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This summary is provided by the STA:
Number of coronavirus cases up by 39 to 841, death toll at 15
LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,288 tests for the new coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Tuesday, with 39 new Covid-19 cases confirmed to increase the total to 841. Two more patients died, bringing the total to 15. Of the 119 Covid-19 patients in hospital, 31 are in intensive care, up from 28 on Monday. Nursing homes remain the main hot spots, with 137 residents and 30 staff at care homes having contracted the disease. To address the rapidly worsening situation in nursing homes, authorities are looking for solutions, urging residents' families to secure domestic care if possible.
Extended police powers to be thrown out of anti-coronavirus legislation
LJUBLJANA - The coalition backtracked somewhat on the decision to extend police force for the purpose of controlling the Covid-19 epidemic. Amendments filed by the coalition strike out the possibility for police to track people in quarantine without a court warrant, create photo robots and enter apartments. This was after Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik said the measures would be tantamount to a police state. The package aiming to curb the coronavirus epidemic would still allow the police to search for people, use photo facial recognition, set up road blocks, temporarily prevent the movement of people and collect and process data.
Support for proposal to give army police powers in doubt
LJUBLJANA - The government's proposal to invoke a legislative provision giving the army limited police powers to help police secure the southern border against illegal migration appeared unlikely to garner the required two-thirds majority in parliament as the Defence Committee debated the proposal. The opposition National Party (SNS) announced its support, while the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the ruling party in the previous government, was unhappy because the government failed to accept its compromise solutions, while the Social Democrats do not think the situation at the border is such as to warrant the powers, and the Left are dead set against.
Govt tables legislation determining procedure to ban certain referenda
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an amendment to the referendum act that prescribes the National Assembly's course of action in case of a referendum initiative challenging a law that cannot be challenged under the constitution, which would include laws imposing measures designed to curb the Covid-19 epidemic. The amendment, which the government wants to be rushed through parliament, seeks to implement the constitutional regulation of the legislative referendum of 2013 in terms of procedure. The constitutional amendments passed in 2013 ban referenda on laws vital to the country's defence and security or dealing with natural disasters.
Dozens more Slovenians returning home
LJUBLJANA - Dozens Slovenians returned home on flights organised by the Foreign Ministry. Around midnight a plane from Lisbon carrying 16 Slovenians touched down, and another 20 arrived home from Thailand, the Philippines and Switzerland by bus from Zurich airport. They were ordered a 14-day self-isolation. A plane from Helsinki is expected to land in Ljubljana tonight, bringing 45 passengers from Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Italy through Copenhagen. The ministry said that after 6 April no more special flights will be organised from distant locations.
Four more crossings on Slovenia-Austria border to close
LJUBLJANA - Only nine points on the Slovenian-Austrian border will remain open as of 2 April after the Austrian government has put in place additional restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus. The border points at Karavanke, Šentilj (the motorway and rail crossing), Gornja Radgona and Kuzma will operate around the clock. Trate, Radlje and Ljubelj will be open from 5am to 9pm, while Vič will be open between 5am and 11pm. Holmec, Jurij, Korensko Sedlo and the crossing in Šentilj that is on the main road will be closed, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said. However, efforts are under way to keep Holmec open.
Public broadcaster journalists targetted in assaults
LJUBLJANA - Three teams of journalists of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija have been assaulted in recent days; in two cases they were harassed verbally, and in another the company's vehicle was damaged. The incidents were condemned by the Journalists' Association (DNS) and politicians, including PM Janez Janša. RTV Slovenija reported the attack in which its vehicle was damaged to police. According to the broadcaster, police unofficially stated that an increase in violence in society had been detected in these challenging times. The broadcaster stressed that any form of violence was unacceptable and called for tolerance.
Slovenian, Estonian presidents discuss Covid-19 pandemic
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid discussed the coronavirus pandemic and measures to contain over the phone, agreeing on mutual assistance should the respective country need it. While endorsing measures taken by their government to curb the outbreak, Pahor and Kaljulaid stressed that democratic values and the rule of law must be respected. The pair also highlighted the role of rapid and effective action at European level, urging a videoconference and a joint message by presidents of the countries taking part in the Arraiolos group to call for more unity, solidarity and efficiency within Europe.
Businesses urge boost measures after production resumes
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Business representatives urged Prime Minister Janez Janša and relevant ministers in a meeting at Brdo pri Kranju to include measures ensuring companies stay afloat after resuming production in a second coronavirus crisis stimulus package. "At today's meeting of employers' organisations, the prime minister and key ministers, businesses pointed out that following the No. 1 package, it was necessary to actively consider a quality No. 2 package which would provide liquidity support after restarting production," said Boštjan Gorjup, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS).
BSH among first major Slovenian manufacturers to restart production
NAZARJE - BSH Hišni Aparati, which was one of the first large manufacturers in Slovenia to halt production over the coronavirus epidemic, is also among the first to resume business. The company, the largest producer of small household appliances in Europe, operated at 15% of capacity on Monday and hopes to be at 50% next week. We mostly had to close because public transport was suspended, as 75% of our workers used the bus to come to work...The second reason was the absence of protective equipment and the fact that an outbreak in our factory would have meant an excessive peril for the Upper Savinja Valey," BSH director Boštjan Gorjup told Finance.
Slovenian researchers involved in new virus identification effort
MARIBOR - Two researchers from the University of Maribor, in cooperation with British and Chines researchers, have come up with a new way of identifying viruses and bacteria which could speed up the process of determining the type of infection. Tine Curk and Urban Bren of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering are members of a team that started their work months ago, but their findings are timely as the method they have developed can be used for coronavirus. It currently takes a whole day before the results of a coronavirus test are in, while the new approach could significantly speed up the process, Bren said.
Telekom Slovenije solution allowing remote monitoring of Covid-19 patients
LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije announced that the UKC Ljubljana hospital was already using its telehealth solution to remotely monitor individual Covid-19 patients, with talks under way to introduce it at two more hospitals. Peter Pustatičnik, head of e-health at Telekom Sloveije, told the STA that the solution, developed with their partners, had originally been developed for chronic patients, but the coronavirus pandemic revealed wider applicability. It allows the monitoring of patients in domestic care, constant communication with health staff, while reducing the risk of transmission.
No major violations of stricter movement rules
LJUBLJANA - Police report that residents in Slovenia mostly respect the movement restrictions introduced on Monday to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, moving largely within their own municipality. There are a few exceptions to the rule, allowing Slovenians to go to another municipality to go to work, do farm work, provide assistance to persons in need of care, and to access emergency services, pharmacies, diplomatic missions and judicial authorities. On Monday the police referred 107 cases to the health inspectorate, which is responsible for fining, and in 85 cases, the police warned people of inappropriate conduct.
Robert Šumi takes over as new anti-corruption commission head
LJUBLJANA - Robert Šumi, a researcher at the Police Academy, took over as the new head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption for a six-year term. He highlighted the importance of strengthening integrity in all walks of life. Preventive in nature, integrity is the flip side of the coin of fighting corruption and it has the potential to bring results in the long run, Šumi was quoted as saying in a press release. In this respect the commission as a preventive oversight institution plays a very important role, said Šumi, stressing his goal was a society with a high degree of integrity and zero tolerance to unethical actions.
Slovenia among countries with fewest non-executed ECHR rulings
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is yet to implement 13 rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which makes it one of the countries with the lowest number of such rulings, according to the Council of Europe's annual report on the supervision of the execution of the court's decisions for 2019. The report highlights as a success the implementation of a group of judgements against Slovenia related to child custody and contacts between parents and children. Under enhanced supervision by the CoE's Committee of Ministers are still Mandič and Jovič cases related to overcrowdedness at Ljubljana prison.
Sociologist urges universal basic income
LJUBLJANA - Sociologist Valerija Korošec says it is high time to introduce a universal basic income (UBI), arguing it is a vital safeguard against the consequences of crises. She thinks Slovenia will introduce it this year to lead the way in a post-corona and post-Brexit EU when it chairs the bloc in 2021. Although she admits a crisis such as the coronavirus epidemic is not the best time to do that, she believes UBI is urgently needed as the pandemic wreaks social and economic havoc, because it is a means of protection when social systems stop working.
Govt replaces its reps at Public Health Institute
LJUBLJANA - The government replaced all four representatives of the state on the seven-member council of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ), a move that completes an overhaul at the NIJZ after Ivan Eržen was named acting director on 20 March. The first of the four government representatives in the NIJZ council was replaced on 17 March, with Mateja Lesar appointed to replace Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of UKC Ljubljana's infectious disease clinic. The remaining three members were replaced today as Rok Tavčar, Matej Forte and Matjaž Vrtovec were named in place of Branko Bregar, Blanka Česnik Wolf and Tomaž Rusimovič.
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