Health Minister expects peak of COVID-19 cases in late October

The Head of the Health Ministry Vladimir Lengvarsky (an OLaNO nominee) stated after the Government meeting on Wednesday that he expects 2,500 to 3,500 people to test positive for novel coronavirus on a daily basis at the end of October. His ministry assumes the daily increase of hospital patients will stand at 150-250. The number of people admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 could reach 1,600, while 170 patients could need lung ventilation. "We expect a daily average of deaths of between 23-32 people and a total of 450-550 people in October," said Lengvarsky. Currently, Slovakia is at 19 percent of hospital occupancy, with big regional differences. While the Presov hospital stands at 44 percent of its maximum capacity, Nitra has only about seven percent. Last week, an average of 2,438 new COVID-19 cases occurred each day. Nonetheless, the Health Minister stated that in connection with the approaching All Souls' Day, and greater movement across the regions, he is not considering tightening up travel or introducing comprehensive testing.