UVZ: People Heading to Slovakia Allowed to Test for COVID-19 Abroad

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - As of June 14, individuals from so-called green zone countries who tested negative for COVID-19 abroad will be exempted from mandatory quarantine upon their arrival to Slovakia, Public Health Office (UVZ) spokesperson Dasa Rackova reported on Thursday. The mandatory 14-day home isolation won't apply to the people from the countries on the green list with negative RT-PCR tests not older than 72 hours or negative antigen tests not older than 24 hours, provided that the antigen test was taken in Slovakia or a neighbouring country. The same exemption will apply to the vaccinated individuals, if they received their first dose 21 days ago at a minimum or those who overcame COVID-19 not more than 180 days ago. Individuals coming to Slovakia from red-zone countries will need to go into 14-day quarantine, which can be shortened by taking a RT-PCR test not sooner than on the eighth day with a negative result. The quarantine duty will apply also to the people who received vaccine against COVID-19 or overcame the illness, unless they have a permanent or temporary residence in Slovakia and work in the red-zone country. A transit via red-zone countries without any stop (aside from refueling stops) is not classified as a visit. Individuals arriving from black-zone countries must go into mandatory 14-day quarantine that cannot be ended early, even with negative RT-PCR test. "Exempt from the quarantine are only vaccinated individuals with a permanent or temporary residence in Slovakia and place of work in the black country," added the spokesperson. The same rules will apply for transit via black-zone countries as for the red-zone ones. mf