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Coronavirus: Bratislava like Wellington, few cases and death

Thanks to the respect of rules, local media, and masks

07 July, 12:27
(ANSA) - BRATISLAVA, 07 LUG - Slovakia is an "island of happiness" in terms of total confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The country has proved to be the best, in terms of management of the coronavirus crisis, among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Europe as a whole.

According to ANSA calculations based on data collected every day by the World Health Organization (WHO), Slovakia recorded 1,764 coronavirus cases until July 6 (324 per million inhabitants), and only 28 deaths (5 per million). In comparison, Belarus, which recorded the highest number of cases per million throughout eastern Europe, reached 6,696 cases per million as of July 6, whereas Italy recorded 576 deaths per million, Germany 108. Bratislava achieved excellent results, which could be due to the rapid reaction of the authorities even before the country declared its first COVID-19 case.

Authorities imposed the temperature control at the main airport in the capital city at the end of February, the closure of schools in early March (also favored by pressure from national university institutions, experts and civil society) the quarantine for those returning from abroad, the state of emergency and the restrictions on movement. Bratislava then suspended all these measures as the virus spread decreased, with the infection curve put under control since late April.

In Slovakia, things went better because the population respected the rules and impositions dictated by the state, Foreign Policy had already pointed out in May. Even local media did a good job, especially as regards the use of masks, which has become a "must" for politicians, journalists, VIPs, and ordinary people very soon.

Even in Bratislava, however, one must be careful. In the past week, total cases of infections rose from around 1,600 to nearly 1,800. Local media reported that the source of infection had been traced back to a sports campsite, where two trainers could have passed the virus on to some kids. There is no state of emergency declared in other Eastern countries, especially in the Balkans, but also in Ukraine.

According to ANSA calculations, the percentage growth of total infections every week, based on July 7 calculations, has been particularly high in the last week in Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Croatia, and Ukraine. In Germany, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, and Estonia, the weekly percentage increase was instead between 0% and 5%. In Central and Eastern Europe, the number of deaths is also growing, especially in countries such as Kosovo Albania, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia. (ANSA).

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