These anti-Covid measures will apply to Slovakia this Easter

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Although the situation in Slovakia has started improving, with most districts no longer at top-level alert, authorities have repeatedly said that Easter will still transpire under lockdown mode.

One reason is fear that the situation from Christmas may repeat, when people were meeting their close ones in what the authorities called “bubbles”, which only sped up the number of new infections and Covid deaths.

Easter takes place the first week of April.

Some slackening could come only after April 19, the Sme daily reported.

The group of experts to counsel the health minister met on March 25 to discuss the Easter regime. They agreed that the measures currently in place will suffice for the upcoming holiday. Their recommendations will now be discussed by the pandemic commission on March 30.

Here is basic information about what the second pandemic Easter in Slovakia will look like, based on the measures in place:

FAQs

Can I travel to another district during Easter?
Can I travel abroad for Easter?
I want to return from abroad for Easter. Can I visit my family?
Will shops be open?
Will churches open during Easter?
When will the measures be lifted?

Q: Can I travel to another district during Easter?

No. The ban on travelling outside your district of residence, unless it is for work, is still prohibited; even for outings in nature or for sport.

Starting March 25, nature outings are prohibited between 20:00 and 1:00 the next day, due to the extended curfew.

Inhabitants of Bratislava can move around the entire Bratislava Region. Inhabitants of Košice can move around the Košice-okolie district.

All other curfew rules remain in place. This means that it is still not possible to leave your home between 20:00 and 1:00 unless it is for work, to the doctor or a medical facility, or to walk pets.

Visits to another household are not exempt from the curfew as well. People are allowed to visit another household only if they need to take care of their relatives who are dependent on their help or if their child is not living in the same household.

Exemptions from curfew

Between 5:00 and 20:00 without a test

buying essentials (grocery stores, pharmacies, chemists, pet shops and the petrol station);
going to the doctor and medical facilities;
going for a Covid test;
going out into nature, except for the black tier (Warning level 4): only within one's district (the inhabitants of the city of Bratislava can travel throughout the entire Bratislava Region; the inhabitants of the city of Košice can also visit the Košice-okolie district);
going to a funeral, wedding ceremony and christening;
taking care of a relative or close person;
walking pets within a diameter of 1 km from home, taking care of farm animals;
taking children to their parents (if they are separated) based on a court’s decision;
taking people to nursing homes;
medical walks with older people within a 1-km diameter from home;
an appointment at a law enforcement body or court;
going to and from church for “individual spiritual care”, but not ordinary masses (the definition and conditions are to be specified by the Public Health Authority);
going to and from nature for holders of a hunting licence, for the purpose of dealing with the African swine fever.

Between 5:00 and 20:00 with a negative test

school employees:
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
accompanying children to school:
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
going to work if you cannot work from home or going to a job interview:
*confirmation from your employer with the time and place of work;
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days for dark red- and black-tier districts;
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 14 days in red-tier districts;
*negative PCR or antigen test result no older than 21 days in light red-tier districts;
*or confirmation you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days ago;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
going out into nature in black-tier districts (Warning level 4):
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required (only people aged 15-65 years);
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
going to dry cleaners, newsstands, opticians, banks, insurance companies, libraries, bicycle services and car repair shops, facilities providing the technical and emission control of vehicles, delivery points and issue points of online shops, garden shops, shoe repair shops, telecom shops, and scrapyards:
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
going to mass events approved by the Public Health Authority (ÚVZ):
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
taking someone abroad:
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested.
Between 20:00 and 1:00
going to and from work: confirmation from your employer with the time and place of work, and:
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days for dark red- and black-tier districts;
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 14 days in red-tier districts;
*negative PCR or antigen test result no older than 21 days in light red-tier districts;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested;
necessary medical treatment;
taking care of a relative or close person;
walking pets within a 1-km diameter from home, taking care of farm animals;
travelling abroad (except for going on holiday):
*negative PCR or antigen test no older than 7 days required;
*or confirmation that you have recovered from Covid-19 no older than 3 months;
*or confirmation that you were vaccinated with the second shot at least 14 days before;
*or confirmation that you could not be tested.

Q: Can I travel abroad for Easter?

Travel abroad is allowed, following the rules on borders.

However, there is a ban on crossing borders for holiday purposes during curfew. The ban was extended to the time outside the curfew, i.e. between 1:00 and 5:00, from March 25.

Holidaymakers who disobey the ban face a fine of €1,000.

Q: I want to return from abroad for Easter. Can I visit my family?

The authorities do not recommend visiting your family if you return from abroad. Under the current rules, everybody who returns from abroad needs to fill in the eHranice online form and self-isolate for 14 days, and take a PCR test upon the 8th day after arrival.

Q: Will shops be open?

Shops and service providers will follow the restrictions currently in place, meaning that grocery shops, chemist’s, pharmacies, shops selling animal fodder, petrol stations, as well as service providers (including dry cleaners, shoe repair shops, newsagents, banks, insurance companies, bike and car repair shops) remain open no longer than until 20:00 during Easter.

In most cases, people will be required to show a negative Covid test result no older than 7 days.

Red letter days: Good Friday (April 2), Easter Sunday (April 4) and Easter Monday (April 5). Most essential shops are closed in Slovakia on red letter days.

Q: Will churches open during Easter?

No, churches will remain closed to the public. Only private ceremonies and what the cabinet called “individual spiritual care” (not ordinary masses) are allowed.

Q: When will the measures be lifted?

The gradual lifting of measures will start only after Easter, when the number of hospitalised patients drops below 3,000, and stays below this threshold for 12 days, as per the Covid automat rules.

Ivan Bošnák from the Data without Pathos initiative expects that the first measures can be lifted after April 19 when the entire country, which is now in the black tier, can switch to the dark red tier, Sme reported.

More schools are expected to open after Easter holiday, too.