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More than 3.6 million Slovaks, two-thirds of the population, participated in a widely viewed nationwide coronavirus testing program over the weekend, with 1.06% testing positive for the disease.
The plan to test most of a country in two days is being studied by other nations looking for ways to curb the virus and avoid overwhelming their health systems.
A total of 38,359 people, or 1.06%, of those who participated tested positive and should be quarantined, Prime Minister Igor Matovic said at a press conference.
“I deeply believe that this solution will work in Slovakia on the condition that those who have been certified as negative will continue to act responsibly, and those who test positive will remain in quarantine with their families,” he added.
The prime minister has been pushing the program as a decisive way to slow the spread of the virus and avoid a widespread lockdown.
It has faced opposition from some experts who say that the antigen tests used by Slovakia, which are faster but less accurate than standard PCR tests, are better suited for specific programs and need to be run with other measures.
Mr. Matovic said the government was aware of those concerns, but felt that even a 50% success rate in revealing infected people would help.
Children up to 10 years old were exempt and the tests were voluntary for others, but people who chose not to participate must go into quarantine.
Merkel urges compliance with new restrictions
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged people to comply with the new restrictions to help bring about a “sea change” in the fight against the worsening pandemic.
“We depend on the cooperation, acceptance and understanding of the people of our country for this to work,” Merkel said on the first day of the four-week closure of restaurants, cultural and leisure centers.
“It is in everyone’s hands to make this November a joint success, a radical change,” he told reporters.
He also said that Germany is still far from the end of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that Germans will have to limit their contact with each other during the winter months.
“During the winter months, we will have to limit private contacts,” he told a news conference.
“The light at the end of the tunnel is still quite far.
The chancellor has ruled out big year-end parties this year, but said families should be able to celebrate Christmas together, with the necessary precautions.
“It will be a Christmas under the conditions of the crown, but it should not be a lonely Christmas,” Merkel said.
Germany has led a further tightening of coronavirus restrictions in Europe that have sparked anger and frustration across the continent, while the Covid-19 crisis in the United States deepened.
Germans will not be confined to their homes, but bars, cafes and restaurants must close, as well as theaters, operas and cinemas.
The virus has infected more than 46 million people worldwide, with nearly 1.2 million deaths, and acute outbreaks in Europe and the Americas have raised further alarm about the state of the already devastated global economy.
England braced for new stay-at-home orders, following in the footsteps of Austria, France and Ireland, with many expressing anxiety over the economic cost of the four-week shutdown that takes effect from Thursday.
Tighter blocking rules were also put in place for Belgium, which has the highest number of Covid-19 cases per capita in the world. Portugal also ordered a partial lockdown starting Wednesday.
In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex said supermarkets will not be able to sell “non-essential” items starting tomorrow to protect small traders who have been forced to close.
Spain has already imposed a night curfew and almost all its regions have implemented regional border closures to prevent long-distance travel.
The Italian government is expected to announce new restrictions today, according to press reports, with the health minister pushing for a nationwide shutdown.
The threat of the virus was further illustrated when the director of the World Health Organization announced that he would self-quarantine after someone he had been in contact with tested positive.
“I am fine with no symptoms, but I will self-quarantine in the next few days, in accordance with @WHO protocols, and will work from home,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet, emphasizing the importance of complying with coronavirus guidelines .
Latest coronavirus stories
But the continued tightening of rules and restrictions on viruses has sparked anger in people tired of confinement and painful financial costs.
That frustration has sparked protests in many parts of the world, especially in Europe, some of which have sparked violent skirmishes with the police.
Protesters in several Spanish cities clashed with security forces for a second night on Saturday, police said, with vandalism and looting breaking out in parts.
There has already been violence in several Italian cities, as well as in the Czech capital, Prague, recently.
The unrest over virus restrictions has not been limited to Europe.
On Saturday, riots broke out in several Argentine prisons, as prisoners demanded the resumption of visits during the pandemic.
The health situation is also deteriorating in the United States, which is preparing for the electoral showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden tomorrow.
It is the worst affected country in the world with 9.2 million infections and more than 230,000 deaths, and the pandemic has been front and center during the bitter election campaign. With the cases increasing again, experts have warned of further devastation.
The government’s top scientist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told the Washington Post in an interview that the United States is “in danger.”
In Mexico, yesterday parades were canceled and cemeteries were closed during the Day of the Dead festival, in which people normally decorate their houses, streets and graves of relatives with flowers, candles and colored skulls.
Many recalled those who have passed in the privacy of their homes, as authorities urged people to avoid gatherings.
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