During the holiday period when we register increased movement of people, monitoring of the occurrence of COVID-19 is still up to date and necessary. Therefore, the Ministry of Health supports activities that contribute to the clarity of the epidemiological situation in Slovakia. In the environment of marginalized Roma communities, health support assistants operate from the contribution organization of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic Health regions.We appreciate every activity that allows us to ensure health protection in marginalised Roma communities. Assistants from Healthy Regions work on a daily basis, so to speak, in the front line and receive information that is important for the successful management of not only the epidemiological situation. We also appreciate their education and other activities in order to improve health conditions in these communities, said State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Peter Stachura. Current representatives of this organisation have established closer cooperation with regional public health authorities. Healthy regions have built a wide network of assistants on the ground and are working together to inform people who come to marginalised Roma communities from abroad. At the same time, they also record information, such as which country they came back from and whether they have signs of respiratory disease or where there are a large group of residents who regularly travel abroad. They have experience in testing assistance, finding possible contacts, assessment and logistical support for individual and community quarantine. More than 86% of the employees of the organisation out of a total of 320 are directly residents of Roma settlements.The current information we have on the ground, especially the high numbers coming from England, shows that the situation cannot be underestimated. Our practice shows that prevention, at the same time as rapid and qualified decisions, is vital today to prevent the risk of further spread of the disease. From our point of view, there is also a need for continuous service to meet the normal needs of isolated residents, says the Director of the Contribution Organisation Healthy regions of Tatiana Hustič. Organisation Healthy regions carry out their activities directly in Roma settlements, monitoring the situation in 75% of the most critical Roma settlements three times a week since mid-March 2020 and recording the numbers of people returning from abroad. This is a great advantage in this period, since we can find out in a short time through our network

information directly from communities and at the same time we can quickly get important information into the field, added Director Tatiana Hustič. Healthy regions currently cooperate with more than 850 doctors of first contact and specialists in 252 municipalities. They shall be directed in particular to prevent and provide information in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. Cooperation with regional public health authorities, particularly at risk locations, remains a priority for them. In addition to ongoing field awareness-raising activities aimed at prevention and information campaign for the inhabitants of marginalised Roma communities, they are also implementing a large-scale information campaign directly in relation to the Coronavirus pandemic, including through social networks - www.facebook.com/ zdraveregiony.eu/ and dedicated web portal - www.koronatemerel.sk. Contribution organisation Healthy regions, as part of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, have the task of helping the health department in solving the Pandemic COVID-19 in the environment of marginalized Roma communities. Since January 2017 National Project Healthy communities, thanks to support from the European Social Fund under the Human Resources Operational Programme.