Fico broke the rules in Rimavská Sobota on protest without drapes, Smer faces a fine of 20,000 euros – Denník N

According to hygiene, the Smer party violated pandemic measures on the anti-government protest in Rimavská Sobota. This will be dealt with by the Public Health Office in administrative proceedings and the organizer, ie Smer, may receive a fine of up to 20 thousand euros.

In the local amphitheater, more than three thousand people protested against the government, the vast majority without drapes and without divisions. Robert Fico after the event announcedthat there were even “more than 4,000”.

“This is an administrative offense in the field of public health. RÚVZ in Rimavská Sobota will initiate administrative proceedings in the matter, “said Daša Račková, a spokeswoman for the Public Health Office of the Slovak Republic.

How is it with public events

The direction violated the rules at the event several times.

The Rimavská Sobota district has red color and in such districts, veils are also mandatory on mass events in exteriors. The vast majority of protesters – including Smer politicians on stage and Robert Fico – did not have a veil.

In addition, the organizers are obliged to announce whether the event is only for the vaccinated, or in the OTP mode (vaccinated, tested and after covid) – and then to check the confirmations – or for everyone. At the same time, they must collect contacts for participants. In Rimavská Sobota, people signed up when entering the amphitheater. Those who were brought by buses from all over Slovakia were already registered during transport.

At the same time, the regime of the event was not clear and no confirmation of vaccination or testing was checked on the spot.

The permitted number of participants also depends on the regime.

Even before the protest, the chairman of the Direction told the story on the stage that the officials had forbidden them to sing in advance and that he refused to respect such a ban and sang with people on Kráľova hola.

What he tried to tell as an absurd story may have worked in favor of Smer. Rules of covid slot machine for mass events in the red districts, they say that events in the OTP regime can fill the space of the premises to 25 percent and have a maximum of 150 participants. When it comes to a cultural event – for example with singing – the rules are looser and cultural traffic light allows 50 percent of the capacity outdoors, but no more than 500 participants. In the case of the base category, ie for everyone without an acknowledgment check, the rules allow only a few dozen participants.

The capacity of the amphitheater in Rimavská Sobota is around five thousand people, so more than three thousand protesters are certainly not a quarter or half of the capacity.

Hygiene: Direction did not ensure major measures

The Regional Office of Public Health in Rimavská Sobota says that the organizer of the event, ie the Smer party, did not provide major measures