The aim of the new anti-pandemic measures, which were prepared by Slovakia's leading scientist in cooperation with the governments office, is to reduce mobility, slow down the spread of the coronavirus infection, prevent new coronavirus variants from being imported from high-risk countries and slow down the growth in the number of patients admitted to hospitals over the next three weeks. The resolution was approved by the Government at its online session on Sunday evening. If the desired effect of the measures fails to be achieved by March 21, a hard lockdown, shut down of production and closure of the country will be prepared.
In line with the new measures, wearing FFP2 respirators will be mandatory in shops and in public transport as of March 8 and in indoor public premises as of March 15. Home office should remain the norm; those whose work does not allow it must have a proof from their employer that includes the address where they work and the working time. The obligativity of a negative test result for going to work or for visiting other institutions (the list of exception stays unchanged) remains, its validity depending on the epidemiological situation of the particular district.
The exception enabling people to go to the countryside outside their residential districts if they have negative test certificate will be scrapped. The validity of all exceptions from the curfew will be limited to the time from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. During the night-time curfew between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. people will only be able to go to work or to visit a doctor in urgent cases.
Nursery and primary school attendance will only be possible for children of employees who have to go to work in person. Those tested positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to go shopping. The chief hygienist will scrap the current exception that enabled them to do so as of March 8.
A weekly sequencing of at least 500 randomly selected coronavirus-positive samples should be launched as soon as possible. All positive samples should be re-tested once every two weeks for the presence of mutations identified in Britain and South-Africa.
The vaccination strategy will be updated based on available data from clinical testing. The COVID automaton will also be updated in line with the adopted testing strategy and other measures. Moreover, the so-called COVID bonus will be introduced as financial compensation for all household members who must be quarantined due to coronavirus. It should motivate people to strictly adhere to quarantine. The so-called pandemic sickness allowances will be increased as well.
