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The Slovak government followed the example of neighboring Austria on Wednesday, ordering a two-week shutdown, as the country posted its largest daily increase in Covid-19 cases. The Slovak Prime Minister specified that the measures would be evaluated after ten days and that any relaxation would only involve those vaccinated.
Slovakia decreed a two-week general lockdown on Wednesday, in an attempt to quell the world’s fastest increase in Covid-19 cases. “The situation will be evaluated in ten days, and if an opening is allowed, it will be the vaccinated and the cured who will benefit from it,” Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger told a press conference.
The confinement, which will begin at midnight this Wednesday, means the closure of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. They will only open shops and services of first necessity. The schools for their part will continue to function, although the authorities do not rule out a closure, in the event that the contagion trend continues.
“The situation is serious”, according to the prime minister
For companies, the measures were also toughened. Anyone not vaccinated will have the obligation to take a Covid test to go to work from next Monday. In addition, starting at 8 p.m. there will be a curfew throughout the country.
However, this closure is not as severe as advised by a group of experts advising the Government of Slovakia. He proposed three weeks of confinement, including for the school sector.
“The situation is serious”, sentenced the prime minister. “We have come this far because the existing measures have not been respected. The defense of life and people is what has determined this decision,” Heger added.
Slovakia’s decision to return to lockdown comes after the government already imposed new restrictions on unvaccinated people this week. On Tuesday, President Zuzana Caputova also made an emotional speech, stating that the country was losing the battle against the virus and that lockdown was necessary.
World’s Fastest Increase in Infections
Adjusted for population size, Slovakia is experiencing the fastest increase in Covid-19 infections in the world, according to data from Our World in Data.
In the country, the number of hospitalized patients reached 3,200, a threshold that Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský described as “critical” for the country’s hospital capacity. Of that number of internees, 83% are not vaccinated. In fact, less than 50% of Slovaks are fully vaccinated, the third lowest rate in the European Union.
On that continent, records of coronavirus infections were broken on Wednesday, starting with the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Hungary, which reported new daily highs.
For its part, Austria has already confined itself again this week for at least ten days, becoming the first nation to reimpose such restrictions. It will also require the entire population to be vaccinated as of February 1.
With EFE and Reuters
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