Smart quarantine still in trial operation (news digest).

Coronavirus in Slovakia

- Only one of nearly 1,000 tests carried out on May 17 was positive.

- PM Igor Matovic (OLaNO) and a team of experts introduced the plan for easing the coronavirus measures in the fourth phase, with many becoming effective on May 20. Schools and kindergartens will open too, but only on June 1.

'It's important for us to feel that our shared sacrifice in the form of restricted social contacts and respecting strict hygienic measures was meaningful.a

PRESIDENT ZUZANA CAPUTOVA COMMENTS ON RELAXING THE MEASURES WITHIN THE FOURTH PHASE.

- Smart quarantine has not been launched yet. Responding to the demands of several Slovaks who came to the borders asking for smart quarantine, the Government's Office said that they are still testing it. The public will be informed about launching the smart quarantine at a press conference. Martin Klus, state secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said that the launch is a question of no more than three days.

- Austria cancelled the controls at borders with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary at midnight between May 16 and 17. When entering Slovakia, however, the border controls and mandatory state quarantine are still in place. (TASR)

- The Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair plans to renew regular flights to and from the Bratislava airport in July 2020. It wants to relaunch about 40 percent of its flights within the European network, which is why flights from Bratislava will be reduced. Other carriers like Wizz Air, Air Cairo, Flydubai and Cyprus Airways want to restore their flights, but the final word will belong to the Slovak authorities. (Trend.sk)

- The sellers of the Nota Bene newspaper have returned to the streets of Bratislava after two months. The newspaper is shrinkwrapped and sellers regularly disinfect their hands.

News in politics

- The trial in the murder case of investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina KuA!nirova continued on May 18. The court agreed with reading from the Threema communication on May 19.

- The police quarreled over the responsibility for not analysing the communication found on the phone of...