Slovakia loosening restrictions for unvaccinated Czechs

Residents of the Czech Republic will avoid quarantine when traveling to Slovakia from next week, even if they have a negative coronavirus test result. The Slovak government decided to change this by changing the so-called travel traffic light today, according to the statement of Prime Minister Eduard Heger. The current rule should be that the quarantine or coronavirus test will not be mandatory for people vaccinated against covid-19 who stayed only in the so-called green list countries, which also includes the Czechia, in the two weeks before entering Slovakia.

According to Heger, Slovakia will recognize the PCR test for coronavirus, which will not be older than 72 hours, the validity of antigenic tests will be 24 hours.

Bratislava started the mentioned relaxation of travel conditions to Slovakia, which will also apply to tourists from some other countries, shortly before the start of the summer tourist season. Before the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, Czechs were the largest foreign clientele of hotels and other accommodation facilities in Slovakia.

Back on Monday, Heger defended Slovakia’s cautious approach to the conditions for entry into the country in connection with the coronavirus infection. He reacted to the statement of the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who asked him to recognize the Czech tests for the covid-19 disease.

More detailed conditions for travel to Slovakia are set by the Office of the Chief Hygienist in the relevant decree.

At present, after arriving from abroad, Slovakia requires, with some exceptions, electronic registration from passengers and also entry into quarantine. After arriving from the Czech Republic and about about forty other countries with a favorable epidemic situation, this can be terminated by receiving a negative test for coronavirus. For example, people who have been vaccinated against covid-19, those who have had covid-19 in the last 180 days, and children and young people under the age of 18 do not have to go through quarantine if they have only stayed in the “green” countries in the last two weeks before entering Slovakia. . Workers in some professions, students and people who regularly commute across borders to work are also exempted from quarantine.