Whoever wants to enter Slovakia needs a negative PCR test from Monday, which must not be older than 72 hours. This is provided for by a statement published yesterday evening by the state health authority UVZ. The new rule also applies to travellers from Slovakia’s neighbouring countries Austria, Hungary and Poland as well as almost all other EU countries.
Without PCR test one may enter only from ten countries with low coronavirus risk. These include Finland and Greece as the only EU countries. Safe countries outside the European Union are China and Japan, for example.
Criticism of contradictory announcements
Contrary to recent announcements, rapid antigen tests used in nationwide mass testing in Slovakia are not accepted for border crossing. Therefore, the tests directly at the border crossings, which were originally planned to be available from November 2, will not be available. Exceptions from the testing obligation exist, for example, for commuters whose place of work and residence is no more than 30 kilometers from the next border crossing, as well as for students and professional athletes. They must, however, present appropriate confirmations of their activities.
Conflicting and daily changing announcements by the government and authorities had caused confusion right up to the end. Increasing criticism, not only from the media and the opposition, but also from the governing coalition, has been directed above all at the populist-conservative Prime Minister Igor Matovic, who repeatedly announced measures and rules on Facebook and at press conferences, which he then changed again himself.
hp, Source: ORF.at/agencies. Picture: pixabay.com
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