Krajci: We Want to Carry Out Screening Testing of Population for COVID-19

Bratislava, January 16 (TASR) – The Government wants to carry out screening testing of the population for COVID-19 in order to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus in Slovakia by 50 percent, Health Minister Marek Krajci (OLaNO) told a news conference on Saturday following the Government meeting.

The Cabinet is to hold another session on Sunday (January 17), where it is due to adopt a resolution and provide more details.

Krajci noted that the pandemic situation in Slovakia is bad. “We don’t want this situation here for a long time and we want to do our best so that we can breathe in and be able to open the country to a better life,” he said.

According to the COVID automaton, Slovakia is currently in the black phase. Krajci stated that it is the task of the Government to get Slovakia out of it as soon as possible and get the country to the red phase, where schools will be able to open.

Originally, a press conference was to be held after the end of the meeting, in the end, however, only the health minister provided a statement. According to Krajci, the talks at the Government were constructive.

At the meeting, the Government was set to discuss whether countrywide testing would take place in Slovakia. It is being promoted by Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) who announced the intention on Monday (January 11). Both Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and For the People are against state-wide testing and promote targeted testing in outbreaks and the most affected regions. Experts are also in favour of testing in the most affected areas, noting that countrywide testing in the current situation poses more risks than benefits.
The cabinet on Saturday only approved the allocation of up to 5,000 members of the Slovak Armed Forces who will help with testing of the population for the period until June 30, 2021.