Unofficial Translation
Press Conference on the current epidemiological situation 7 April
Minister of Health Vladimír Lengvarský
Good morning. First of all, I would like to thank to medical workers for their work as well as all citizens for their responsible approach during the Easter holidays. Current situation is slightly improving but it is still not won. I will only briefly comment on the current epidemiological situation and the more detailed data will be showed in the presentation that my colleague will go through.
As you already know, there are now only 2 black districts in Slovakia – Kysucké Nové Mesto a Poprad. However, the number of patients in hospitals is still more or less the same, and the number of patients on the artificial lung ventilation is still high. Tomorrow, the Council of experts will meet and decide on the next strategy when it comes to testing, testing methods, and some possible measure relaxation.
That is all from my side. Thank you.
Head of the Health Analyses Institute Matej Mišík
Good morning. Briefly said, the epidemiological situation in neighboring countries shows that after the sharp increase there is a gradual decrease when it comes to the number of new cases.
However, if we looked at the hospitalizations and the number of deaths, especially in Poland, Hungary and Ukraine, these are significantly rising.
When we look at the crucial indicators, we see that the improving trend is continuing. It is the case also in hospitals, even though we seen slight increase in last two days. There is also a slight decrease in the number of performed tests, as during holidays there were fewer testing capacities. That is why we also need to take the current numbers with a bit of a reservation and we also have to wait whether the Easter holidays will show somehow in the numbers. The level of reproduction number stays at pretty much the same level as before.
When it comes to the numbers of positive cases, as I said already, we need to take them into account with some reservation, and we have to wait for upcoming days to see how the Easter holidays, and possible meetings with family and friends during this time, will show in numbers.
When it comes to mobility, we do not register any significant increase or decrease compared to last week. If any measures are relaxed, we will have to follow this indicator carefully, so that it does not increase too rapidly.
Here we see that the decrease in the number of visits of emergency medical services to Covid confirmed or suspected patients is continuing, from peak in February with 2900 visits per week, to around 1270 this week. The decreasing trends is also seen in regions, but Zilina and Prešov regions still record a high number of such visits, so the situation among regions differ.
In hospitals there are currently slightly below 3000 patients with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, thus meeting one of the criteria of the Covid Automat system for color change.
There are currently around 350 ventilated patients in hospitals.
The ventilated patients present the most critical part of the medical system when it comes to the available beds. Currently, there is 80% occupancy of such beds, so the system is still extremely busy and with few possibilities to accept new patients, whether Covid or other, to these beds.
The number of positive health personnel is continuing to decrease, which is good news.
Currently 87% less doctors, 74% less nurses and more than 70% less of other medical personnel, are Covid positive than during the peak at the end of last year. These were the first groups to be vaccinated and thus we can very well see the effectiveness of the vaccines here.
When it comes to deaths, just to explain, because the first slide (the graph with indicators) showed there is an increase in deaths. These numbers are reported by the Office for Health Supervision and they are reported retroactively and are thus processed sometimes with delay
of several weeks. So, if we look at the deaths according to the day of death (pointing to the graph on right side), we see there is no increase in past days and the trend is going as expected, mirroring the improved situation in hospitals.
As for the vaccination process, until now around 1.3 million doses of vaccines have been delivered to Slovakia. Until the end of April we expect to receive another almost 600 000 doses.
Vaccines Johnson and Johnson are still not included in this table as we are still not vaccinating with them – around 26 000 doses should come until the end of April. So around 600 000 doses of vaccine in total should come by the end of April.
During Easter holidays, the millionth dose of vaccine was administered. More than quarter million people already received the second dose.
The number of vaccinated in the social service facilities also increased – currently around 74%
of facilities have administered at least the first dose, and 44% already the second dose.
And now briefly about the Covid Automat – as I said in beginning, the criteria for hospitalizations have been met as for the turning to the dark red phase. When it comes to the number of new cases, there we already meet the criteria for red phase and the reproduction number is below 1 so this criterion is also achieved. This means that, although next week we will still be in black phase as the whole country, if next Monday the positive trend is confirmed, then from 19 April, the transfer to dark red phase is possible.
So next week, we are still in black phase and the measures according to this color apply.
However, if the trend is confirmed next week, from 19 April we could experience some relaxation of measures.
As for the division of districts, this is the map that applies for this week.
As for the next week, there is improvement in several districts. As the Minister informed, only two districts are in black phase, and they are also waiting for the confirmation of good trend to be moved into better, dark red color next week. Two districts have also been already moved to the lowest pink color.
That is all, thank you very much.
Ministry spokesperson Eliašová:
Ladies and gentlemen, given the starting government meeting we will not answer the questions right now. We might answer some after the government meeting. Thank you very much.
