List of Anti-coronavirus Measures Announced by Government on Tuesday

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) – The Government on Tuesday announced more measures for dealing with coronavirus.

The list of measures is as follows:

– the Government has declared a state of emergency for social service facilities, such as care homes for the elderly
– day-care centres will cease their activities
– the Public Health Office will issue hygiene instructions for social facilities
– wearing face masks outside will be obligatory
– groceries, drugstores, kiosks and pet food stores will be closed on Sundays for sanitation purposes
– shops will introduce special shopping hours for the elderly between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
– people should stand at least two metres from each other in queues
– temperatures will be measured at entrances to hospitals, shops and other premises where people gather
– free-of-charge rail transport for students will be suspended during the period when schools and universities are shut down
– the police and army will be present in health facilities where problems occur
– every hospital will set up facilities for taking samples from patients without the latter having to leave their cars
– a ban on exporting medicines needed by the country
– compulsory preventive check-ups of employees are to be postponed
– three hospitals to be selected to deal with COVID-19 treatment exclusively, one in Bratislava, the second in central Slovakia and the third in eastern Slovakia
– state institutions will be able to make use of mobile-network providers’ localisation services
– pensioners should leave home only if absolutely necessary
– the Government has asked towns and cities to set up telephone lines to provide food deliveries
– the state wants the elderly to ask others for help and to cut out social contacts, including with family
– the Government will buy 200,000 test kits for COVID-19, not rapid-test ones
– an exemption for the provision of services by notaries and lawyers, legal time limits won’t apply as of March 12 until April 30
– no audits nor seizures of property allowed until April 30
– public broadcaster RTVS should transmit religious masses every day at 6 p.m. and should also broadcast educational programmes for children
– free-of-charge and purposeful SMSs for selected groups of the public
– the ban on organising public and cultural events to stay in effect until further notice