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Slovakia Tests Entire Population for COVID-19
Slovakia on Saturday begins a programme to screen its entire population for coronavirus with antigen tests in what would be a global first, but critics have said the plan is poorly thought out.
Some 45,000 medical workers, army and police are being deployed to carry out the tests in the EU member state of 5.4 million people, collecting swabs at around 5,000 testing points.
“The world will be watching,” Prime Minister Igor Matovic said earlier this week, adding that the measure would save “hundreds of lives”.
Antigen tests give quick results — sometimes within minutes — but are not seen as being as reliable as the PCR test for which nasal swabs have to be sent to a lab for analysis.
Participation in the testing is not mandatory but anyone who is not able to produce a negative test certificate if stopped by police could get a heavy fine.
Anyone who tests positive has to go immediately into quarantine for 10 days.
“This will be our road to freedom,” Matovic said, hinting that virus restrictions could be eased once testing is complete or reinforced if the programme is not carried out in full.
Slovakia would be the first country of its size to undergo nationwide testing, although mass testing has taken place in entire Chinese cities.
Smaller European states such as Luxembourg and Monaco have also announced mass testing programmes.
– Government ‘threatening people’ –
Like other countries, Slovakia has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases although it is below the EU average.
On Friday it reported a record of 3,363 new daily infections, bringing the total to 55,091. The death toll currently stands at 212.
The government is hoping to complete the nationwide testing over two days and carry out another round of mass tests next weekend.
But it has struggled to find medical workers to staff all the testing sites and has been forced to offer cash bonuses for doctors.
During pilot testing in four high-risk regions last weekend, people had to queue for up to two hours in some cases.
The Slovak Association of General Practitioners has criticised the government’s plan, saying it is ill-prepared.
The association said that the “mass concentration of millions of people” at testing sites “is at odds with the recommendations of infectious disease experts to reduce public contacts and mobility as much as possible”.
Many ordinary people — like Radovan Babincak, an unemployed man living in the capital Bratislava — want to stay away.
“The government and the prime minister are threatening people,” the 40-year-old told AFP.
Anton Dubovsky, a 67-year-old petrol station operator, said he and his son would not go.
“I am not convinced this testing is a good idea at all,” he said.
(AFP)
Nigerian Afrobeat music singer, David Adeleke aka Davido, has commented on his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, after he resigned from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), posting “Jeje…” on his X page.
Adeleke, who represented Osun West as Senator and currently serves as the governor of the State, announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, citing the party’s national leadership crisis.
The letter titled ‘Resignation of my membership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)’ read: “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party with immediate effect.”
He expressed gratitude for the opportunities afforded to him by the PDP.
“I thank the Peoples’ Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the Peoples’ Democratic Party,” he added.
The resignation has sparked reactions, with Davido’s post sparking speculation about the implications for the party.
By Eric Elezuo
The governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A letter signed by the governor himself and dated November 4, 2025 revealed that the governor dumped the party about a month before coming out public with the announcement.
Confirming the resignation via a statement, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, wrote;
“Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has resigned his membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) since November 4th, 2025.
“The letter was addressed to the PDP Chairman for ward 2, Sagba Abogunde of
Ede North Local government, Osun State.
“The letter reads as follows: ‘Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the PDP with immediate effect.
‘I thank the Peoples Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the Peoples Democratic Party”, the governor noted in the letter personally signed by him.’
Neither the letter nor the spokesperson’s statement suggested the governor’s next port of call even as political parties in the state are in the season of primaries to elect flag bearers for the 2026 governorship election in the state.
By Eric Elezuo
The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed Badaru, and a two-term former governor of Jigawa State, has resigned his appointment. This is shortly after the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa (retd) visited Aso Rock Villa, and had a closed door meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
The resignation, which is with immediate effect, according to statement credited to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is contained in a letter dated December 1, 2025, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu. Badaru, who is 63 years, quoted health grounds as reason for quitting his job.
The statement added that “President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation.
“President Tinubu will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week.
His resignation comes amid President Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in due course.
He served as defence minister for 27 months since August 21, 2023.
