PM: 2.95 million Tested for Coronavirus on Jan 18-26; 1.24% Positive

Bratislava, January 27 (TASR) – A total of 2,95 million people were tested as part of the countrywide ‘screening testing’ for coronavirus in Slovakia on January 18-26, of whom 36,547 (1.24 percent) tested positive, Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLANO) announced after an online meeting of the Central Crisis Management Team on Wednesday.

Matovic noted that the situation has worsened compared to the countrywide testing in late October and early November.

Meanwhile, 37 districts with the test-positivity rate exceeding 1.01 percent will see a second round of the screening. There won’t be a second round in Bratislava, for example.

The country’s worst result was posted by Dunajska Streda district (Trnava region), which is close to Bratislava, on 3.3 percent.

“This intervention was necessary,” said Health Minister Marek Krajci (OLANO), adding that the numbers of positives haven’t been going down despite a lockdown, which was introduced one week before Christmas and toughened as of New Year’s Day. Nevertheless, Krajci said that he believes that the screening will help to reduce the figures in hospitals and fatalities.

Krajci again recommended the public to wear respirators on public transport and refrain from talking in such premises. Matovic said that he’ll approach retail chains to sell FFP2 respirators without profit margins.

The health minister, meanwhile, said that he’s disappointed that the Public Health Authority still isn’t using Slovak test kits that could detect the British mutation known as the B117 lineage. However, the Public Health Authority’s head Jan Mikas reported that everything has been prepared and the test kits will be used soon.