Visits in Care Homes Permitted as of Dec 21, Negative Test Necessary

Bratislava, December 17 (TASR) – Visits in care homes will be allowed as of December 21 under the condition of presenting a negative result of PCR test for coronavirus (not older than 72 hours) or of an antigen test (not older than 24 hours), according to a decree of the Public Health Authority released on Thursday.

Nevertheless, individual care homes will be able to prohibit visits as part of their own system of measures.

“We’ve permitted visits in care homes during the holidays, as many residents haven’t seen their close ones for a long time due to the epidemiological situation. It’s been very hard for some of them to deal with this and it’s had a negative effect on them,” said chief hygienist Jan Mikas.

Meanwhile, there’s still a ban on visits in hospitals and until December 21 also in care homes, with the exception of priests giving the last rites, and people visiting their close ones in severe condition and dying people.

Regional public office offices can impose stricter or more moderate measures than the national ones on their respective territories.