As of Wednesday at noon ten people have been confirmed as infected with coronavirus in Slovakia. The three patients with positive tests reported on Wednesday were in contact with the Slovak family living in Kittsee, Austria, who tested positive last week.
As part of preventive measures, the city of Bratislava has closed all its public institutions including museums, galleries, the zoo, libraries, swimming pools, tourist centres and stadiums, cancelling all events held in them for an unspecified time. As of Tuesday, all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Bratislava will be closed until the end of the week. Moreover, universities should be closed for two weeks.
As of Tuesday both Slovaks and foreigners with temporary or permanent residency in Slovakia returning from Italy, China, South Korea or Iran will have to undergo a 14 day long quarantine at home, the Slovak Government's crisis team decided on Monday afternoon. Those who do not respect this rule risk a €1,650 fine. All public, sporting and cultural events, including church services, are banned for the next two weeks too. There have been 7 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Slovakia so far. Those who have questions about coronavirus can contact the public health services at 0800221234, 0917 222 682 or 0918 659 580 or via email at novykoronavirus@uvzsr.sk.
DETAILS ON QUARANTINE AT HOME: All Slovaks and foreigners who have temporary or permanent residence in Slovakia (living here for more than 90 days or being employed here) who return from Italy, China, South Korea or Iran are required to notify their GP and paediatrician of this fact by phone or email immediately after returning to Slovakia. Doctors will then issue a decision placing them and people living in the same household with them in quarantine at home for 14 days. The only exceptions are airline pilots, truck drivers and healthcare personnel who transit these countries. Even these people must report any potential symptoms to their doctors ASAP.
Those on quarantine at home MUST respect these rules:
(a) monitor their medical condition (sudden onset of at least one of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath) and, in the event of symptoms, contact their GP by phone or email and the regional public health authority to be tested without delay (contacts: 0917 222 682, 0917 426 075, 0800 221 234)
(b) refrain from social contacts (eg visits to cultural, social, sporting or other mass events AND the admission of other people for social activities into the place of quarantine)
(c) refrain from traveling
(d) refrain from participating in teaching/learning activities, with the exception of e-learning forms
(e) refrain from going to work; work from home instead
(f) refrain from any action which requires leaving the quarantine site or receiving susceptible persons at that site. (eg. people who may be at higher risk such as elderly, those with a pre-existing chronic condition)
