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Slovakia launched a nationwide second stage of testing for the coronavirus on Saturday, after a first wave of testing revealed that more than 1% of the 3.6 million people tested tested positive.
“We have practically discovered an atomic weapon against COVID-19,” Prime Minister Igor Matovic told reporters on Friday, praising the high turnout in testing last week.
“I think that if we reach a participation of two million, we can all congratulate ourselves,” said the president.
Antigen tests give quick results, sometimes in minutes, but they are not considered as reliable as PCR tests, in which nasal swabs must be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
1% of the population infected with Covid-19
Last weekend, 3.625 million people were tested for antigens, of which 38,359 people, or 1.06%, tested positive, out of 5.4 million people in the EU.
On Saturday, screening takes place in 45 of the 79 districts of Slovakia with the highest percentage of positive cases.
More than 2,700 projection stations are open between 08:00 and 20:00 local time.
“The situation regarding the new coronavirus is improving in Slovakia,” Health Minister Marek Krajci said on Friday, highlighting the positive effect of reduced mobility.
Slovakia declared a state of emergency on October 1 for 45 days.
