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Slovakia is launching a coronavirus testing campaign for all citizens over the age of 10 as the number of new infections increases, Prime Minister Igor Matovic said, according to AFP.
The tests will be free, Matovic told reporters, without specifying whether they will be mandatory, BTA reports.
The first phase begins next weekend in some regions of the country of 5.4 million inhabitants. The test campaign will take place mainly in late October and early November.
Slovakia reported the second highest number of new coronavirus infections in a day, amid the second wave of COVID-19, Reuters reported, citing the Ministry of Health.
Eleven people died yesterday from the disease, a record number in 24 hours, the agency announced today. Today six more people died, with a total of 88 deaths.
A record 2,000 new infections were reported Thursday, and 1968 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday.
Slovakia went through the first wave of a pandemic with one of the lowest levels of coronavirus infection, but the number of new cases has increased dramatically this month.
In the last 14 days, 269 cases were reported per 100,000 inhabitants, and according to this indicator the country ranks ninth in Europe according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic said today that the government has ordered 13 million so-called antigen tests, which give faster results but are not as accurate as standard PCR tests.
Slovakia is avoiding repeated comprehensive restrictive measures, as it imposed earlier this year, but restaurants will only be able to offer home-cooked food, the rules for wearing masks have been expanded, secondary schools are moving to distance education, meetings are they are restricting and several public places have returned. is closed.
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