When:
Saturday October 31st and November 1st from 7am to 9:30pm local time. There are two breaks included between 12-12:45 and 6-6:30 pm.
Who:
Everybody older than 10 should participate. Those who can't or do not want to attend have two options: self-quarantine until at least the following weekend (November 6th-8th when a second round of testing is scheduled to take place, but a final decision on this will be taken next week); or get an RT-PCR test from a private lab in Slovakia (done not earlier than October 29th). Other types of test for coronavirus are not taken into account. The result of the test has an impact on the free movement of people next week.
Those who have tested positive for Sars-Cov-2 in the past 90 days are exempted from taking part in the mass-testing (however, it is advised that any test results in a foreign language be translated into Slovak in case somebody asks for such proof.) Other exceptions are: oncological patients, people diagnosed with autism, those with serious immune deficiencies, those with mild or severe mental disabilities, and people who can prove they have a health condition that does not allow for testing - e.g. an injured nose - but they will need to have a medical report confirming the diagnosis.
If you live in a household with a person who did not attend mass-testing for various reasons but you did/or have a negative PCR test (see above) the restrictions on free movement do not apply to you, only to that person.
Attending mass-testing is not recommended for the elderly (over 65 years of age), but they will have to self-quarantine for the following period.
Where:
Please check the websites of your local town hall for details, as various organisational issues delays the publishing of a centralized list for the whole country. For Bratislava you can use this map.
How:
You can choose any testing site in the locality where you live. Foreigners must show their passport or a national ID card for EU citizens at the registration desk. There a staff member writes down your name, surname, date of birth, and passport/ID card number, and then gives you a number. You'll be asked to blow your nose and cough into a paper tissue before having a Q-tip inserted in your nasal cavity by trained health personnel who will collect a sample. Then you will be asked to go in another area to wait until your test is processed. This should take 15 to 30 minutes. Then your number will be called and you'll receive a sealed envelope containing the test result, and some instructions on what to do next. The test result will be written on a certificate that you're strongly advised not to lose, as this is the proof you'll need afterwards in order to be allowed to move about "freely".
What's next:
In the case of a NEGATIVE result, you are asked to continue to respect hygiene norms and social distancing. You are asked to attend the second round of mass-testing which will be held the following weekend (November 6th-8th - this round of testing is scheduled to take place, but a final decision on it will be taken next week). A negative test result does not automatically mean you are not infectious, as the antigen test will not detect an early onset.
In case of a POSITIVE result - you are to:
· Self-isolate (at home or somewhere else, e.g. in a hotel listed as alternative accommodation for such situation: Holiday Inn Trnava, Penzion Senec, Hotel Alexander -Bardejovske kupele, Holiday Inn Zilina, Penzion Zefir Bojnice).
· Inform your GP (and paediatrician in case of a minor) by email or phone and ask her or him for a sick note in case you need one eg. if you can't work from home. If you do not have a GP in Slovakia inform the local branch of the public health office (RUVZ).
· Contact those with whom you came into contact in the past 2 days prior to testing, who will then have to self-quarantine for 10 days or until they get a negative PCR test result.
·Monitor your health (including measuring and writing down your body temperature every day) and if you have symptoms then contact your GP or the local public health office (RUVZ). If you do not have a GP in Slovakia, call the ambulance (112) PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO TELL THEM that you have a positive test result.
· You can ask for a PCR test, and in case of a negative result you can end your self-isolation.
· Otherwise if you do not have any symptoms you can end your self-isolation after the second round of testing in case it happens (which you should not attend), but not earlier than 10 days since testing positive if you did not have any symptoms in the past three days; it's better to check it with your GP or the local public health office to avoid any misunderstanding.
If one family member or a person living in shared accomodation with others tests positive and all the rest are negative - then she or he has to isolate from the rest of the family inside the house, if this is possible, or go somewhere else (e.g. a family holiday house, or a hotel that accepts such guests).
Those family/household members testing negative will self-quarantine. If the positive person can be completely isolated from the rest (eg. if you do not share anything not even the bathroom and the kitchen) the rest can end the self-quarantine either after they've received a negative PCR test result with the conditon of having no contact with the one who tested positive until that person ends self-isolation; or after 10 days if they have no symptoms.
If it's not possible to completely isolate the person who tested positive then they will all self-quarantine until that person ends her/his self-isolation.
During self-isolation you are allowed to travel only to a medical
facilitiy in case of an emergency (INFORM them you tested positive for
coronavirus) and to a testing site in case you have a follow-up PCR
test. Respect hygiene rules while in self-isolation or self-quarantine.
Borders:
The regime currently in place at Slovakia's borders will not change. Travellers to Slovakia must respect a set of rules depending on the countries they visited in the past 14 days prior to arriving in Slovakia.
Legal issues:
In case you do not want to attend the mass-testing and do not have a PCR test you will have to self-quarantine, and will decide together with your employer whether you are permitted to work in home office regime or must take holiday. You are not permitted to take a so-called "coronavirus sick leave" for this period, and you are not automatically entitled to paid leave if you do not use your regular holidays.
You can learn more about the rules on personal data protection here.
For more information (in Slovak only) you can access the official site of this mass-testing event.
