COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease), an infectious disease of the respiratory tract, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first incidence of the virus was identified in the City of Wuhan (Hubei Province) in December 2019. It was transmitted to Europe at the beginning of 2020, with the epicentre of the infection in northern Italy (Lombardy) and it quickly spread to neighbouring countries. The first incidence of the virus in Slovakia was confirmed on 6th March 2020 and the government of the Slovak Republic declared a State of emergency on 15th March 2020.This resulted in the closure of retail shops, shopping centres and educational and cultural institutions. As part of the preventive measures the free movement of people was restricted and state borders were closed. The Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic (ÚVZ SR) introduced strict measures concerning the observance of rules for the use of personal protective equipment in public using the R. O. R. system (an Slovak acronym hands – distance – mask). It was compulsory to wear a mask, keep a suitable distance between people in enclosed premises and to disinfect the hands. These safety measures and a remarkable level of discipline from Slovaks helped to prevent the catastrophic spread of the pandemic within Slovakia. Thus, of all the EU member states, Slovakia was the most successful in the fight against the disease.
Thanks to the positive development in the situation with the epidemic, not only in our country but also in the surrounding European countries, the safety measures that had been adopted were gradually relaxed in several phases with two-week gaps between them. This allowed the government of the Slovak Republic to cancel the State of emergency on 13th June 2020. Despite this, several R.O.R. measures, especially those relating to the movement of people within enclosed premises (shops, public catering facilities and municipal public transport), remained in force. Finally, the restriction that limited the audience at mass gatherings and sporting and cultural events to 1,000 people was cancelled on 1st July 2020, provided the prerequisites laid down by ÚVZ SR were met. Despite the gradual phasing out of measures the epidemiologists kept reminding us that a second wave of the pandemic might emerge. Therefore, on 11th August 2020, the Pandemic Commission of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic adopted a new plan for the second wave of the pandemic, mainly including restrictions in educational provision and the organisation of mass gatherings, which will come into force at the beginning of the school year, on 2nd September 2020.
Slovenská pošta, a. s., is issuing the COVID-19 postage stamp to draw attention to the need to observe the R.O.R. protective principles. They protect us as well as those around us. The central motif of the postage stamp is a mask combined with an imaginary likeness, this is to highlight that it is one of the most useful pieces of equipment in the fight against the spread of the pandemic. The stamp was printed using unique technology – a UV serigraphy that was applied on the girl’s mask as well as an enlarged motif of the coronavirus situated in right-hand corner of the stamp.
Sources: www.health.gov.sk, www.korona.gov.sk, www.uvzsr.sk
