with two different shots.
Given the spread of the Delta variant, there is no discussion about relaxing current border restrictions. Lengvarský stated so in reaction to the demands of tourism sector representatives.
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Picture of the day
A pilot in-field vaccination project for pupils by mobile vaccination teams in marginalised communities was launched in the village of Kecerovce in eastern Slovakia. The Education Ministry wants to administer the vaccine to children older than 12 years in order to secure the safe reopening of schools in September.
Feature story for today
“It seems that it is finally a chance to defeat Viktor Orbán,” said Miklós Haraszti, a former Hungarian politician, writer and dissident on the upcoming election in Hungary. “The unprecedented fellowship of the oppositionists who connected against him from the right and the left political spectrum, disproportionate election rights in Hungary, and an almost American type of election from both sides, changes it mathematically.”
Haraszti talked to the Sme daily about the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the real state of democracy in Hungary, and how is Orbán using the pandemic to push through local propaganda, among other topics.
In other news
The trial involving ex-special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik continued on July 13, with the testimonies of his former subordinates. They described some practices at the Special Prosecutor’s Office, including how Kováčik distributed files.
Seven parties would make it to the parliament if the general elections were held in the first half of July, according to a poll by theAKO agency. While most coalition parties reported a slight drop compared to the previous month, the popularity of Robert Fico’s Smer increased a bit.
EU finance ministers have approved the first 12 recovery plans, including the Slovak one. As a result, the countries will be able to sign agreements with the European Commission on receiving the first financial package.
The microchipshortage is already impacting the periods that customers need to wait for their new car. Some waiting periods have more than doubled.
The Administration of State Material Reserves (SŠHR) breached a law in the case of three orders for the purchase of Covid-19 tests, worth roughly €50 million, the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO) decided. The decision is not valid yet as SŠHR appealed it.
The Agriculture Ministry is working on a package of measures to stop African swine fever from spreading, including the shooting of wild boars in the districts where the disease has not been confirmed. Costs are expected to amount to €12 million.
Cyclist Peter Sagan will not represent Slovakia at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo due to health reasons. The country will be represented by Juraj Sagan and Lukáš Kubiš.
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