Due to the current Corona situation in the country, Slovakia is making an official request for help to the European Union. This triggers the mechanisms of mutual assistance in civil emergency situations. This is anchored in the treaties and obliges the other members of Slovakia to help out.

According to the state news agency Tasr, the country, which has been badly hit by the pandemic, needs additional doctors and nurses. At least ten doctors and 25 nurses were requested to be posted. Finally, Portugal needed the support of the EU members. For example, Austria and Germany helped out both with doctors and with taking over patients. These were transferred to hospitals in both EU countries and treated there.

The Slovak Ministry of Health stated on Wednesday that a subsequent increase in the request for help cannot be ruled out. This depends on the further development of the pandemic in the Slovak Republic. This state initially got off very lightly from the first corona wave, but has seen sharply increasing numbers and many deaths since autumn 2020. The government in Bratislava is now trying to avoid a possible collapse of the health system by requesting help from the EU partners.

Most recently, Slovakia also announced that in a kind of desperate act drastic tightening of entry regulations and protested against Germany at the same time, because the Federal Republic has a Extensive entry ban for people from Slovakia issued. However, both states have a number of exceptions. In the country with Bratislava as the capital, the British mutation B.1.1.7 is currently said to make up the majority of infections.