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This summary is provided by the STA:
13 new Covid-19 cases, quarantine considered for holidaymakers
LJUBLJANA - Thirteen new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in 393 tests in Slovenia on Sunday, show the data released by the government. Nineteen people were in hospital on Sunday with three requiring intensive care. No new deaths were reported. The total number of cases since the start of the epidemic has reached 2,429 with 248 of them active infections, according to national tracker covid-19.sledilnik. Health and government representatives were scheduled to meet this afternoon to discuss measures aimed at gaining control over an increasing number of cases among Slovenian holidaymakers returning from Croatia. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said he was personally in favour of quarantine.
Contact tracing app available
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav (#StayWell) has been green-lit by relevant authorities and is already available to be installed in GooglePlay free of charge, said Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik, announcing more details would be unveiled on Tuesday. The app was localised on the basis of the German Corona-Warn-App under the contract the government signed with developer RSteam. The app is voluntary, although it was initially planned that it would have to be installed by all persons with confirmed infections and those ordered to quarantine.
Greek ship with infected crew expected in Slovenia
KOPER - A Greek ship, carrying iron ore from South America, is to arrive in Slovenia in the night to Wednesday carrying at least two persons infected with the coronavirus, according to a report by public broadcaster TV Slovenija. The ship will be anchored in the middle of the bay, and a decision to allow it to sail into the port will be taken only after all 32 members of the crew - mostly Philippine and Greek citizens - have been tested. If only some test positive, the ship will be allowed to sail into the port and unload the cargo. Should a larger number prove infected, the ship will be unable to continue its journey. The National Institute of Public Health has already prepared a relevant protocol, while the ship is said not to pose a threat to public health in Slovenia.
DeSUS council postpones vote on party leader to next week
LJUBLJANA - The council of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) postponed to 25 August the vote on whether party leader Aleksandra Pivec should further enjoy the party's confidence, following the conflict of interest allegations. The session had been planned for this Thursday. Speaking for the STA, DeSUS council head Tomaž Gantar, the health minister, said the reason for the postponement was a government session scheduled for Thursday. He insists that the council can take a vote of no-confidence in the party president, whereas a legal opinion on the matter unofficially says the council cannot dismiss the party leader.
Poll shows drop in support for govt, Pivec
MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA - The latest survey commissioned by the papers Večer and Dnevnik showed that more than half of respondents believe Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leader Aleksandra Pivec should resign in the wake of unclarity about who paid for her part-business, part-private trips. Support for DeSUS in the monthly survey by the pollster Ninamedia has been dropping for three consecutive months to hit 1.8%, a point less than in July and well below the 4% parliamentary threshold. The government's approval rating also dropped; for the first time since it was sworn in in March, more than half of those polled have been unhappy with its work.
Supreme Court criticises Janša's reaction to Radonjić suspension
LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court reacted to PM Janez Janša's criticism of the temporary suspension of Ljubljana District Court judge Zvjezdan Radonjić. It said the persistent encroachment of one branch of power upon the powers of another branch could undermine the principle of division of power and lead to "political supremacy over the rule of law". Radonjić, a vocal critic of the Slovenian judiciary, was recently suspended for what the court said were grave disciplinary violations. In a tweet, Janša questioned the independence of judges and said "the chicanery" against Radonjić called for an investigation. He also retweeted several tweets alleging the suspension was revenge for the acquittal of Milko Nović in a high-profile murder case.
Police says review of NBI cases to be ready by 15 October
LJUBLJANA - The General Police Department said that a report on the oversight of police work in certain already closed high-profile National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) cases, ordered by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, would be sent to acting Police Commissioner Andrej Jurič by 15 October at the latest. The police wrote that the review needed to be conducted by 30 September and then a report sent to Jurič within 15 days. However, a first report, outlining the actions planned as part of the review, would be sent to the minister today.
Long-term care bill to be unveiled this week
LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announced that a draft bill on long-term care would be sent into public consultation before the end of this week, but would not disclose any details about the bill that has been in the making for years. He said the goal was to make all basic services, including healthcare services, accessible to everybody without additional payments. However, he acknowledged the issue remained open of where to find funding for the accommodation side of long-term care, a cost estimated at EUR 360 million.
Prekmurje Reunification Day celebrated
MURSKA SOBOTA/LJUBLJANA - Slovenia celebrated Prekmurje Reunification Day, a national holiday marking the day when the country's eastern-most region was united with the rest of the nation after more than a millennium. The main ceremony was held on Sunday at the monument in Murska Sobota that was unveiled at last year's 100th anniversary of the reunification. Prekmurje was united with the rest of the nation in 1919, after WWI and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In Ljubljana, a monument dedicated to the centenary of reunification was unveiled in Prekmurje Square.
Average pay up 5.5% in June
LJUBLJANA - The average monthly wage in Slovenia was EUR 1,813 gross in June, an increase of 5.5% on the year before. The average net wage rose at an even faster pace, up 6.1% to EUR 1,175, the Statistics Office said. The annual increase comes despite a marked drop compared to May, the final month of special bonuses for working through the epidemic.
Study confirms recent presence of endangered dolphin in Slovenian waters
PIRAN - A study has shown that an endangered subspecies of the common dolphin visited the Gulf of Trieste between 2009 and 2012, after a long period of absence due to systematic culling and lack of food. The marine mammal association Morigenos made the discovery based on direct observations and found carcasses. It says at least four specimens appeared in Slovenian territorial waters between 2009 and 2012.
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