By: V4 Agency
The head of state supports the immediate introduction of a nationwide lockdown after experts have warned that the healthcare system is on the verge of being overwhelmed due to the high number of infections.
Slovakia is currently in the worst situation in the world in terms of new infection cases relative to the size of its population, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova said after visiting a hospital in Bratislava on Tuesday. Hospitals have “reached the limit of their capacity”, with some already limiting access to medical services, she added. For this reason, the president has called for imposing a nationwide lockdown without delay to avoid a humanitarian disaster.
Slovakia mulled provisions requiring employees to prove twice a week that they have received the jab or recovered from the infection, or produce a negative test. The rules would have taken effect on Monday, but the decision-makers thought that the preparations preceding the regulation were insufficient.
Slovakia’s healthcare system was struggling with staff shortages even before the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis.
Only 46.8 per cent of the Slovaks have received the jab, the third lowest rate in the EU.
Epidemiological restrictions are expected to be tightened on Wednesday, but no concrete steps have been announced so far.