STA, 31 December 2020 - Slovenian ski resorts are allowed to open on 1 January, but only for skiers who test negative for coronavirus, the government decided on Thursday.

The government decree gives the operators of ski resorts the option to set up rapid testing sites at entry points to their ski resorts.

Alternately, skiers may produce a negative test no older than 24 hours that was performed in Slovenia. Accompanied children under 12 do not have to be tested

STA, 1 January 2020 - Although there were no organised mass parties in Slovenia due to the coronavirus lockdown and curfew, New Year's Eve was busy for the police, with more than 700 officers securing law and order over the night. They processed 11 traffic accidents, 120 violations of public order and 20 criminal acts.

In 46 cases, public order and peace was violated in public places, and in 74 cases in private properties, the General Police Directorate said on Friday. Nine perpetrators have been detained.

The police dealt with three criminal acts of domestic violence, and two persons have been issued restraining orders. A majority of the detected criminal acts was related to property crime.

In the last 12 hours, the police processed 10 traffic accidents with material damage and one with serious bodily injuries.

Two drivers have been detained for driving under the influence of alcohol and four vehicles have been seized over major traffic violations. Furthermore, the police detained four persons who have crossed the border illegally.

The Maribor Police Department reported that the border police at the Gruškovje crossing with Croatia discovered last evening four citizens of Afghanistan in a semi-trailer towed by a lorry registered in Turkey.

STA, 31 December 2020 - Below is a timeline of major events since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Slovenia in March 2020.

4 March - The first case of coronavirus infection is confirmed in Slovenia.

6 March - The government bans all visits to hospitals and nursing homes.

7 March - Public events in indoor spaces for more than 500 people are banned. A total of 12 infections confirmed in the country.

10 March - The government bans public gatherings indoors for more than 100 people and arrivals of flights from risky areas.

11 March - Slovenia introduces controls on the border with Italy; entry is allowed only at six checkpoints under certain conditions. Healthcare institutions suspend non-urgent preventive services.

12 March - Slovenia declares an epidemic of the novel coronavirus as almost 100 cases are confirmed. Kindergartens and schools close and primary and secondary school students switch to remote learning. Shops with non-essential goods, restaurants and bars are closed, as well as cultural institutions and libraries. Air passenger transport is suspended and public passenger transport is banned, except with taxis. Non-urgent medical services are suspended. All sporting events are cancelled. The border with Italy is closed for cargo transport and for international railway and bus passenger transport, with some exceptions.

18 March - Slovenia closes 27 local border crossings with Croatia, and only four checkpoints remain on the border with Italy. Many production companies temporarily suspend their work.

20 March - A general ban on gatherings and movement in public spaces, with some exceptions, enters into force.

20 March - The National Assembly passes the first package of measures to help the economy.

30 March - A decree limiting the movement of people to within the municipality of one's residence, with certain exceptions, enters into force.

2 April - The National Assembly passes the first anti-corona legislative package designed to help the affected companies and individuals. The measures were estimated at EUR 3 billion.

11 April - With the first signs of the epidemic waning, suspension of non-essential specialist medical services is lifted.

18 April - Maintenance and seasonal work on private land outside one's municipality of residence is allowed under certain conditions. Some sport and recreational activities are allowed within one's municipality of residence. A few days later, certain shops and service workshops are reopened.

28 April - The National Assembly passes the second anti-corona stimulus package, which includes state guarantees for liquidity loans to companies.

30 April - Exactly one month after being introduced, the ban on leaving one's municipality of residence is lifted. Visits to nursing homes are allowed, and a day earlier, cultural institutions and libraries re-open.

4 May - After several weeks, service is allowed in outdoor areas of restaurants and bars. Churches and some non-food shops, as well as hairdressers and beauty parlours reopen.

9 May - All healthcare and dental services are allowed again.

11 May - Public transport is re-launched after eight weeks, while international passenger transport continues to stand still. International air passenger transport is relaunched a day later.

15 May - The mandatory quarantine for Slovenian citizens and citizens of other EU member states upon entry in Slovenia is lifted. It remains in force for citizens of third countries.

18 May - Preschools reopen and children in the first three grades of primary schools and of the final grade of secondary school return to school. All shops and accommodation facilities with up to 30 rooms are allowed to reopen, and restaurants and bars are able to serve guests indoors as well.

18 May - The government creates lists of red, yellow and green countries relative to their epidemiological situation.

23 May - A majority of sports activities are relaunched, except in fitness centres and similar facilities.

25 May - Students of the final grade of primary school are allowed to attend school in person, while nursing homes and other social security institutions start accepting new residents.

26 May - A decree mandating a 14-day quarantine for citizens of EU member states and third countries enters into force, except for the green-listed countries.

29 May - The National Assembly passes the third anti-corona stimulus package, worth EUR 1 billion. The main measures are subsidies for shortened working time and tourism vouchers for facilities in Slovenia for all citizens. Subsidies for furloughed workers are extended.

31 May - After 80 days, the Covid-19 epidemic is officially declared over, as the daily number of infections drops below ten.

1 June - Students of the 4th and 5th grades of primary school return to school, and the number of children in units in primary schools and kindergartens no longer needs to be limited. Public events for up to 200 persons are allowed and all hotels, fitness centres and swimming pools are allowed to re-open. Night clubs remain closed.

3 June - Students of grades 6-8 of primary school return to school, while students of grades 1-3 of secondary school finish their school year remotely.

5 June - Austria is put on the list of countries from where entry is possible without limitations.

15 June - Public gatherings of up to 500 people are allowed. The restrictions on the border with Italy, introduced on 12 March, are lifted. International road and railway passenger transport is relaunched two days earlier.

19 June - The tourism voucher scheme enters into force, with the Financial Administration (FURS) transferring credit to all residents - EUR 200 per adults and EUR 50 per minor.

22 June - After two months of single-digit number of new daily cases, a double-digit daily number is recorded for the first time, mainly involving cases imported from abroad.

4 July - The government removes Croatia, France and the Czech Republic from the green list. Slovenia records a total of around 200 active infections.

9 July - The National Assembly confirms a new anti-coronavirus stimulus package with an emphasis on job preservation, mostly by extending subsidies for furloughed workers. A mobile contact tracing app is introduced. Gatherings of up to 10 people are banned, and gatherings of up to 50 persons are allowed only if the attendees are registered. Religious ceremonies and sporting events for up to 500 participants are still allowed.

18 July - A Covid-19 death is recorded for the first time after 31 May to increase the overall death toll in Slovenia to 112.

21 July - EU leaders agree on a pandemic recovery package, under which Slovenia may count on EUR 10.5 billion, including EUR 6.6 billion in grants.

23 July - The government adopts a new national plan for protection and rescue of people in the case of pandemic based on the experience with Covid-19. Restrictions on working time of food shops are lifted and stores are allowed to open Sundays.

25 August - Due to a deteriorating epidemiological situation in Croatia and the fact that many infections are imported from there, the government introduces quarantine for travellers returning from that country.

1 September - The new school year starts normally at all levels, albeit with number of precautionary measures in place.

2 September - A jump in new daily cases is recorded (55), and the number of active cases increases to around 500. Two days later, the government orders mandatory use of face masks and hand sanitation in public indoor spaces.

10 September - The daily number of new infections exceeds 100 for the first time, and the trend of a fast increase in the number of new cases starts. Infections start spreading in nursing homes and educational institutions.

13 September - The government reduces the mandatory quarantine upon entry from red-listed countries from 14 to 10 days.

19 September - Face masks are again mandatory in open public spaces where a large number of people gather, for example, at food markets. Employers are recommended to measure body temperature of employees, and opening hours of restaurants and bars are restricted to 6am-10pm.

29 September - The government adopts a new anti-coronavirus legislative package introducing new and extending the existing measures focusing on job preservation, care for the elderly and prevention of the spread of infections.

9 October - New restrictive measures enter into force. Gatherings are restricted to up to 10 people, and events with up to 500 people are allowed only with a permit from the health authorities, and held without food and drink served. Service in restaurants and bars and the number of shoppers in shops is limited.

12 October - A decree enters into force under which no country in the EU or the Schengen Area is on the green list.

15 October - The total number of confirmed cases in Slovenia exceeds 10,000, and a day later a record daily number of new cases (almost 900) is recorded.

16 October - Almost all statistical regions are classified as red zones based on epidemiological parameters, meaning that movement from and between them is banned. Face masks become mandatory in the open and gatherings of more than 10 persons are prohibited. Restaurants and bars are closed and certain sport activities are suspended in these regions.

19 October - An epidemic is declared once again, and the national protection and rescue plan is activated. Primary school students up from and including the 6th grade and secondary school students switch back to remote learning.

20 October - Slovenia enters a lockdown as a 9pm-6am curfew is imposed, gatherings are capped to six people and a ban on movement between statistical regions is instituted.

24 October - The fifth economic stimulus package enters into force. The principal measures include an extension of the furlough scheme until the end of the year, income support for the self-employed and farmers, new bonuses for health staff, and an extension of the liquidity scheme for companies until the summer of 2021.

24 October - The majority of consumer-facing activities are shut down, including hotels, bars, restaurants and cultural institutions.

26 October - The lockdown is tightened as kindergartens close except for the children of workers who cannot work from home; student dorms close.

27 October - A ban on movement between municipalities is put in place, albeit with many exceptions. A record 2,605 new cases are confirmed, 612 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, of whom 99 in intensive care.

30 October - Some services with minimum contact with consumers are allowed to resume, including construction and maintenance works.

2 November - Autumn holidays are extended by a week for primary school students. Universities switch to remote teaching.

4 November - The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital exceeds a thousand for the first time.

9 November - Remote learning resumes for primary schools after the end of the extended autumn holidays.

10 November - The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care exceeds 200 for the fist time. Slovenia joins the common vaccine procurement managed by the European Commission.

13 November - Citing rising hospitalisations and the spread of infections in nursing homes, the government bans all gatherings, except for members of the same household.

16 November - The state of epidemic is formally extended by 30 days. Public transportation is shut down, all non-essential shops close.

25 November - A record 1,302 Covid-19 patients are treated in hospital, of whom 215 in intensive care. Regular testing of health and nursing home staff with rapid antigen tests commences.

28 November - The sixth economic stimulus package enters into force bringing partial coverage of fixed costs for companies, extension of the furlough scheme, and significantly higher fines for organisers and participants of public gatherings during the epidemic.

3 December - The government adopts a five-tier exit strategy. The seven-day average of new infections and the number of patients in hospital are set as the benchmarks for the relaxation of measures. A vaccination plan is adopted.

7 December - Slovenia reports a record 66 Covid-19 deaths in a single day.

15 December - A temporary relaxation of measures is put in place until 23 December. Public transport resumes, hair salons, flower shops, car washes and dry cleaners are allowed to open. In regions with the lowest number of cases, it is permitted to cross municipal boundaries with an activated exposure notification app.

22 December - Mass testing with antigen tests starts in a dozen urban areas across Slovenia. Additional locations are added in the subsequent days. Testing is under way for several days and 5-6% of tests come back positive.

27 December - Vaccination against coronavirus starts at nursing homes a day after the first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, nearly 10,000 shots, arrives in Slovenia. Several thousand residents and staff are tested on the first day.

29 December - The National Assembly adopts the seventh economic stimulus package, worth an estimated EUR 550 million. It involves income support for pensioners, employees and students, and measures to help business, most notably higher compensation of fixed costs for companies whose revenue declined by more than 70% year-on-year.

STA, 31 December 2020 - The long-standing ban on travel between municipalities will be temporarily lifted between noon on 31 December and 8pm on 1 January to allow limited New Year's gatherings. The 9pm curfew remains in place.

The New Year's rules were determined by the government late last night and are the same as for Christmas.

This means up to six people over age 15 from two households may gather privately, whereas gatherings in public remain prohibited.

There will be no fireworks either as the sale and use of fireworks is banned.

Jelko Kacin, the government's Covid-19 spokesman, said the decision came after the government conducted a comprehensive estimate of the current epidemiological situation.

He said a lot of attention was dedicated to make mass testing with rapid antigen tests more widely available after New Year's to try and limit the spread of coronavirus.

STA, 30 December 2020 - The latest economic stimulus law, passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday, brings a series of income support transfers for groups including employees, pensioners, students and families.

EMPLOYEES

Employees with monthly wages below twice the minimum wage will get EUR 200 from their employers on their pay checks for December. The employers will be reimbursed by the Financial Administration.

Employees at public health care and social care institutions are eligible for a 30% increase in hourly pay if they work directly with Covid-19 patients. Those working the most high-risk jobs will see their hourly pay increase by 65%. The increase is valid through the end of the year.

CHILDREN

Parents or guardians of children up to the age of 18 with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia will get EUR 50 per child. Those who already receive child allowance will get the money automatically, those who do not have to submit an application with the Ministry of Labour, the Family and Social Affairs.

The existing allowance for the care of special-needs children will increase by EUR 100 per month effective from 18 October until the end of the epidemic.

The existing annual allowance for large families increases by EUR 100-200 depending on family size, payable until the end of the epidemic.

Babies born between 1 January this year and one year after the end of the epidemic will get a one-off allowance of EUR 500.

STUDENTS

Students with permanent residence in Slovenia will get a one-off transfer of EUR 150 EUR by 31 January.

PENSIONERS

Pensioners with permanent residence in Slovenia will get a one-off allowance of EUR 130-300. Those receiving pensions up to EUR 714 per month are eligible and the transfer will be carried out on 15 January.

FARMERS

Farmers over 65 whose taxable income was below EUR 591.2 per month in 2019 will get a one-off income support of EUR 150 that they have to apply for at the Agriculture Ministry.

UNEMPLOYED

The unemployed who were terminated or had their fixed-term contracts run out since 18 October will get a temporary cash benefit of almost EUR 514 per month until the end of the epidemic.

RELIGIOUS WORKERS

The employees of registered churches who were enrolled in pension insurance on 1 October will get a basic monthly income of EUR 700 for the last three months of this year.

BORROWERS

An extension of the option for both individuals and companies to request a deferral of liabilities stemming from credit agreements. Under a previous stimulus law, the deferral was in effect until 31 January next year, now creditors can ask for a nine-month deferral; their applications are due by 26 February.

COVERAGE OF FIXED COSTS

The previous stimulus package brought the coverage of fixed costs for companies whose sales dropped by at least 30%. The latest law doubles the compensation to EUR 2,000 per employee for companies whose income declined by more than 70%.

STA, 30 December 2020 - As the EU and UK have reached a trade and cooperation agreement to enable smooth transition to the full Brexit, British Ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler has assessed that, as the UK will always be a "close friend and partner to Slovenia", the deal enables the UK to continue to work with Slovenia as partners to tackle global challenges.

According to the ambassador, the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement brings clarity and certainty to UK and EU citizens and businesses.

"It provides a platform upon which the UK and Slovenia can boost our relationship going forward, based on shared values, free trade and friendly cooperation," Sadler added in the statement for the STA.

For the UK businesses, the deal maintains zero tariffs and zero quotas on trade in goods, and this is perceived as important as the UK and Slovenia look to rebuild their economies post Covid-19.

Official statistics show that the UK is the 20th most important trade partner to Slovenia, with the value of bilateral trade exceeding EUR 1 billion for the second year in a row in 2019.

Data for 2020 show a decline in trade, though, and data for 2019 indicate that the number of exporters to and importers from the UK is dropping.

Last year, a total of 1,530 Slovenian companies exported to the UK, which is 22% fewer than in 2018. A total of 4,885 companies in Slovenia imported from the UK last year, 5% fewer than in 2018.

Sadler said that, following the UK's exit from the Single Market and Customs Union, the UK would "continue to work very closely with the Slovenian government to ensure that citizens and businesses here are fully aware of the changes and of what they need to do."

Slovenian citizens will be able to travel to the UK until 1 October 2021 with a valid identity card or passport, and from then on entry will be possible only with a valid passport.

Citizens with a regulated status within the EU scheme will be able to travel to the UK with a valid identity card at least until 31 December 2025.

According to the Slovenian Embassy in London, 3,880 Slovenian citizens asked either for settled or pre-settled status by 30 November, with 1,790 being granted settled status and 2,040 pre-settled status.

The embassy does not possess information about whether the number of Slovenian citizens in the UK dropped after the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. It has told the STA that Slovenian citizens had not difficulties in applying for the status.

As the British government said that top talent would be preferred in immigration, the embassy noted that the Slovenians who lived in the UK were mostly highly qualified workforce or students.

In this respect, the British ambassador said that "we will continue to welcome Slovenian students to come and study at our universities" and that short-term visitors would continue to travel visa-free and have access to healthcare protection in each other's countries.

Slovenians who will start their studies in the UK next year will be treated as all other international students, which means that they will need to apply for a student visa and pay higher tuition fees.

On the other hand, those Slovenians who are already studying in the UK will be able to retain the rights they have had as EU citizens if they apply for status until 30 June 2021 to enjoy lower tuition fees, simplified visa regime and healthcare protection.

When it comes to cooperation in judicial matters, the deal puts into force a system of extradition of wanted persons based on an arrest warrant that would enable fast and effective extradition of wanted persons.

According to Slovenia's official position to the agreement, Slovenia will propose on the basis of Article 47 of its constitution a declaration under which Slovenian citizens would not be extradited on the basis of the agreement.

As for future cooperation in other areas, Sadler said that the deal enabled the UK to continue to work with Slovenia as partners to tackle some of the global challenges faced by both nations.

"Climate change will be a key priority next year, with the UK presiding over COP 26 at the same time Slovenia holds the EU Presidency. That is the moment we want the world to come together for the long term health of our planet."

As for cooperation with Slovenia in defence, the ambassador said that "we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in NATO", expressing the hope that the UK troops would train alongside Slovenian counterparts again.

Sadler added that "we have agreed a strong framework for future security cooperation" and that the deal provided for future cooperation between us on emerging security challenges, such as cyber crime.

STA, 29 December 2020 - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) leadership endorsed on Tuesday Karl Erjavec, the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), as a candidate for prime minister-designate. The SD also backed the formation of an alternative government and filing a constructive motion of no confidence in the government.

The SD finds it key for the potential new government to focus on tackling the health, economic and social crises until the general elections in 2022 and to set up foundations for Slovenia's development up to 2030 as well as boost public services, particularly healthcare and elderly care, SD leader Tanja Fajon said as quoted in a press release issued after a session of SD leadership.

She believes a new government would mean "the restoring of trust, normalisation of the situation and end of harsher communication that has deepened the divides among us". The SD would like to see the return of Slovenia as "an example of a democratic, green and innovative country".

To achieve this goal the party discussed today the informal KUL coalition programme priorities as well as development strategy.

The Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL) has been formed by the SD, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB).

After Erjavec announced last week that the vote of no confidence would be filed by year's end, his statement on Monday suggests that the step may not be carried out this year.

Following a meeting with KUL representatives, Erjavec said yesterday that they had agreed to invite the junior coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) for talks, noting "it is clear that we also need support by the SMC party if we want a new government".

The SMC is to discuss the invitation on Wednesday. However, the party said almost two weeks ago that it did not support Erjavec as candidate for prime minister-designate.

The LMŠ and SAB backed Erjavec prior to the SD's endorsement, and the Left is expected to decide on the matter at the start of 2021, the party told the STA today.

STA, 29 December 2020 - The Culture Ministry has once again appointed Robert Simonišek acting director of the Museum of Modern Art after the Administrative Court found the previous appointment decree lacking and ordered the ministry to see to the issue. The ministry told the STA on Tuesday it had remedied the identified shortcomings in a new decree.

The ministry highlighted that the court had found the previous decree lacking when it came to the appointment justification - a flaw that has been fixed in the latest decree, it said.

Under the decree Simonišek assumed office on 23 December and will be at the helm of the museum until a full-fledged director is appointed but no longer than one year.

The decision had been challenged by previous acting director Zdenka Badovinac, who had been at the helm of the museum since 1993. She claims that her right to equality before the law was violated during the appointment procedure, newspaper Dnevnik reported last week.

"The minister is said to have appointed the new acting director without reviewing whether they, same as her [Badovinac], met the criteria for the post, and the choice is said to have been politically motivated," Dnevnik said.

The latest public call for full-fledged director is not yet completed, the ministry said, adding that by appointing acting director it had secured the museum's undisrupted performance.

It was determined that Simonišek fulfilled all the selection criteria even prior to the first decree, the ministry said, noting that he had a PhD in art history and more than eleven years of experience in the field of culture and museum studies.

The third iteration of the public call for the post of director was published in early December, a day after the government adopted a decree amending the museum's articles of association.

The step softened candidate selection criteria. Prior to the changes, candidates eligible to be appointed had to have at least five years of work experience related to the institution's field of expertise.

Under the decree, it is sufficient now that a candidate has five years of leadership experience at the minimum and that they are familiar with the museum's work.

STA, 29 December 2020 - The National Assembly voted 44:40 on Tuesday in favour of a last-minute amendment to the latest economic stimulus bill that the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) tabled to reinstate public financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

The amendment stipulates that the STA must get all due financing for its provision of public service for this year paid within 7 days after the entry into force of the stimulus bill.

For next year, it must get funds regardless of whether a new public service contract for the year is signed, as is customary every year.

The amendment was endorsed by the centre-left opposition plus seven of the eight MPs of the coalition SMC.

STA funding was suspended over a month ago after the management repeatedly refused to hand over documents requested by the Government Communication Office (UKOM).

The STA has not been paid for its performance of public service for October and November. The payment for December is not due yet.

According to two separate legal opinions, one by the government's own Office for Legislation, UKOM is not entitled to all the information it has requested.

Some of the documents UKOM requested are seen by the STA as interference in the agency's editorial independence since they have nothing to do with financial operations but refer to STA content production or contracts that have nothing to do with the public service.

The author of the amendment, SMC deputy group leader Janja Sluga, said the party decided for the amendment "because of UKOM's conduct and all the legal opinions, and because we are of the opinion that public service should be financed and that UKOM simply does not have the right to demand everything it demands of the STA".

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič, another senior member of the SMC, said that the STA situation needed to be tackled at the legislative level and that the government's efforts so far had been insufficient.

He added that if there were any disagreements, for example regarding the STA's business plan, they should be resolved other than by cutting funds "and starving such an institution".

Prime Minister Janez Janša expressed opposition to the move on Twitter, used the hashtag #Zimbabwe and labelling the amendment as "a pinnacle of the rule of law".

STA, 29 December 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković on Tuesday to offer Slovenia's assistance in the relief efforts following a devastating earthquake near Petrinja, south-east of the capital of Zagreb. Solidarity and readiness to help was also expressed by President Borut Pahor.

Janša added in his post on Twitter that the Slovenian Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration was in the state of alert and was in direct contact with the authorities in Croatia.

President Borut Pahor also announced on Twitter that he had just spoken with Croatian President Zoran Milanović, who is on his way to the affected area. Pahor expressed compassion, solidarity and readiness of Slovenia to help the neighbouring country.

The 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit around midday. The epicentre of the earthquake, which was felt in large swathes of Slovenia, was 46 kilometres south of Zagreb near Petrinja, the epicentre of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake on Monday.

Janša said in a subsequent tweet that, according to the information collected so far, no significant damage had been recorded in Slovenia apart from several damaged facades, church towers and chimneys.

The prime minister also announced on the occasion that a national earthquake response exercise would be organised in 2021.

The Krško Nuclear Power Station, jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia and located roughly 80 kilometres north-west of Petrinja, was shut down today as a precaution in what is standard procedure in the event of a strong earthquake.

The earthquake was felt in the building of the Slovenian National Assembly as the MPs were holding a session, which was suspended for more than half an hour by Speaker Igor Zorčič.

Some of the MPs left the building, and after they returned, Zorčič told the press that he had certainly felt the tremor, although "I have to admit that for us politicians, the ground is always shaking beneath our feet."

Matjaž Han, the head of the deputy group of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), expressed support for Croatians who are facing such a tragedy amidst holidays. "If we can help them in any way, we should make ourselves available," he added.