Slovak finance minister tests COVID-positive as virus hits government

Slovak Finance Minister Eduard Heger has tested positive for COVID-19, the finance ministry said on Tuesday, becoming the sixth government member infected by the coronavirus after Prime Minister Igor Matovic contracted the illness last week. He was not showing symptoms or feeling ill. Matovic, 47, said last Friday he had tested positive for COVID-19.

Slovak Finance Minister Eduard Heger has tested positive for COVID-19, the finance ministry said on Tuesday, becoming the sixth government member infected by the coronavirus after Prime Minister Igor Matovic contracted the illness last week. The finance ministry said Heger would remain in home quarantine. He was not showing symptoms or feeling ill.

Matovic, 47, said last Friday he had tested positive for COVID-19. Four other government members, including the defence minister, also were detected with COVID-19 after that. Slovakia entered a partial lockdown on Saturday after cases spiked again this month.

The country of 5.5 million reported 2,663 new cases through standard PCR tests on Monday, bringing the total case tally to 155,218 since the pandemic started. Hospitalisations have doubled to 2,310 since late October.