The Government announced on Tuesday more measures for dealing with coronavirus. Most of them come into effect on Wednesay, March 25th:
-wearing face masks outside will be mandatory- any type of cover is accepted given the shortage of proper face masks.
- foodstores, drugstores, newsstands and pet food stores will be closed on Sundays for sanitation purposes
- shops will introduce special shopping hours for the elderly between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
- people should stand at least two metres from each other in queues
- body temperature will be measured at the entrance to hospitals, shops and other premises where people gather
- free-of-charge rail transport for students will be suspended during the period when schools and universities are shut down
- elderly should leave home only if it is absolutely necessary;authorities want the elderly to ask others for help and to cut out social contacts, including with family
- the Government has declared a state of emergency for social service facilities, such as care homes for the elderly
- day-care centres will cease their activities
- the Public Health Office will issue hygiene instructions for social facilities
- the police and army will be present in health facilities where problems occur
- every hospital will set up facilities for taking samples from patients without the latter having to leave their cars
- a ban on exporting medicines needed by the country
- compulsory preventive check-ups of employees are to be postponed
- three hospitals to be selected to deal with COVID-19 treatment exclusively, one in Bratislava, the second in central Slovakia and the third in eastern Slovakia
- state institutions will be able to make use of mobile-network providers' localisation services;this measure has to be first approved by Parliament, it will be discussed in a fast track procedure.
- the Government has asked towns and cities to set up telephone lines to provide food delivieries
- the Government will buy 200,000 test kits for COVID-19, not rapid-test ones
- an exemption for the provision of services by notaries and lawyers, legal time limits won't apply as of March 12th until April 30th
- no audits nor seizures of property allowed until April 30th
- public broadcaster RTVS should transmit a religious mass every day at 6 p.m. and should also broadcast educational programmes for children
- free-of-charge and purposeful SMSs for selected groups of the public
- the ban on organising public and cultural events to stay in effect until further notice
Those breaching the rule on closing facilities can be fined 20,000 euro.
