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Slovakia will start the new year by tightening access restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus and, starting on January 1, people from different households will not be able to gather as part of a family visit, the Bratislava cabinet decided at a special meeting on Thursday night.
Also, people can only leave the counties of their residence in extremely justified cases. For the time being, the measures will remain in force until January 24.
“Unfortunately, many people come and go, visit each other and hospitals collapse,” Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic said.
According to the new regulations, hotels will not be able to accommodate new guests and the ski slopes will have to close.
Slovak news agency TASR, referring to Health Minister Marek Krajcí and National Medical Director Ján Mikas, said the exception to exit restrictions is business or work, if it is not possible to do it from home. Other exceptions are basic necessities, such as the purchase of food or medicine, banking or insurance services, emergency medical care or coronavirus testing, or the care of a close relative.
Churches will be closed, food will be prohibited in the open street, food can only be taken from restaurants for domestic consumption.
In Slovakia, with a population of 5.5 million, 179,543 people have been identified since the outbreak, of which 2,138 have died from the disease.
Krajci warned that the situation in Slovak hospitals is dire, if not totally critical. Currently, 2,672 patients are treated in institutions for coronavirus, while 3,100 with medical care. He estimates that by January 11, the number of hospital admissions could exceed 3,600. (MTI)
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