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'Very encouraging': Country's bold plan to snuff out coronavirus

As much of Europe plunged back into lockdown, one nation forged its own path through a second wave of coronavirus that has washed across the continent.

France, Italy, the UK and Germany are among the European nations to have re-imposed strict lockdown measures after cases surged last month – but the smaller nation of Slovakia devised a different plan.

With a decidedly smaller population, it embarked on a mission to quickly test everyone in the country over the age of 10.

Doctors in hazmat suits at a testing facility.
A team of more than 40,000 was deployed to carry out the mass testing blitz. Source: Getty

“Today, we had only two options, either general testing, or complete lockdown,” the country’s Prime Minister Igor Matovic said on October 27.

“It is a solution with which, when we do it together, we have the chance to avoid a complete lockdown and save hundreds of lives.”

In the following two weekends, ending on the weekend just gone, health authorities tested almost the entire nation using rapid-result tests which produce a diagnosis in about 15 minutes.

In a landmark program that was watched closely by surrounding nations, Slovakia tested 3.6 million people (about two-thirds of its 5.5 million population) on 31 October and 1 November. And last weekend, it tested a further 2 million people in the worst-hit regions, including some for the second time.

People wait for the results of a Covid-19 test on a playground in Slovakia.
People wait for the results of a Covid-19 test on a playground next to the testing site in Presov, Slovakia. Source: Getty

More than 40,000 health professionals and support teams of soldiers, police, administrative workers and volunteers staffed around 5,000 sites to administer the swab tests.

Taking a test was not mandatory, but people were strongly incentivised to comply as those who refused were required to stay in their home, including a ban on going to work.

If a citizen tested positive, they were forced into quarantine. If they tested negative, they were given a blue certificate saying as much and were free to go about life.

According to the government’s official figures, more than 51,800 people tested positive during the nationwide blitz.

As countries around the world grapple with how best to live with the virus, Slovakia has provided one rather unique experiment.

In fact, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in September flagged a similar mission which he said at the time could see the UK back to some form of normalcy by Christmas.

Residents in Slovakia participate in the second round of antigen testing for Covid-19.
Residents participate in the second round of antigen testing for Covid-19 on November 7, 2020 in Presov, Slovakia. Source: Getty

Slovakia’s approach – described by the government as the first of its kind in a country of its size – shares similarities with the idea of providing ‘immunity passports’ to citizens with virus antibodies, although there is still a real chance of later infection among those who tested negative in the recent testing blitz.

Meanwhile some critics have raised concerns over the antigen rapid tests used in the program because they are not entirely accurate and are thought to only detect about 70 per cent of positive cases.

But for now, the ambitious strategy is being touted as a success. On Sunday (local time), the prime minister took a victory lap, posting a statement to Facebook saying the results exceeded expectations.

“Three weeks ago, we had a catastrophic prediction on our hands that at this time we would have 4-5 thousand new cases a day. I came up with the idea of mass testing ... all sorts of opinions emerged that it was total stupidity and could make the situation worse,” the country’s leader said.

“The results? Above all expectations. After [the second weekend of testing] we can confidently say that it will reduce the number of infectious people from week to week by more than 55 per cent! Which is amazing.”

For the most part, the populace seems to be on board with the bold plan. Speaking to the ABC, student Viktor Frühwald said the decision to get tested was an easy one.

“I can go wherever I want because I'm safe,” he said.

“It's an experiment for sure ... [But] it's better for everyone to know if they're infected or not.”

To date, the country has recorded more than 76,000 cases and 366 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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