Adopted measures

Overview of measures adopted by the Central Crisis Staff of the SR and the Government of the SR.

GOVERNMENTAL MEASURES DURING EASTER

The government has decided to extend the state of emergency by limitation of freedom of movement by curfew. It is effective from midnight of April 8 to April 13 11:59 p.m. 

The curfew does not apply to:

  • usual way to and from work and trip for performance of business or other similar activity,
  • trip to the necessary extent aiming to purchase necessary basic life needs, i.e. purchase of foodstuff, medications, medical tools, hygienic ware, cosmetics and other drugstore goods, feed and other needs for animals, arrangement of care for children, pets, or fuel refill,
  • trip aimed to arrange necessary life needs (listed in the previous bullet) for another person within a district (within the city for Košice and Bratislava), i.e. voluntary work or neighbourhood assistance,
  • trip to a health care facility for an urgent examination including accompany to a close person or relative,
  • stay in countryside within a district; within the city for Košice and Bratislava,
  • trip to funeral of a close person.

STATE OF EMERGENCY

  • The Government of the SR declared STATE OF EMERGENCY
  • The state of emergency applies to:
    • holders of licence for operation of medical rescue service,
    • holders of licence for operation of medical transport service,
    • Health Care Surveillance Authority (HCSA),
    • legal entities and natural persons that have a contract on provision of coroner’s examination with HCSA,
    • legal entities and natural persons operating funeral service,
    • Operational Centre of Medical Rescue Service of the SR,
    • Public Health Authority of the SR,
    • Regional Public Health Authorities,
    • social care facilities providing also health care.
      The state wants to protect its seniors who are the most vulnerable group in case of the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic discontinues the activity of day care centers and issues hygienic instructions for social care facilities.
      More here: Public decree – provision of social care services  

RECOMMENDATIONS AND ORDERS FOR CITIZENS

  • Obligation to wear a mask everywhere except homes.
    More here: Public decree – obligation to wear a mask
  • Keep distance of 2 meters in queues (both outdoors and indoors).
  • The Central Crisis Staff of the SR and the Public Health Authority of the SR recommend to the SR citizens to limit their mobility outside households to the necessary level – commuting to work, arrangement of basic life needs (arrangement of food, hygiene, medication, domestic social care, care of ill and dying persons), necessary visits of health care facilities.
  • The government asks parents not to give their children to the care of their grandparents due to the possible spread of the infection. The course of disease may be more complicated in older people.
  • Special opening hours in stores are specified for seniors over 65 years, namely from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • The Government of the SR and the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic ask seniors to leave their homes or apartments only in necessary cases due to the risk of COVID-19 disease. The state recommends seniors rather to ask others to help them, to eliminate social contacts with others, including their relatives. The government is ready to adopt also a lockdown for specific groups of people, if necessary.
  • The government asks seniors to use the public transport only in necessary cases.
  • The government will prohibit sale of respirators to the general public since they may be dangerous (an ill person using a respirator with exhale valve exhales infected air). Respirators will be available only for health care professionals.

QUARANTINE

  • All SR citizen returning from abroad to the territory of the SR is ordered to stay in quarantine (isolation) in facilities specified by the Ministry of Interior of the SR for a period necessary for performance of laboratory diagnostics of COVID-19. Failure to keep the mandatory quarantine can be penalised up to € 1,659.
  • Relaxing the conditions of quarantine measures, more here: Summary of changes (PDF, 450 kB) , Measure of the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic No. OLP/3353/2020 (PDF, 239 kB).

TRAVEL

On March 12, 2020, the Central Crisis Staff of the Slovak Republic adopted the following actions in relation to COVID-19 disease:

  • mandatory 14-day home quarantine from March 13, 2020, 7 a.m. until cancellation, for people with permanent or temporary residence in the Slovak Republic living in the territory of the SR over 90 days who returned from abroad, including people living in their common households. Penalty in amount of EUR 1,659 may be imposed for failure to keep the home quarantine. Persons returning from abroad are obliged to inform their general practitioner thereabout by phone or e-mail immediately after they have returned to Slovakia; the GP will decide on the home lockdown.

The action is not applicable to:

  • To monitor your health condition (sudden onset of at least one of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath) and in case of appearance, to contact your general practitioner and the regionally relevant Public Health Authority immediately by phone, and to undergo collection of biological material.
  • To abstain from social contacts (like visit of cultural, social, sports or other mass events, or admitting people or organising social activities in the place of the lockdown).
  • To abstain from travelling.
  • To abstain from participation in educational activities, except for e-learning forms.
  • To abstain from work activities, except from home office in the place of the lockdown.
  • To abstain from any activities that require leaving the lockdown location or admitting other persons in the lockdown location.

During this period, you are obliged:

  • truck drivers who enter the territory of the Slovak Republic to transfer, load or unload goods,
  • drivers and crews of medical transport service transporting a patient,
  • pilots of aircrafts who do not leave the board of the aircraft, except for performance of pre-flight and inter-flight preparation, at transit or return flights,
  • crew in river freight transport that enters the territory of the Slovak Republic to transfer, load or unload goods,
  • train drivers in railway freight transport who enter the territory.

STORES, SHOPS

  • Effective from March 16, 2020, 6 a.m. until cancellation, all retails stores and all services have been closed, except for:
    • stores selling food, meat, bread and breadstuff, fruits and vegetables, food for special dietetic purposes for infants and toddlers, and food for special medical purposes,
    • pharmacies, health care tools stores and dispensaries,
    • drugstores,
    • petrol stations,
    • newspaper stands,
    • stores with animal feed and veterinary offices,
    • prevádzok telekomunikačných operátorov,
    • telecommunication operator stores,
      public catering operations and fast food stands (without presence of the public),
    • postal, bank and insurance services shops,
    • internet stores (e-shops) and delivery services,
    • burial services, cemetery and crematory services,
    • car repair shops, tyre shops and tow services,
    • taxi services transporting things and goods,
    • laundries and dry cleaners’ shops.
  • From March 30, 2020, also the following stores, services and shops are permitted to be open:
    • opticians,
    • state technical inspection and emission inspection services,
    • leasing services,
    • bicycle stores and repair shops,
    • notaries and advocates,
    • building supply stores, garden centres,
    • haberdasher’s, drapery,
    • paints, varnishes,
    • electric installation services,
    • ironmongery, hardware stores,
    • waste collection yards,
    • computer and telecommunication technology services,
    • key services.
    • The state establishes a limit for the number of customers in a store; only one customer per 25 square meters of sale area may be present in the store.
    • The stores must arrange identical hygienic standards as food stores: masks, hand disinfection or gloves, distance of at least two meters, and low concentration of customer at any time.
    • Mandatory hand disinfection or disposable gloves at entrance, and obligation to wear a mask must be arranged in the stores.
    • The stores must arrange a minimum distance of at least two meters in queues at cashiers.
    • Shopping malls and large stores remain closed. Exception has been granted to food stores, drugstores and pharmacies in shopping malls
    • All stores will be closed on Sundays due to a sanitary day and for the staff to have a rest, exception has been granted only to emergency pharmacies and veterinary offices.
    • Body temperature measurement is recommended in stores and shops.
    • The ban on operation does not apply to municipal services and services of disinfection and regulation of animal pests.
      More here: Measure of Public Health Authority of the SR OLP/2595/2020 and Measure of Public Health Authority of the SR OLP/2596/2020.

GOVERNMENT, SELF-GOVERNMENT

  • Municipalities will establish telephone lines to order food delivery and other assistance for people who cannot go out.
  • The government shall propose a law based on which state authorities will be allowed to use localisation data of people submitted by mobile phone operators during the crisis.
  • The government starts all channels to inform the public about necessary measures as well as their promotional campaign.
  • The government will ask the director of RTVS to arrange a holly mass at RTVS every day at 6 p.m. Broadcasting of school spots and an online school at RTVS shall be arranged as well.

ECONOMY

FIRST AID for employees, companies and freelancers

  • The government will compensate 80% of employees’ salaries to the companies whose branches have been mandatorily closed.
  • The government will provide a contribution to freelancers and employees based on the decrease of company’s sales:
    • more than 20 % – 180 €
    • more than 40 % – 300 €
    • more than 60 % – 420 €
    • more than 80 % – 540 €
  • The government will provide bank guarantees in the amount of € 500 million a month.
  • Employees in quarantine and parents providing care for family members will be compensated with 55% of their gross salary for entire period.
  • Postponement of payment of mandatory contributions by employer in case of sales decrease of more than 40%.
  • Postponement of income tax prepayments in case of sales decrease of more than 40%.
  • Opportunity to offset the not yet applied losses since 2014, inclusively.

CULTURE, SPORTS

EDUCATION

HEALTH SERVICE

  • To avoid spreading of possible infection in the hospital environment, all visits in all hospitals in the territory of the SR have been prohibited.
    More here: Decree of the Public Health Authority of the SR
  • Effective from March 18, 2020, all health care providers are ordered to take necessary steps and actions leading to limitation of planned surgeries that do not endanger life and health of patients if not executed.
  • Based on hygienists’ order, body temperature shall be measured at entrance to hospitals, factories, starting on March 30, 2020.
  • Drive-thru sampling shall be established in front of each hospital. Those are coronavirus testing points directly from cars. Each such point can take 70 samples per day.
  • Soldiers and policemen shall take care of order in front of those hospitals where asocial people breach the peace.
  • The Ministry of Health will specify hospitals in eastern and central Slovakia and in Bratislava, one in each region, that will serve solely for treatment of COVID-19 disease. Whole pavilions shall be specified for this purpose in other hospitals.
  • Deadline for labour-related preventive examinations is to be postponed.
  • The Ministry of Defence identifies soldiers that may be trained for hospital attendants, if necessary.
  • The Ministry of Health shall negotiate with health care insurers to provide doctor’s offices with 75% of average payment they usually get also during the time with decreased number of patients.

CHURCH

  • In compliance with the measure of the Public Health Service Office of the Slovak Republic, public masses remain suspended also during Easter. Priests are allowed to celebrate ceremonies in churches and to arrange internet transmissions for people.
    Please find more in the Guideline of the Main Hygienist.
  • Guideline of the Main Hygienist of the Slovak Republic regarding serving the sacrament of reconciliation in individual cases.
    Please find more in the Guideline of the Main Hygienist.

AUTHORITIES

  • From Monday March 16, 2020, the client centres are open for three hours daily only.
    More here: Press Release of the Ministry of Interior of the SR
  • No execution or auction must be initiated until April 30, 2020
  • A draft act to allow notaries and advocates to work shall be negotiated in the accelerated legislative proceedings. For example to prepare a last will or defence.

TRANSPORT

  • Border crossings have been closed. The territory of the SR may be entered only by:
    • trucks transporting goods,
    • persons that can declare with an official form of stay – permanent and temporary stay – and valid travel document,
    • persons commuting to work in the territory of the SR from the frontier area; they must identify themselves with their ID card/passport, residence card, and confirmation from the employer/work contract.
  • International personal railway and bus transport, except for freight transport, is limited.

Railway Transport

  • Ministry of Transport, Construction, and Regional Development of the SR cancels free railway transport for students until schools are closed to avoid spending time by travelling.
  • International railway transport has not been operated from March 13, 2020, 7 a.m.
  • Domestic personal railway transport has been operated in limited scope from March 14, 2020. Železničná spoločnosť Slovenska (ZSSK) (train transport company) continues in regular disinfection of train wagons.
  • Also Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR) (railways of the Slovak Republic) disinfects areas of train stations.

Bus transport

  • Starting on March 13, 2020, 7 a.m., international bus lines from and to Slovakia have not been operated.

Truck freight transport

  • Truck freight transport is permitted in domestic and international lines aiming to provide for supplies for the public. (Professional) truck drivers must be equipped with protective tools that are to be provided by their employer.

River transport

  • Starting on March 13, 2020, 7 a.m., ships transporting people must not stop in ports situated in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Only transit through the territory of the Slovak Republic is permitted.

Air transport

  • Starting on March 13, 2020, 7 a.m., international air transport in all airports in the territory of the Slovak Republic has been interrupted.

POSTAL SERVICE

  • Slovenská pošta (Slovak Mail Services) will be operated in modified mode to assure provision of universal mail service – however, operation hours may be modified. All branches will be disinfected during the day.

SOCIAL INSURANCE AGENCY

  • Social Insurance Agency has simplified procedures of application both for insured party’s claim and the nursing benefit to limit personal contact of the public in the paediatric doctor’s offices and in the Social Insurance Agency branches. Just fill in the form on the website of Social Insurance Agency (www.socpoist.sk).

NATIONAL MINORITIES

Declaration of Commissioner of the Government of the SR for National Minorities

The presence of COVID-19 (coronavirus) disease means that Slovakia faces the greatest safety challenge in the recent decades.

On March 16, 2020, the government of the SR declared the state of emergency and adopted further measures to avoid spreading of coronavirus among inhabitants of the SR.

Spreading of the coronavirus requires specific measures and society-wide information campaign by responsible parties.

Therefore, the Commissioner of the Government of the SR for National Minorities has arranged translation of the basic information on coronavirus into the Hungarian, Roma, Rusyn, Ukrainian and German languages and, in cooperation with the Public Health Authority of the SR, this information was published on websites of respective regional public health authorities and sent directly to municipalities with Roma, Rusyn, Ukrainian and German inhabitants in the last week. On March 11, 2020, the commissioner asked the chairwoman of the Central Crisis Staff of the SR, Mrs. Denisa Saková, Minister of Interior of the SR, to consider respective provisions of the minority language act (Art. 4 (6) of Act No. 184/1999 Coll.) when informing the public in relation with the threat of the coronavirus; based on the mentioned act, information, signs and notices regarding a threat to life, health, safety or property of citizens shall be stated also in the minority languages for the public in minority municipalities (municipalities listed in the governmental decree No. 221/1999 Coll.).

Therefore, I ask public administration bodies (local state administration and municipalities), legal entities established by them (schools, cultural, healthcare and social facilities, etc.), legal entities (Social Insurance Agency, healthcare insurers, healthcare facilities, hospitals, retail chains – e.g. Tesco, Billa, Jednota, Kaufland, Lidl, ŽSR (railways), Slovenská pošta (Slovak Mail Services), etc.) and  natural persons – entrepreneurs to follow the law in the sense of the above mentioned and to publish all information, signs and notices in relation to the current extraordinary situation also in minority languages in minority municipalities.

Failure to meet this obligation is an administrative offence that can be penalised from EUR 50 up to EUR 2 500,-!

I believe that we will contribute to safety and protection of lives of our citizens by meeting this obligation and more efficient form of public information!