Defence Minister J. Naď: Slovak Armed Forces back Slovakia again, country-wide testing is excellent start line for continued shared responsibility of us all
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- Date: 09.11.2020
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As part of Op Shared Responsibility aimed at mass population screening for COVID-19, the Slovak Armed Forces have so far tested SVK citizens in three phases to break chains of transmission. In Slovakia’s first mass Covid testing pilot in Orava and Bardejov (23-25 Oct 2020), 140,976 people were tested for coronavirus, of which 5,599 (3.97%) were diagnosed positive. In Phase 2 (31 Nov-1 Oct 2020), 3,625,332 people were tested, with 38,359 positive cases, equating to 1.06% of all people tested. In the last phase (7-8 Oct 2020), 2,044,855 people turned out for a test, of which 13,509 (0.66%) tested positive.
The figures for test results were provided today by Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, saying that the data clearly shows that the Government’s decisions, including Slovakia’s mass population testing, have made a significant impact on the ongoing coronavirus situation in the country. As part of Op Shared Responsibility, a total of 5,811,163 tests have been performed to date, with 57,467 positive cases. To illustrate the efficiency of such testing, Prime Minister Igor Matovič presented a decline in COVID-19 positive cases in 45 “red” high risk districts. He used the data from the last two phases of testing to compare the test results. While 1,750,179 residents were tested and 25,811 positive cases were identified in these districts two weeks ago, the number of all people tested rose to 1,837,464 and the number of positive cases plunged to 11,477 this last weekend. In other words, incidence rates dropped from 1.47% to 0.62%, i.e. by nearly 58%. The testing in Orava and Bardejov, where all three phases of testing were completed, had even a deeper impact, with Námestovo and Bardejov districts reporting 88% and 74% drops in positive cases, respectively.
Reflecting on the three completed phases of Op Shared Responsibility, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “The Slovak Armed Forces backed Slovakia again. In a matter of days they managed to prepare the largest logistical operation in the history of Slovakia. I am immensely proud of every serviceman and servicewoman for their unbelievable performance – they worked hard, essentially, non-stop. Equally important, I take my hat off to all those who contributed to the success of this operation side by side with the Armed Forces – to all police officers, firefighters, rescuers, Financial Administration Authority staff, volunteers and particularly medical professionals, without whom this would be impossible.” He gave special thanks to local authorities for their incredible commitment towards a common goal. Instrumental to the success of the operation was the public’s supportive and responsible approach, for which he thanked the citizens of Slovakia.
The greatest deployment of personnel and equipment was evident in the second phase of the country-wide testing, as 40,000 soldiers, police officers, firefighters, rescuers, medical personnel, members of the Financial Administration Authority, local authorities and volunteers were committed to the operation. The entire operation cost a huge number of quality work hours by all those involved. The Slovak Armed Forces covered over 1,000,000km and transported around 6,000 tonnes of material. These are expected to rise, since the logistical part of the operation is still underway. 4,698 pieces of vehicles and equipment owned by all parties involved supported the operation last weekend alone.
As the head of the MOD noted, the outcome of Slovakia’s country-wide testing is an excellent start line for the continued shared responsibility of us all. “That’s why I want to call on people to think and act as if the lives and health of their close ones were at stake, and, indeed, they really are. Let us not spoil it,” concluded the Minister, saying that the MOD stands ready to further help curb the spread of COVID-19.
The figures for test results were provided today by Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, saying that the data clearly shows that the Government’s decisions, including Slovakia’s mass population testing, have made a significant impact on the ongoing coronavirus situation in the country. As part of Op Shared Responsibility, a total of 5,811,163 tests have been performed to date, with 57,467 positive cases. To illustrate the efficiency of such testing, Prime Minister Igor Matovič presented a decline in COVID-19 positive cases in 45 “red” high risk districts. He used the data from the last two phases of testing to compare the test results. While 1,750,179 residents were tested and 25,811 positive cases were identified in these districts two weeks ago, the number of all people tested rose to 1,837,464 and the number of positive cases plunged to 11,477 this last weekend. In other words, incidence rates dropped from 1.47% to 0.62%, i.e. by nearly 58%. The testing in Orava and Bardejov, where all three phases of testing were completed, had even a deeper impact, with Námestovo and Bardejov districts reporting 88% and 74% drops in positive cases, respectively.
Reflecting on the three completed phases of Op Shared Responsibility, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “The Slovak Armed Forces backed Slovakia again. In a matter of days they managed to prepare the largest logistical operation in the history of Slovakia. I am immensely proud of every serviceman and servicewoman for their unbelievable performance – they worked hard, essentially, non-stop. Equally important, I take my hat off to all those who contributed to the success of this operation side by side with the Armed Forces – to all police officers, firefighters, rescuers, Financial Administration Authority staff, volunteers and particularly medical professionals, without whom this would be impossible.” He gave special thanks to local authorities for their incredible commitment towards a common goal. Instrumental to the success of the operation was the public’s supportive and responsible approach, for which he thanked the citizens of Slovakia.
The greatest deployment of personnel and equipment was evident in the second phase of the country-wide testing, as 40,000 soldiers, police officers, firefighters, rescuers, medical personnel, members of the Financial Administration Authority, local authorities and volunteers were committed to the operation. The entire operation cost a huge number of quality work hours by all those involved. The Slovak Armed Forces covered over 1,000,000km and transported around 6,000 tonnes of material. These are expected to rise, since the logistical part of the operation is still underway. 4,698 pieces of vehicles and equipment owned by all parties involved supported the operation last weekend alone.
As the head of the MOD noted, the outcome of Slovakia’s country-wide testing is an excellent start line for the continued shared responsibility of us all. “That’s why I want to call on people to think and act as if the lives and health of their close ones were at stake, and, indeed, they really are. Let us not spoil it,” concluded the Minister, saying that the MOD stands ready to further help curb the spread of COVID-19.
