CORONAVIRUS: Slovaks asked to reconsider travelling abroad

The Foreign Ministry warns all Slovaks intending to travel abroad to reconsider trips to countries with occurrences of COVID-19. The ministry also recommends travellers to pay close attention to their health and contact a doctor by telephone immediately if they develop any respiratory symptoms within 14 days of their return home. On Thursday, the Slovak Security Council convened a session where several measures were approved concerning the COVID-19 virus. On the same day, a crisis team met at the Interior Ministry, which, according to the Foreign Ministry, is tasked with monitoring and assessing the current situation related to the coronavirus on a daily basis. A permanent emergency team has been set up at the Health Ministry to deal with measures to contain a possible epidemic. This body will also be able to propose that the Government should declare a state of emergency in the country. The coronavirus poses a negative risk for the Slovak, European and global economies, Slovak Central Bank (NBS) Governor Peter Kazimir stated after a Government session on Thursday. At the same time, the Slovak Post Office, like mail delivery services in other countries, has stopped accepting items destined for certain locations in Italy due to coronavirus, after the Italian Post Office suspended its service to risk areas in the country. The Slovak Post Office has not been accepting post to China, Macao and Hong Kong as of early February, either, due to a massive reduction in flights to China operated by international carriers.