This was supposed to be Christmas time in Europe where family and friends could once again embrace holiday festivities and one another. Instead, the continent is the global epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic as cases soar to record levels in many countries. With infections spiking again despite nearly two years of restrictions, the health crisis increasingly is pitting citizen against citizen—the vaccinated against the unvaccinated. Governments desperate to shield overburdened healthcare systems are imposing rules that limit choices for the unvaccinated in the hope that doing so will drive up rates of vaccinations.

Starting Monday, Slovakia is banning people who haven’t been vaccinated from all non-essential stores and shopping malls. They also will not be allowed to attend any public event or gathering and will be required to test twice a week just to go to work. “A merry Christmas does not mean a Christmas without Covid-19,” warned Prime Minister Eduard Heger. He called the measures “a lockdown for the unvaccinated.”