Matovic: Either Lockdown, or People Will Do Something to Avoid It

Bratislava, October 21 (TASR) – Given the current epidemic and its development, Slovakia has two options: either a nationwide lockdown, or people will do something that will allow the country to avoid a lockdown scenario, Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) stated on Wednesday after the Government session.

According to Matovic, the pandemic situation in Slovakia has been developing in a way that is similar to the one that can be observed in the Czech Republic, and Slovakia can expect spikes of thousands of new daily coronavirus cases if no strict measures are adopted. “If we don’t pull the handbrake, we’ll reach the point in which the Czech Republic is now or the Italian city of Bergamo was in the spring, and we’ll have make decisions on whom to save and whom to allow to die in the end,” warned Matovic.

The premier noted that it will up to epidemiologists to decide whether Slovakia should follow the path of mass testing or a lockdown. A lockdown would be “the absolute last resort”, but the premier stated that Health Minister Marek Krajci (OLaNO) is in favour of “hitting the brakes very soon”.

Should a lockdown take place, it would shut down all non-essential holdings that aren’t necessary for infrastructure to function, and it would also concern people’s movements. Matovic estimated that it would have to last for at least three weeks. At the same time he noted that a three-week lockdown would cause economic damage worth €2 billion.