EVERYONE IN KOŠICE!
We have set up an information call-centre for you where we'll be happy to answer your questions concerning current restrictions connected with the COVID-19 epidemic.
Contact us by phone on 055/6419 100
or by e-mail at pomoc@kosice.sk
This call-centre is open 24/7.
The City of Košice is taking measures against the spread of the COVID 19 coronavirus infection in cooperation with the Regional Public Health-care Authority (RÚVZ) based in Košice. If necessary, based on a decision by the City or request from the RÚVZ, a City Crisis Committee meeting will be called, or in accordance with current legislation an emergency situation will be announced due to the threat to public health. In connection with the occurrence of this virus, the City also takes into account the guidance of the Chief Hygiene Officer of the Slovak Republic. Without directives from state institutions on the other hand, the City can only implement preventive measures in City Hall, schools and educational facilities, municipal companies and other organizations managed by the City. If need be however, in cases like this we are always prepared to take action.
What has already been done and what measures are in force in connection with limiting the spread of COVID 19 in the city of Košice?
Košice City Hall has made thorough preparations regarding all aspects of the spread of coronavirus infection in Slovakia. Read on, and you will find day-by-day information about all the activities undertaken by the City in cooperation with municipal companies and several state organizations.
12th March 2020
In the morning there was a session of the Counter-epidemic Committee which forms part of the City Crisis Committee in Košice. Several new measures were approved at this session:
- the Mayor has called on all principals of schools and educational facilities managed by the City in which teaching was still taking place at the time to give all their employees and students a “principal's day off” on Friday and Monday. Based on the decision taken that afternoon by the Central Crisis Committee of the Slovak Republic, starting from Monday, 16th March, all schools will then be officially closed for the following 14 days.
- from this morning onwards, no City Hall employees belonging in any of the at-risk health categories, pregnant women or seniors over 60 years of age are obliged to remain working in their offices. From now on all such employees may work from home.
- starting from Friday, 13th March, for preventive health reasons there will be no more public access to Košice City Hall including the First-contact Counters as well as the municipal companies. The majority of employees of the City, municipal companies and other organizations managed by the City will also start working from home. Municipal company managers have been tasked with setting up a stand-by regime for their operations with the lowest possible number of employees within their buildings.
- in order to limit the spread of viruses, a directive has been issued with immediate effect prohibiting the operation of air-conditioning and ventilation systems throughout City Hall, municipal companies and other organizations managed by the City. The same measure has been introduced in the city's public transport vehicles.
- in order to maintain the operational capability of the City Police, the Mayor today released financial resources for the purchase of FFR2 respirators and face masks for all officers on active duty who will be involved in street patrols in the coming days.
- all City Council committee sessions are cancelled until the end of March. Conditional on the consent of members of the City Cabinet, this month's session will be postponed until April. In that case it is most likely that there will be a change in the date of the next City Council session, which is planned for 23rd April.
- starting from Saturday, 14th March, the Košice City Public Transport Company will be operating weekend services only. In practice this will mean that also during working days public transport vehicles will run according to the timetables normally valid for non-working days (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays). Every day all public transport vehicles will undergo thorough disinfection to protect passengers as much as possible from the risk of virus transmission.
- with continuing effect until further notice, all social, cultural and sporting events organized by the City are stopped. The Košice City Youth Library is completely closed to all child readers. The grounds of Košice Zoo will remain open, but visitors will not be able to enter any of the Zoo's enclosed pavilions. Similarly the Psychosocial Centre will have to restrict its activity and close its Day Centre.
- from Friday, 13th March, the Košice City Retirement Home on Garbiarska Street will be interrupting the provision and delivery of dinners to senior citizens from the surrounding city wards. The Public Cemetery and the Crematorium will be providing only indispensable services to citizens arranging burials or cremations. Only one person at a time will be allowed to enter the funeral arrangements office, namely the person specifically arranging the funeral. As administrator of the grounds of both memorial places, the Municipal Greenery Service will resume the arrangement of burial plot lease contracts as well as other transactions only after these emergency measures are lifted.
- all queries from citizens concerning the functioning of Košice City authorities during the ongoing crisis situation will be answered by staff running the newly-established special call-centre at Košice City Hall, telephone number 6419 100, or by e-mail at pomoc@kosice.sk
11th March 2020
Following consultation with the Košice RÚVZ, it has been decided that:
- the holding of mass events involving more than 10 people will be restricted for all clubs, gyms, sports and training halls, as well as social and cultural events.
- notice of closure of the City Youth Library has been issued.
- the activity of the Psychosocial Centre has been restricted.
A session of the City Crisis Committee has been held, primarily involving discussion of the ongoing measures connected with preventing the spread of COVID 19 infection. Representatives of City management also answered all questions concerning prevention measures and public respect for prohibitions and recommendations issued by the City and the RÚVZ in the preceding days.
10th March 2020
A directive has been issued by the Mayor obliging City employees to sign a statement of honour confirming that they have not knowingly come into contact with any person suffering from virus infection.
Instructions for the public regarding quarantine issued by the Chief Hygiene Officer of the Slovak Republic have also come into effect.
They state that any person for whom isolation is prescribed is under the following obligations:
- to monitor their state of health, and if problems develop to telephone their local doctor (GP);
- to remain in isolation either at home or in a health-care facility as decided by the hygiene authorities;
- to refrain from social contacts;
- to refrain from travelling;
- to refrain from participating in teaching activities;
- to refrain from working activity outside their home.
9th March 2020
The Mayor has issued an instruction to principals of schools and educational facilities to make use of the powers available to them regarding the closure of schools.
The Mayor has also issued an instruction to the employees of Košice City Police as well as local self-government bodies, organizations managed by the City and events agencies run by the City to start carrying out pro-hygiene and anti-epidemic measures, as follows:
- prohibition of public mass gatherings within the city limits;
- prohibition of all cultural, social and sports events involving high concentrations of people;
- prohibition of school excursions, trips and outings, as well as events involving a high concentration of children;
- prohibition of visits to retirement and care homes.
7th March 2020
There has been a session of the Counter-epidemic Committee which forms part of the City Crisis Committee in Košice. Based on recommendations from the Košice RÚVZ, several measures have been approved: prohibition of public mass gatherings within the city limits; prohibition of all cultural, social and sports events involving high concentrations of people; prohibition of school excursions, trips and outings, as well as events involving a high concentration of children; and prohibition of visits to retirement and care homes, all with effect from 9th March 2020.
The Košice RÚVZ has issued a decision prohibiting all natural persons, sole traders and legal entities from organizing and holding any mass-participation events of sporting, cultural, social or other nature from 10th March to 23rd March 2020.
Moreover, it imposes an obligation on all persons with temporary or permanent residence in the Slovak Republic returning to Slovakia from abroad to inform their health-care provider (GP) of this fact immediately after their return, either by telephone or by e-mail. In addition it requires health-care providers to instruct people returning from stays in China, South Korea, Iran and Italy from 10th March onwards to self-isolate themselves at home for a period of 14 days.
6th March 2020
The Central Crisis Committee of the Slovak Republic has decided with effect from 9th March 2020:
- to prohibit visits to all hospitals;
- to prohibit all school trips outside the Slovak Republic;
- to prohibit visits to retirement and care homes;
- to prohibit visits to children's foster homes;
- to introduce body temperature measurement for all travellers at airports;
- to start sending text messages to citizens within the Slovak Republic and abroad with recommendations for reducing the risk of spreading coronavirus infection.
More information is available on the National Health-care Authority web-site in the section “COVID-19”:
http://www.uvzsr.sk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=250&Itemid=153
