Slovakia: Romani settlement celebrates lifting of across-the-board quarantine now that infected individuals and their loved ones have been isolated

The Romani settlement in the town of Žehra, Slovakia, was fully reopened on Friday, 15 May and the across-the-board quarantine announced there on 9 April was declared over. MEP Peter Pollák, who is a member of the Permanent Crisis Team in Slovakia, announced the reopening to the media and broadcast it live through Facebook.

Ahead of that, the findings of the testing of almost 700 people in the final sector of the municipality to remain closed were announced. Just 10 people were found to have been infected and were relocated along with their families into the quarantine facility that has been built there.

“I am glad to announce that we have the situation in Žehra under control. We have managed to build a small quarantine town where 42 people who tested positive are currently living with their family members, a total of 92 people,” the MEP told the media.

“The final part of the settlement remaining under quarantine, sector 3, will be opened today at 15:30,” the MEP announced on Friday after 14:00. He and the mayor delivered the news to the inhabitants of the settlement together.

“Today at 15:30 you all can go wherever you want,” the MEP said to chanting and huge cheers. “I want to ask you all to wear face masks, to be responsible, and to not let people you don’t know in here so you can avoid becoming infected.”

Žehra had been divided into three sectors and a center for quarantining those infected had been established there during the weekend of 9 May, and as of Monday, 11 May, across-the-board testing had been conducted gradually in all three sectors. The first two sectors were opened on Wednesday, 13 May after those found to be infected were isolated along with their family members in the quarantine center.