Slovakia tests half its population

To prevent a second wave of the novel coronavirus, the Slovakian government ran a two-day testing drive this weekend, encouraging as many Slovaks to get tested as possible. The result was that half of the country’s entire population got tested for COVID-19 in a single day.

About 2.58 million Slovaks got tested on Saturday, with only 25,850 (or one percent) testing positive. The country’s total population is 5.5 million, and the government hopes to test as many people as possible this fall. By identifying positive cases early, and in one fell swoop, it may prevent further outbreaks from occurring.

The massive weekend testing operation was manned by over 40,000 medics and support teams of soldiers, police, administrative workers, and volunteers staffing about 5,000 sites. The antigen swab tests were free and voluntary, but the government has vowed to impose movement restrictions on those who refuse to participate.

A second round of testing is being planned for next weekend, when the government hopes to test the remainder of the population.

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