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This summary is provided by the STA:
Over 3,800 new cases added to Slovenia's Covid count
LJUBLJANA - A total of 3,829 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Wednesday, an increase of 124% on the same day a week ago, as hospital data remained broadly stable and five Covid-19 patients died, government data shows. The PCR test positivity rate stood at 38%. Mateja Logar, the government's chief Covid-19 adviser, told Planet TV yesterday 230-250 ICU cases would be the threshold where the Covid-19 advisers would start talking about a potential lockdown. The number of ICU patients was 161 this morning.
Strategic Compass seen as biggest presidency achievement in defence
LJUBLJANA - The first draft of the Strategic Compass, a new concept of EU security and defence, is seen by the government as the biggest achievement of the Slovenian EU presidency in defence policy alongside efforts to bolster cooperation between the EU and NATO. Slovenia had played an important role in the consensus-seeking and had actively contributed to the draft, Uroš Lampret, state secretary at the Defence Ministry, told the press.
Quarantine guidance for health staff changed to cope with shortages
LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) issued new quarantine guidance to allow the healthcare system cope with staff shortages amid the Omicron-driven spread of infections. Given shortages, the personnel who have been in contact with an infected person are not required to self-isolate if they do not show symptoms. The NIJZ issued a three-tiered set of recommendations for organisation of work at healthcare institutions, depending on the availability of healthcare staff.
Exceptions from quarantine at home expanded, quarantine shortened
LJUBLJANA - The government expanded exceptions from quarantine at home after a high-risk contact with a person infected with Covid-19 to persons who have gotten a booster shot, who got Covid fewer than 45 days ago or who have recovered from Covid and have been fully vaccinated. Quarantine has meanwhile been shortened from ten to seven days. The changes to the relevant decree, which will start to apply on 10 January, were adopted based on a proposal from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).
Coalition proposes new pension rise system
LJUBLJANA - The coalition filed an amendment to the proposed legislative changes with which the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) wishes to raise pensions by 3.5%. In line with the amendment, only pensions granted by the end of 2010 would increase by 3.5%, while those granted in 2011 would go up by 1.7% and all others by 1%. Also raised by 1% would be minimum pensions, guaranteed pension and the minimum disability pension. The additional pension raise proposed by the coalition would be implemented on 1 January.
Power utility GEN posts record profits
LJUBLJANA - The GEN energy group is estimated to have generated a record net profit of EUR 80 million last year, around 25% more than the year before, with turnover up 36% to EUR 3 billion. The group highlighted its reliability despite market difficulties and its vision for decarbonisation, which includes a second nuclear power plant unit. Vision 3+1 is the key to decarbonising Slovenia's energy sector, envisaging nuclear, hydro and solar energy as primary sources (3) and gas as a backup source (+1), the power utility said.
Govt adopts strategy for digital transformation of economy
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a strategy for digital transformation of the economy for the 2021-2030 period, which is one of the reform measures under the recovery and resilience plan. The basic goal of the strategy is to be among the top five countries in the use of advanced digital technologies according to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) of the European Commission by the end of the first two years and among the top three countries by the end of the period.
UPU deputy director: Slovenia's postal service meeting challenges
LJUBLJANA - Marjan Osvald, the Slovenian who has this year taken over as deputy director general of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), underscores the importance of public infrastructure but also the need for national operators to adapt to the rapidly changing market, something that he has told the STA in an interview Pošta Slovenije has already done. The Slovenian postal operator is one of the most advanced in dealing with the decline in letters volume and is seen as a model in the region, he said.
Dnevnik: Courts bill draft envisages abolition of local courts
LJUBLJANA - The Justice Ministry has prepared a working draft of a courts bill which would abolish local courts and establish two district courts in Ljubljana by 2024. The proposal also envisages a specialised criminal court and a different method of appointing the president of the Supreme Court, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. The draft was forwarded to the Supreme Court, the Judicial Council and the Slovenian Judges' Association at the end of last year.
Civil servants to fill up at MOL pumps as a rule
LJUBLJANA - The Public Administration Ministry has picked Hungary's MOL as the priority supplier of fuel for service vehicles used by the government, urban municipalities and other institutions in a deal the news portal Necenzurirano says is valued at over EUR 25 million. As an exception public employees will also be able to fill up at Petrol and OMV. The ministry confirmed that MOL had been picked as the cheaper bidder, but did not disclose the sums.
Slovenia becomes innovative EU environment for circular economy
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has become the first innovative environment in the EU to work towards a systemic transition to circular economy in line with the Deep Demonstrations methodology, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning said. Deep Demonstrations is a model of systemic transition to circular, regenerative, carbon-free economy which was developed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Climate-KIC, Europe's largest public-private innovation partnership focused on climate innovation to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Slovenia's Expo pavilion to host three business delegations
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian pavilion at the Dubai Expo will host three business delegations in January, coming from the fields of logistics, travel, connectivity and mobility, and sustainable development and timber. The delegations will include a number of representatives of Slovenian companies, local communities and state institutions, and are to hold a number of events, including business conferences and various formal and informal meetings with potential partners.
Slovenian scientist elected president of Sigma Xi
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian scientist and engineer Marija Strojnik has been elected president of the Scientific Research Honor Society, Sigma Xi. She will start her three-year term on 1 July, says on the website of Sigma Xi. A distinguished professor at the Optical Research Center in León, Mexico, Strojnik has been a member of Sigma Xi since 1987. She is best known for developing an autonomous system for optical navigation based on CCD technology, currently used in commercial aircraft and numerous spacecraft.
UEFA boss Aleksander Čeferin becomes Delo's Person of 2021
LJUBLJANA - UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin was declared the newspaper Delo's Person of the Year for 2021 for "suppressing in a swift action the plan of the richest clubs to establish a super-league and thus destroy the European model of sport". He united and inspired Europe and its most visible politicians, while his fight for common people was supported by all institutions in Brussels. His work is also visible outside football, Delo added.
