Lockdown Starts in Slovakia on Saturday, All Non-essential Shops Shut Down

Bratislava, December 19 (TASR) – A lockdown came into force in Slovakia as of Saturday with all retail shops and outlets providing services being closed except for those necessary to meet basic needs, such as grocery stores, drugstores and pharmacies, Public Health Authority’s (UVZ) spokesperson Dasa Rackova has told TASR.

There are some exemptions from the lockdown. These include shops selling medical aids, opticians, newspapers stands, shops selling animal feed and veterinary clinics. Points serving to take over goods purchased via e-shops may also be open.

Exception also applies to shops selling vehicle spare parts, car and bicycle services, ski service and rental shops, outdoor shops selling fish and Christmas trees, and outlets of telecommunications operators.

Post offices, banks, insurance and leasing services, laundries, petrol stations, funeral and crematory services, as well as computer services can be open as well. Concerning taxi services, passengers may only sit in rear seats and not more than two in one row.

Restaurants can only serve as takeaway facilities. Hotel guests and visitors to ski resorts must be able to show a negative coronavirus test not older than 72 hours.

Meanwhile, UVZ announced that outlets that could hitherto operate under special conditions, such as swimming pools, fitness centres, theatres, cinemas and hairdresser’s, have been shut down as well.