Experts Set to Discuss Situation with COVID-19 at Gov't Office on Tuesday

Bratislava, February 22 (TASR) – I’m inviting scientists and experts to the Government Office on Tuesday (February 23), Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) said at a press conference on Monday, adding that he wants them to discuss together how to stop the growth in the number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 or suspected of having contracted the infection.

The premier stated that the number of people admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 is growing in Slovakia, despite the curfew and the adoption of the COVID automaton.

“I’ll be asking the experts on Tuesday where the snag is. I expect an answer on how we should change the rules to stop the growth of new hospitalisations,” said the prime minister.
Matovic stated that for nine and a half weeks, a softer or stricter lockdown has been in force in Slovakia, and for two weeks the COVID automaton has been in place. According to him, the number of hospitalised with or suspected of COVID-19 has been growing steadily since the beginning of December. “We can’t stop it,” said the premier, adding that in the UK or Portugal, the increase has been reversed.

The prime minister claims that he heard the calls of some people as well as President Zuzana Caputova and he hasn’t been managing the pandemic in Slovakia since mid-December, adding that it has only been in the hands of experts in recent weeks. “The measures in place are only as proposed by experts and scientists. However, there is no fundamental difference. In hospitals we’ve reached caps in the number of the hospitalised,” said the premier.