(ANSA-AFP) - BRATISLAVA, 31 OTT - 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. (ANSA-AFP).