Illustrative stock photo (source: SME)
Here's a summary of news from Slovakia for Tuesday, August 25, 2020. Do not miss our tips for reads at the end of this digest.
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COVID-19 traffic light shows red in Bratislava
Two weeks after Bratislava launched a so-called COVID-19 semaphore, which allows the city to respond in a timely manner to the deteriorating epidemic situation, it has changed its colour to red.
It will impact several mass events it is organising and the operation of retirement homes.
As the implementation of anti-pandemic measures is the responsibility of the Public Health Authority and the government, the capital may only implement preventive measures within its competence, the city authorities underlined.
For example, they cannot cancel mass events the city does not organise, or close stores and other businesses.
Other coronavirus-related news
Slovakia has 28 new coronavirus cases as of August 24. The total number of positive cases has thus increased to 3,452. Read more detailed statistics here.
The Interior Ministry has approved two projectsthat are supposed to help deal with COVID-19, including the purchase of equipment for firefighters and the creation of its own diagnostic test for the coronavirus detection.
The State Administration of Material Reserves claims that it is ready for the second coronavirus wave. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has not asked it to purchase the coronavirus vaccine yet.
Visits to the oncology and radiotherapy wards of theMichalovce hospital (Košice Region) have been banned from August 25 until further notice.
Environmental disaster in eastern Slovakia
Due to the continual pollution, the Poša sludge bed in the Zemplín region is now considered an environmental disaster.
The toxic waste has its origin in the Chemko Strážske chemical plant, according to the Za Našu Vodu civic association. The company was supposed to stop the discharge in 2015.
Substances from the sediment basin may contaminate water in local wells and endanger people’s lives, the organisation added.
In other news:
Slovak health care was ranked 21 among 25 evaluated countries in the Health for Money Index 2020. The ranking was conducted by the non-governmental Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS).
A 20-year-old Austrian citizen, originally from Somalia, who carried out an attack on Ventúrska Street in Bratislava on August 23 morning, has been charged with causing an injury and rioting. He is threatened with two to five years in prison.
Legislators will meet on September 2 to discuss the laws vetoed by President Zuzana Čaputová. Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) has reassured that the coalition will override the vetoes.
The private TA3 news channel will change hands. A new investor is said to join the ownership structure, the Hospodárske Noviny daily reported. Michal Ruttkay, the head of a marketing agency with several political campaigns in its portfolio, is said to become general director.
The national postal services provider Slovenská Pošta issued the ‘XVI Paralympic Games in Tokyo’ postal stamp on August 24, with Slovak Paralympic athlete Veronika Vadovičová printed on it.
The ‘XVI Paralympic Games in Tokyo’ postal stamp. (source: Slovenská pošta)
The Prievidza-based car supplier Brose aims to employ as many as 2,000 workers by 2025 at the latest. Currently, it employs 1,060 people.
The Council for Budget Responsibility has reduced itsestimate of this year's general government deficitto 8.8 percent of GDP, down from 9.4 percent. The council has justified the reduction due to higher revenues from taxes and levies resulting from better consumption and stabilisation of the labour market.
A new African swine fever outbreak has been confirmed in the village of Čalovka in eastern Slovakia. All 221 pigs on the farm will be killed in the near future.
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