If Mass Testing for Covid-19 Won't Take Place, Matovic to Resign

Bratislava, October 17 (TASR) - If the announced mass testing of the Slovak population for COVID-19 fails to take place, I will step down from my post, Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) declared at a press conference on Saturday. "I'm willing to give up on this (testing), but then I'll choose my resignation," said Matovic. The Prime Minister views the mass testing as the only way to stop the rate of the COVID-19 outbreak from further growth in a situation, when a key coalition partner publicly impugns the epidemiological measures. "I'm afraid that the current protective measures have thus been rendered useless. At any rate, this mass testing cannot hurt, it can only help us." The Prime Minister added that if someone within the coalition will attempt to exercise pressure on him to abandon the plan, leaving Slovakia hard-pressed to diagnose the ill with nothing but PCR tests at a snail's pace, Matovic wouldn't sign off on it. The mass testing of Slovak population for COVID-19 is going to be carried out soon, a project that the Government has been preparing for over the past three weeks. It is not yet known whether participation in the mass testing will be mandatory or voluntary. mf