On Wednesday, Prime Minister Igor Matovič strongly opposed the criticism coming from scientists, who do not support his idea of nationwide testing. While the scientific community calls on the Prime Minister to start massive vaccinations in Slovakia as soon as possible, Matovič replied that he cannot imagine how to start with massive vaccinations, when Slovakia currently has vaccines available for only a few percent of its inhabitants. He claims the only possible way out of the current situation is to do mass testing. Moreover, the Prime Minister told the scientists to come up with their own vaccines and stop getting involved in political games.
In reaction to these comments, the representatives of several scientific institutions have called on the public to trust scientists, stressing the importance of critical thinking and an expert discussion in the context of the pandemic and the spread of disinformation. "We call on everyone to incline towards rationality in these times of hardship and trust those who deserve expert status because of their experience, years of work, disciplined critical thinking and reliance on empirical evidence," stated the scientists. Moreover, they add that emotional statements will not be of any help in tough times, and the situation is too grave for people to belittle expertise.
The Slovak Medical Chamber also opposes the mass testing. Its president Marián Kollár stated on Thursday that it as important for the health-care sector to save material, personnel, financial and psychological strength. The Prime Minister Matovič claims that his mass testing plans will not require as much personnel as they did the first time, on the other hand, the Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď admitted on Wednesday, that Slovakia does not have enough test kits for countrywide testing.
