Slovakia will impose stricter measures for people who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus amid a surge in infections and hospital admissions that is stretching the health system, prime minister Eduard Heger said on Thursday.
"It is a lockdown for the unvaccinated," Heger told a news conference shown live on television.
Slovakia's hospitals are in a critical situation dealing with a surge in coronavirus infections.
The country of 5.5 million reported record daily cases of around 8,000 in recent days. The health ministry said on Tuesday there were just 20 beds with lung ventilators available.
"The situation in hospitals is critical," Heger told reporters earlier this week.
"We need to significantly tighten [restrictions] in the coming three weeks to calm down the situation at hospitals," he said as he urged people to get vaccinated.
Heger said the government would allow only vaccinated people to attend large events, and set rules for testing at workplaces.
Non-essential shops and services, sports, wellness and hotels will be open only for vaccinated people or those who had overcome Covid-19 in the past six months.
The eastern part of Slovakia is suffering most. A hospital in Presov city had no more beds for Covid-19 patients, as it transferred them elsewhere and limited non-urgent care.
"When people don't care [to get vaccinated], of course our staff are frustrated as they could treat other patients," J.A. Reiman University Hospital director Lubomir Sarnik said.
Slovakia is one of Europe's least vaccinated countries, with 45 per cent of population vaccinated compared to the EU average of 64.9 per cent, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data showed.
In the majority-Catholic country, bishops have also called on people to get vaccinated.
