MOD has been deploying hundreds of service personnel to combat pandemic every day over past year
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- Date: 08.03.2021
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The Ministry of Defence has been continually deploying hundreds of service personnel to assist in combating COVID-19 over the past year. Under the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) requests, military personnel have been deployed to hospitals, border crossings, streets and testing sites to carry out assistance tasks in line with the requirements of the SVK Police Corps, local authorities and hospitals and in accordance with Government decisions.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Even today 737 military personnel are helping the Police Corps by manning 30 border crossings, going out on mixed patrols with members of police staff in 79 counties, and guarding 6 quarantine sites. Aside this, 588 service personnel are assisting in hospitals, at mobile testing sites and with regional public health authorities. A further 66 service personnel have been deployed to take on support medical tasks. All in all, 1,624 military personnel have been set aside for COVID-19 operations.” He emphasised that hundreds of military personnel have been assigned to fight the pandemic, going above and beyond their duties of providing State security and defence. “Of course, these continue to be delivered to a full extent,” he added.
On the readiness of the Slovak Armed Forces to help wherever needed, Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko said: “We've been doing this for almost a year and we remain committed to doing this into the future.” On the infection rates among soldiers, he said they correspond to the numbers of infected people in normal populations, stressing that, unlike them, soldiers are regularly screened for coronavirus. “By tracking the contacts of those infected, it is being confirmed that most of them are infected at home, which, despite undertaking tasks in high risk environments, proves that the measures in place are effective,” he concluded.
Under existing legislation, the Armed Forces can be deployed alongside police forces in order to undertake assistance tasks at the request of the Ministry of Interior. This interdepartmental collaboration has been ongoing on the basis of a Government decision since the outbreak of the pandemic, whereas the MOD is ready to meet such requests for assistance whenever possible.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Even today 737 military personnel are helping the Police Corps by manning 30 border crossings, going out on mixed patrols with members of police staff in 79 counties, and guarding 6 quarantine sites. Aside this, 588 service personnel are assisting in hospitals, at mobile testing sites and with regional public health authorities. A further 66 service personnel have been deployed to take on support medical tasks. All in all, 1,624 military personnel have been set aside for COVID-19 operations.” He emphasised that hundreds of military personnel have been assigned to fight the pandemic, going above and beyond their duties of providing State security and defence. “Of course, these continue to be delivered to a full extent,” he added.
On the readiness of the Slovak Armed Forces to help wherever needed, Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko said: “We've been doing this for almost a year and we remain committed to doing this into the future.” On the infection rates among soldiers, he said they correspond to the numbers of infected people in normal populations, stressing that, unlike them, soldiers are regularly screened for coronavirus. “By tracking the contacts of those infected, it is being confirmed that most of them are infected at home, which, despite undertaking tasks in high risk environments, proves that the measures in place are effective,” he concluded.
Under existing legislation, the Armed Forces can be deployed alongside police forces in order to undertake assistance tasks at the request of the Ministry of Interior. This interdepartmental collaboration has been ongoing on the basis of a Government decision since the outbreak of the pandemic, whereas the MOD is ready to meet such requests for assistance whenever possible.
