Gov't Limits Stays in Countryside until 8 p.m., Bans Recreation Abroad

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) – As of Thursday (March 25), it will be possible to make use of an exemption for a trip into the countryside or to engage in individual sports within a district only between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., according to an amended government resolution approved by the Cabinet at its session on Wednesday.

The Government also completely banned foreign trips for recreational purposes until further notice by removing a gap between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. from the measure. Finance Minister and acting Health Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) explained that such ‘gaps’ might create fake motivations to travel abroad. “The idea of this restriction is that people should not travel abroad in order to prevent some unwanted gift in the form of a mutation that could cause big problems not only to them, but also to the whole nation, so we have closed this ‘window’,” stated Heger.

The Government also cancelled the unlimited time for trips into the countryside or engaging in individual sports within a district. The rest of the measure remains unchanged. In the case of Bratislava, the whole territory of Bratislava region is viewed as a single district, and the same applies to Kosice.

People in black districts still need negative test certificates no older than seven days or a certificate proving that they have recovered from coronavirus no older than three months if they want to go to the countryside. Those under 15, above 65 and those who have already been inoculated with the second dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 don’t need a negative test certificate.

Heger noted that Slovakia as a whole is still in black and called on people to adhere to measures.