Matovic: COVID-Automaton to Enter Into Force as of Monday
Bratislava, February 5 (TASR) – The COVID-automaton, introducing automatic measures against the spread of coronavirus according to the severity of situation, will enter into force as of Monday, Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) announced after an online meeting of the Cabinet on Friday.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Marek Krajci (OLaNO) announced that a certificate of negative test for coronavirus won’t be required from people going to work, for example, as of Monday, as originally planned, but as of Wednesday (February 10). The entire Slovakia is currently in black, when viewed from the perspective of the COVID-automaton due to enter into force as of Monday, with mass testing scheduled each week. However, if the situation in any region improves, the periodicity of testing in these regions could be once in two or three weeks, said Krajci.
However, if someone travels to work by public transport, bus or train, they will have to be tested every seven days, said Krajci. This applies to the entire territory of Slovakia, that is also to districts with a better epidemiological situation.
Turning to schools, the health minister said that they won’t be allowed to reopen as of Monday in districts that are in black in terms of the coronavirus spread.
As for the vaccination of teachers, Krajci said they will vaccinated with the first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that are set to come to Slovakia next week, adding that these will be mainly those who teach in person at schools.
Speaking about the British mutation of coronavirus known as the B117 lineage, the minister stated that it has been found in 74 percent of almost 2,000 samples examined recently in Slovakia. The samples were taken on Wednesday. “It’s spread throughout Slovakia,” added premier Matovic.
Krajci further said that a negative test for COVID-19 will no longer be needed for people to go for a walk in natural surroundings within their district. Nature trips to other districts will also be allowed but people will have to be able to show a test with a negative result.
