(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. The Monday, August 15 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Another Covid-19 wave coming, but milder
Almost three quarters of infected people in the current wave have the Omicron subvariant BA.5. (source: TASR)
Slovakia will almost certainly be hit by another Covid-19 wave in the autumn, but it should be much milder than any the country has experienced in the last two years, experts have said.
Chief Hygienist Ján Mikas and infectologist Peter Sabaka have said that they are not expecting to see the reintroduction of strict restrictions during the coming wave.
Disease experts are also encouraging people to get vaccinated, saying that with the exception of high-risk patients, people can await the Omicron vaccine, which should arrive in Slovakia at the end of September.
Vaccination: Slovakia has started implementing fourth doses of Covid-19 vaccines for over 50s.
Face masks: Where are face coverings still required?
Map: See how Covid-19 is spreading around Slovakia today and where you can get tested.
For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out our Last Week in Slovakia piece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:
UKRAINE: Ukraine has received four Zuzana howitzers from Slovakia.
POLICE: Sme Rodina MP Patrick Linhart is facing perjury charges.
SWIMMING: Siblings and artistic swimmers Jozef and Silvia Solymosys have won historic medals at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships.
DISPLAY:'Inner Life' is an interactive art installation that has been custom-created for the Old Market Hall in the centre of Bratislava.
FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY
Something's not right about Slovakia statistics
New residential and office projects change the skyline of Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Slovakia is the most expensive country in which to live in central and eastern Europe. Other Eurostat statistics indicate Slovakia is the third poorest country in the EU in terms of GDP per capita.
Analysts warn that these statistics may not reflect the real position of Slovakia.
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IN OTHER NEWS:
'Svetlonoc' (Nightsiren), a Slovak film directed by Tereza Nvotová, has won an award for the best film at the Locarno Film Festival. Watch a short interview with Nvotová.
The burial of Slovak Cardinal Jozef Tomko, who died last week, will take place tomorrow, August 16, at St. Elizabeth Cathedral in Košice. The burial will start at 11:00 in the morning and will last 145 minutes. People can honour the cardinal before the burial, from 7:00 to 9:00, or attend the burial itself.
This year, people can again participate in the collection of school supplies, which takes place throughout Slovakia, said the Slovak Catholic Charity. Here is how and where you can help.
One of several home-made "boats" that took part in a competition last weekend on Lake Štrkovec in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Dávid Kúrňava from northern Slovakia has received an unconditional sentence of 20 months in prison for the crime of extremism. In the past, Kúrňava had already been legally punished for extremism. This included publishing an advertisement on the Internet in August 2015, which offered a reward of €25 for shooting migrants. (TASR)
If SaS leaves the government, Slovakia will have a minority government. The question is how SaS will treat this government, Speaker Boris Kollár said on Monday. According to him, laws can be adopted even with fewer than 76 MPs. If things do not go smoothly, Kollár believes a snap election should be held.
A Polish hiker, 33, died after he was hit by lightning on Kriváň Peak on Monday, August 15.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
