Slovakia has shut all of its stores in the government’s latest move to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For two weeks beginning March 16, only groceries and pharmacies will be allowed to remain open following the prime minister’s decision to declare a state of emergency for the entire country. The move gives the administration increased powers over the country’s healthcare resources as it prepares for a worsening of the situation. As of March 15, the country had 61 confirmed cases of people infected with coronavirus. Prime minister Peter Pellegrini said it was likely that production at the Volkswagen plant outside Bratislava would have to be halted. This would be a serious blow to the economy as the plant is the largest employer in the country. Previously the government had gone only so far as to ban all public sporting and cultural events while closing amusement parks, swimming pools as well as all international travel, whether by ground or air. Only Slovaks or people with resident permits are being allowed over the border and this is on condition that they spend two weeks in quarantine. “For the moment, we’re succeeding in limiting the number of patients to an acceptable degree,” said prime minister Pellegrini. “We want to do the maximum to keep the speed of contagion in Slovakia down the way we’ve witnessed in Italy and Spain.”
