Despite complaints from entrepreneurs about the loss of tourists from abroad, Slovakia does not intend to relax its entry rules, according to which, with a few exceptions, only people vaccinated against Covid-19 will avoid quarantine. This was stated by the Slovak Minister of Health Vladimír Lengvarský. Bratislava will also allow vaccination against Covid-19 in all large-capacity centers without prior registration of applicants and will allow a combination of vaccines.
“This is a system to prevent the third wave. We do not plan to do anything about it yet. We do not anticipate major changes at the borders,” said Lengvarský.
For example, entrepreneurs in tourism in the High Tatras have previously pointed out that in connection with Slovakia’s epidemic measures, many guests from the Czech Republic and Poland have canceled their stays. The Slovak capital also reports a drop in the number of tourists. Czech portals and agencies offering accommodation in Slovakia have also recorded a significant decrease in interest in spending holidays in Slovakia. The Czechs have long been the largest foreign clientele of Slovak hoteliers.
“We record a decline in the number of tourists. Slovak citizens who stay in the country have plenty of opportunities for recreation at home. Unfortunately, the situation is not favorable in terms of the spread of the delta variant of the virus,” said Lengvarský.
Since Friday last week, Slovakia has required a two-week quarantine after entering the country in order to slow down the spread of a more contagious coronavirus mutation. The measure applies to all travelers who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19. During the transitional period, people who have already received a first dose of the vaccine or commute across borders for work are currently exempted from following this rule. The isolation time can be shortened after passing a Covid-19 test with a negative result. However, the test can be performed no earlier than on the fifth day after arrival. The Slovak opposition called on a constitutional court to review the quarantine regulation and suspend it until then.
Due to the weak interest of the population, Slovakia lags behind the EU average in Covid-19 vaccination. In the near future, according to Lengvarský, all large-capacity vaccination centers set up by the regional governments should start vaccinating applicants without their prior electronic registration. Some vaccination centers already introduced this method of vaccination over the weekend. The Minister also added that the country would allow the combination of vaccines against Covid-19.
Title image: The Slovak capital of Bratislava (pixabay.com)
