PRAGUE (Reuters) – Slovakia on Wednesday ordered schools and most shops closed for at least three weeks from Dec. 21 as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise.
The central European country also ordered outside seating at restaurants to end from Dec. 11, only allowing take-away.
It introduced a requirement to show negative COVID-19 tests at hotels and ski lifts from Dec. 14 and ordered regular testing at large companies to start from Dec 28.
“Unfortunately the situation has been worsening in the past days and it will continue to worsen in the coming days,” Health Minister Marek Krajci said at a news conference.
“This Christmas holiday will be a test for our health system.”
Prime Minister Igor Matovic said the restrictions would be lifted regionally depending on the local situation.
Shops selling food and other basic goods will remain open. Hotel restaurants will be closed.
The European Union country of 5.5 million temporarily reduced the number of cases through two rounds of nation-wide testing at the end of October and start of November, but numbers of infections have crept up again to 2,564 on Tuesday.
Overall, the country has recorded 121,796 cases and 1,038 deaths.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alexandra Hudson)
