Slovakia ends coronavirus state of emergency

PRAGUE: Slovakia on Friday lifted a state of emergency in force since October to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, but Prime Minister Eduard Heger urged citizens to remain watchful and said vaccination was key to keeping the virus in check.

The country of 5.5 million has reported a steady decline in daily new cases from the peaks of the third wave hit in early March, and hospitalisations have also fallen. "We promised that the state of emergency would not last a minute longer than necessary," Heger told a news conference broadcast live on television.