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LOCKDOWN in Slovakia – Update of Measures from 1 January 2021

2 January, 2021

Source: FB Polícia SR / Translation: Xenia K.

Articles related to  Coronavirus situation in Slovakia are translated from official public sources, we are not the authors of the content.

Please forgive us any grammar inaccuracies. Due to lack of time, these articles are not proofread by a native English speaker.  Thank you for understanding.

 

Source: FB Post by the Slovak Police, dated 01 January, 2021

State of emergency has been extended for other 40 days.

Gathering of more than 6 people is prohibited, except for people of the same household.

 

CURFEW

The stricter measures apply from 1. 1. 2021, 5.00 a.m. and are to be applied provisionally until 24.1.2021.

Exceptions to the curfew:

  • From 01:00 till 05:00 a.m.
  • Travel to and from work, including business and similar activities, if it is not possible to work from home
  • Travel to the nearest grocery shop, pharmacy, medical supplies, pet food store, petrol station, post office, bank, insurance company, dry cleaning service, car repair, and travel to care of the relatives
  • Travel to the urgent health examination and/or PCR/Ag testing
  • Travel to attend a funeral
  • Pet walking
  • Outdoor activities in nature within the district of residence

Exemptions from the curfew which have been repealed:

  • All ski resorts will be closed from midnight 1.1.2021.
  • Churches will be closed.
  • Hotels may not accept new guests. Already accommodated guests are allowed to stay but they must not extend their stay.
  • Only takeaway food is allowed, eating outdoors (terrace, outdoor tables and similar) is prohibited.
  • Outdoor activities in nature remain allowed, but limited to the district of residence.
  • Employees must work from home, unless the nature of the job requires their presence at work.
  • After the „social bubble“ is divided, meetings between the households are prohibited.

 

FACE MASKS and fines:

From 15.10.2020 it is mandatory to wear a face mask outdoors as well as indoors for all persons over the age of 6.

Exceptions:

  • Children up to the age of 6 (wearing masks for children of the age 3-6 is recommended).
  • People when being outdoors, outside the built-up areas, distancing at 5 meters from each other.

Fines for violating the rules on wearing face masks amount up to 1.659€.

Foreign Police Departments will not handle any clients from 21.12.2020 until further notice. Booked clients will have to rebook the slots through the online reservation system.

During emergency, the validity indicated on the documents do not apply (except for passports). Validity of the documents shall be automatically extended until 4 months after the end of emergency, extraordinary situation or Covid-19 pandemic related emergency.

 

ARRIVING FROM ABROAD

Mandatory quarantine does not apply if you are returning from less risky countries listed below:

Australia, China, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Norway, New Zealand,  Singapore, Taiwan.

If you are returning from the EU country not listed above (including Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), you are subject to mandatory quarantine and to the following procedure:

At the latest upon entering the Slovak republic, register yourself online using the following link:

https://korona.gov.sk/en/ehranica/

Isolate yourself at home (also applies to the household members).

After coming from „red countries“ it is no longer required to report yourself to the Regional Public Health Office, but only to your general practitioner.

At the earliest on the 5th day after your return, undergo the PCR test or remain at home for altogether 10 days (if you do not have any symptoms, the quarantine will end after 10 days).

OR

Enter the Slovak republic with a negative Covid-19 test result not older than 72 hours

OR

If you have only stayed in the EU countries + Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Great Britain, Switzerland, you can enter the Slovak Republic with a negative Covid-19 Antigen test result not older than 72 days, which was performed in Austria or Czech Republic.

Children under the age of 6 do not have to undergo the Covid-19 testing (unless decided by the Regional Public Health Office or general practitioner). The quarantine ends for them at the same time as the quarantine of adults from the same household does.

If you are returning from a country outside the EU or from a country not listed above, you are subject to compulsory quarantine and you have to respect the following process:

At the latest when entering the territory of the Slovak republic, register yourself online using following link

https://korona.gov.sk/en/ehranica/

Isolate yourself at home (also applies to household members).

After coming from „red countries“ it is no longer required to report yourself to the Regional Public Health Office, but only to your general practitioner.

At the earliest on the 5th day after your return, undergo the PCR test.

From 21.12.2020 there is a mandatory quarantine for everyone who comes from Great Britain. The quarantine can be finished only after passing the Covid-19 PCR test with a negative result, which is taken at the earliest on the 5th day after arrival in Slovakia. Everyone coming from Great Britain must register online under the following link

https://korona.gov.sk/en/ehranica/

immediately upon entering the Slovak republic.

 

EXEMPTIONS FROM MANDATORY ISOLATION/TESTING

In the case of returning from abroad, there are several exemptions from mandatory isolation or testing. Here are the main exceptions:

  • Persons with permanent/temporary residence in Slovakia, who are the EU citizens and recovered from Covid-19 in the last 3 months
  • Persons who stayed in the „green country“
  • Truck drivers, bus drivers, pilots, railway workers, sea-farers, paramedics (transport of patients, organs, blood)
  • Employees of funeral services in the transport of human remains
  • Persons going for a health check and their accompanying person
  • Transit of persons into the territory of another state without stopping (except refueling)
  • Persons with valid decree on alternating child care when travelling for minors
  • Other specific professions and reasons set out in the public notice

 

NEW: ACCOMPANIMENT ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT

Persons who transport other persons to international airports in Czech republic, Austria, Hungary, Poland must register themselves online when leaving Slovakia using following link:

https://naletisko.mzv.sk

The printed version of this registration has to be presented to the policeman in case of inspection as well as the electronic flight ticket of the transported person.

They may drive through the territory of the EU countries without stopping, except for refueling and boarding/dropping off the transported person.

 

COMMUTERS CROSSING THE BORDER

If you cross the border regularly, you can also prove yourself by Covid-19 tests performed abroad.

Persons regularly crossing the borders of the Slovak republic are understood to be Slovak and foreign commuters, Slovak citizen living close to the state border area of the neighbouring states, pupils and students, people caring for close relatives, agricultural operators within max 10 km from the state border, artists and other cultural workers who have an exemption from home isolation and subsequent testing.

Commuters are currently required to prove a negative Antigen on PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival in Slovakia. The test must not be older than 14 days.

Checks on the borders are random.

Persons who have a permanent/temporary residence in Slovakia can come to work in a neighbouring state without being tested, but they are obliged to prove themselves by a confirmation about their employment, the form is available under the following link:

https://www.uvzsr.sk/docs/info/covid19/formular_pendleri.pdf

Persons who have a permanent/temporary residence in border areas of a neighbouring state within 30 km of an open border crossing, are allowed to enter Slovakia without being tested, but they have to prove an employment and present a negative Antigen test performed either in Slovakia, Austria or Czech Republic.

All Slovak citizens who live in a border area but are not employed, can travel to Slovakia without any restrictions.