Slovakia: Government to declare state of emergency October 1 /update 11

Event

The Slovak government has announced that it will declare a state of emergency on Thursday, October 1, due to an increase in cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The emergency will be in place for at least 45 days and will allow the government more powers to implement stricter measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. Despite this, the government has not yet announced a return to the full lockdown measures previously seen in the country. The country's previous state of emergency was declared on March 16 and lasted until June 14.

Slovak authorities announced on September 28 enhanced restrictive measures to combat COVID-19 infections in the country. The new measures, set to go into effect from Thursday, include prohibiting many outdoor gatherings including all family, sports, cultural, and religious events. Exceptions to the mandate include weddings, baptisms, and funerals, as well as for players of sporting competitions providing that all involved test negative for COVID-19 in the preceding 12 hours. Additionally, all bars, restaurants, and clubs are required to close at 22:00 (local time).

As of October 1, authorities have confirmed 10,141 cases of COVID-19 in the country and 48 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected over the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, or a rash on the skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.