Chief Hygienist Lifts Ban on Shopping for Elderly Outside Special Hours

Bratislava, April 24 (TASR) – During the coronavirus outbreak the elderly will again be allowed to shop also outside the special hours designated for them between 9-11 a.m. on work days after chief hygienist Jan Mikas had to face an avalanche of complaints, mainly from working elderly people, TASR learnt on Friday.

While the Government had only been using terms such as ‘strong recommendation’, Mikas said a few days ago that the elderly were actually banned from shopping outside the specially designated hours – a provision that was allegedly also part of an earlier ruling in force since March. Moreover, Mikas and later his spokesperson dropped hints of inspections and fines, without being more specific, apart from stating that fines wouldn’t be the goal.

“Nevertheless, we strongly request that the elderly should use the special shopping time, if possible, and not go to shops outside this time if it isn’t necessary,” stated Mikas’s Public Health Authority, adding that the elderly should ask someone else to do their shopping for them outside the special hours.