President Zuzana Čaputová asked people to get vaccinated on June 23. (source: TASR)
The third pandemic wave is coming and early precautions on the borders alone cannot stop it. The only way not to return to life under lockdown and restrictions is vaccination, said President Zuzana Čaputová.
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She responded to the fact that the Delta variant, which was first identified in India, has already been detected in Slovakia, and that media reports from abroad have its negative effects on the epidemiological situation in the countries.
“Unlike the first or second pandemic wave, we can say that contracting the virus in the third wave won’t be an accident or a result of unwary behaviour but rather a result of our own choices,” Čaputová said.
She thus called on many people who are still hesitant about getting vaccinated to use the coming months to get their jab in order to be protected.
“Don’t postpone it till the third wave begins because it’ll be too late,” the president stressed.
Vaccination rate very low
At the same time, she criticised some opposition politicians who cast doubt on vaccination as it directly impacts our ability to fight the pandemic. Though she respects that everybody can freely and voluntarily decide on getting vaccinated, she asked people to think about the consequences.
“Our ability to deal with the pandemic cannot become a subject of the political fight,” Čaputová said.
In this respect, she pointed to the fact that Slovakia has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the EU and also among its neighbouring countries.
In fact, only 36 percent of the population (nearly 2 million people) has received the first vaccine shot, while 26 percent (1.4 million people) has been fully vaccinated to date. The second dose is more effective in fighting the Delta variant, while people who have recovered from Covid will be better protected if vaccinated, the Health Ministry stressed.
Good situation in Slovakia
The map of districts from Monday, June 28, 2021. (source: Health Ministry)
The districts in Slovakia meanwhile still continue relaxing the strict anti-pandemic measures.
Starting next Monday, June 28, there will be no districts in the red or light-red tier. Instead, six districts will be in the orange tier and 47 in the yellow tier, with very few strict measures.
The most relaxed situation with the least restrictions will be in 26 green-tier districts.
Tiers of districts starting June 28, 2021
Districts at Alert Level 2 (orange)
Banská Štiavnica • Gelnica • Humenné • Myjava • Skalica • Spišská Nová Ves
Districts at Alert Level 1 (yellow)
Bánovce nad Bebravou • Bardejov • Bratislava I-V • Bytča • Čadca • Detva • Hlohovec • Košice I-IV • Košice – okolie • Krupina • Kysucké Nové Mesto • Levice • Levoča • Lučenec • Malacky • Martin • Medzilaborce • Michalovce • Námestovo • Nové Mesto nad Váhom • Nové Zámky • Partizánske • Pezinok • Piešťany • Poprad • Revúca • Rimavská Sobota • Rožňava • Ružomberok • Senec • Senica • Snina • Sobrance • Trenčín • Tvrdošín • Vranov nad Topľou • Žiar nad Hronom • Žilina • Zvolen
Monitoring (green)
Banská Bystrica • Brezno • Dolný Kubín • Dunajská Streda • Galanta • Ilava • Kežmarok • Komárno • Liptovský Mikuláš • Nitra • Poltár • Považská Bystrica • Prešov • Prievidza • Púchov • Sabinov • Šaľa • Stará Ľubovňa • Stropkov • Svidník • Topoľčany • Trebišov • Trnava • Turčianske Teplice • Veľký Krtíš • Žarnovica • Zlaté Moravce
