Slovakia reopens restaurant terraces and gyms

New conditions for crossing the country’s borders apply from today

Outdoor seating areas at restaurants as well as fitness centres reopen today across Slovakia, although the country as a whole is still in the dark red tier of its Covid automat alert system, reports The Slovak Spectator. Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced the decision last week in the presence of all coalition partners, so as to demonstrate unity in exercising pandemic control.

Pilot phase

Heger described the partial relaxation as a pilot phase during which the authorities will monitor closely how the epidemiological situation unfolds. At the same time, he called upon people not to let their guard down as the novel coronavirus spreads mainly after the face mask has been removed in both restaurants and gyms.

The number of new cases, hospitalisations and patients on ventilators keeps falling across Slovakia. What has marked a slight increase is the coronavirus reproduction number. As a result of the improved epidemiological situation, no district in Slovakia is in the black tier from 26 April. Dark red tier districts have dropped from the previous 27 to 22, while 52 districts are now in the red tier and 5 - in the light red tier.

Vaccination drive

More people are vaccinated, too, with 22 percent of all eligible for inoculation having received at least the first shot. In a speech on RTVS on Saturday evening, Heger proclaimed vaccination as the fastest way to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic within a relatively short period of time.

“Join the one million Slovaks who’ve already been vaccinated,” appealed Heger, stressing that when the pandemic began, people around the world were desperately longing for a vaccine so as to bring their life back to normal.

New conditions for crossing borders

As of today, 26 April, the distance limit for commuters from neighbouring countries extends from 30 to 100 kilometres, TASR reported, quoting a regulation issued by the Public Health Office (UVZ).

Persons who have a permanent or temporary residence in a neighbouring state within 100 kilometres from the Slovak border and work in Slovakia (the workplace is also 100 kilometres from the border) will no longer need to quarantine. However, they have to present a negative antigen or RT-PCR test not older than seven days. The new regime also applies to Slovak citizens living in a neighbouring country within 100 kilometres of an open border crossing.