Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
This is your overview of news from Thursday, June 25, 2020.
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Coronavirus strikes the Kysuce region
The number of COVID-19 positive cases continues to rise. Out of more than 930 tests carried out on June 24, 23 were positive, increasing the total number to 1,630.
As many as 25 come from the town of Čadca (Žilina Region) and its surroundings that border the Czech Republic and Poland. The regional branch of the Public Health Authority (ÚVZ) has already identified the outbreak localities and is currently monitoring them. As they are still taking samples, they expect the number of positive cases to increase in the following days.
Meanwhile, the local authority decided to close primary schools and kindergartens, as well as sports venues, the local swimming pool and the house of culture as of June 26 due to the increased number of COVID-19 positive cases. They also stopped the free time summer activities, the TASR newswire reported.
Several planned sport and culture events in the region have been cancelled.
Largest firms that help with recruitment revealed
The Manuvia recruitment firm tops the ranking of HR companies in Slovakia compiled by The Slovak Spectator team. It had the most permanent employees in 2019, and based on data provided by FinStat, had the highest average sales revenues in the past three years (2016-2018). INDEX NOSLUŠ had the highest average net profit over the same period.
The 10 largest recruitment agencies filled 6,634 positions for companies in 2019.
Marián Hossa in the Hockey Hall of Fame
Former Slovak ice hockey player Marián Hossa will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2020. He was eligible for the first time.
Hossa is only the third Slovak ice-hockey player to receive such an honour, following in the footsteps of the world-famous Stan Mikita and Peter Šťastný.
I was very touched and happy.“
In other news
The final state exam of Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina), including the defence of his thesis, was in compliance with the valid law governing universities, said Jozef Minďáš in a statement provided by the University of Central Europe in Skalica. Minďáš was Kollár's supervisor at the time. Kollár is facing allegations of plagiarism. (TASR)
Several members of the Judicial Council have proposed Ján Mazák to become the new council chair, the Denník N daily reported. He should replace Lenka Praženková, who has recently resigned from the post. Mazák is a moral authority and it would be good if the Judicial Council members entrusted him the post, Justice Minister Mária Kolíková (Za Ľudí) told the media. The election is scheduled for June 29.
The city of Bratislava will change its budget for 2020 due to the coronavirus, the city councillors agreed. The capital expects the coronavirus pandemic impacts to cost about €40 million. It will have to take new loans, from ČSOB and UniCredit Bank.
The coronavirus crisis has had a greater impact on the completion of the Mochovce nuclear power plant in the Nitra Region than originally expected. As a result, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ÚJD) extended the deadlines for decisions on the issuance of permits for the commissioning of the third nuclear unit. Economy Minister Richard Sulík (SaS) expects the operation to be launched in late 2020 or early 2021. (SITA)
Claims for pandemic care for a family member (OČR in Slovak) for schoolchildren will expire on July 1, and will continue only with confirmation from a doctor. The reason is that primary and secondary schools are closed during the summer based on the Education Act and not the emergency situation.
The new government managed the coronavirus pandemic from the medical point of view but has failed economically, ex-PM Peter Pellegrini said when commenting on the first 100 days of the new cabinet. At the same time, he said he will offer his deputy speaker of parliament post for the September parliamentary session, while other Smer renegades will give up their party membership and also their party posts.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Slovakia is offering information and practical help to all UK citizens who want to register their residence in Slovakia as of June 25. The practical information and IOM contacts are available at the Uknationals.iom.sk website.
The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) issued first-level warnings against storms for the whole of Slovakia that will be in place on June 26 and June 27.
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