Officials of the Austrian Chancellery, Defense and Health Ministries met with leading Slovak government officials on Nov. 12 to get briefed on their Covid-19 mass testing program for the entire population of 5.5 million. In that testing, which was done in several rounds over recent weeks, 30 soldiers of the Austrian Army also took part as assistants.
The Slovaks view mass testing, repeated in intervals, as a viable alternative to lockdowns. Prime Minister Igor Matovic told the Austrians, “We have the big chance of showing Europe and the world that a different approach works, without shutdowns of the economy and millions of jobless.“
The Slovak approach goes with strict handling of quarantine for those whom the tests show as infected with the virus.
