The so-called smart quarantine - as an alternative to the compulsory quarantine at state facilities currently in effect for residents of Slovaks returning to the country from abroad - could be launched on Friday if tests continue to go well, said Prime Minister Igor Matovič (OLaNO) and permanent crisis management team member Ján Backuliak at a press conference on Tuesday. The new system, however, which involves monitoring those in home quarantine via a smartphone app, will be voluntary, with the compulsory quarantine in place at state facilities continuing for the time being. People who don't possess a smartphone won't be able to opt for smart quarantine. The app, which will be based on biometrics, will at irregular times require users to demonstrate that they're really at home, with any failure to do so being reported automatically to the Public Health Authority. "The person in question will be able to explain, for example, that they were taking a shower," said Backuliak.
Meanwhile, Matovič insisted on preserving the border closure in order to "protect the people and the fortified line on the borders from dragging the virus back to Slovakia". Matovič didn't say whether Slovakia plans to open its borders as of 15 June, adding that much will depend on how well other countries are doing with the coronavirus. At the same time, he noted that it will be a consilium of experts who decide on this matter, not individual ministries.
