What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

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FRIDAY, 20 March
        LJUBLJANA - Sweeping lockdown measures came into effect in Slovenia with the movement and gathering of people in public places banned until further notice with exemptions that allow society to function. This was as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 341.
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the first package of laws aimed at mitigating the impact of the coronavirus crisis, including subsidised pay for temporarily laid-off workers, credit payment and tax duty deferrals for companies, as well as trade restrictions for agriculture and food products. One act gives the government complete discretion in the use of budget funds approved for purposes not deemed part of legally binding tasks.
        LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec assured the public that there was enough basic foodstuffs in Slovenia for a few months with backup plans in place in case of disruption to existing food supply chains. She indicated the possibility of occasional problems in supply of imported fresh fruit and vegetables.
        LJUBLJANA - Facing a strike threat in protest against an emergency decree forcing grocery stores to be open from 8am to 8pm, the government pushed the closing time to 6pm, as demanded by the trade union of shop assistants. The restrictions do not apply to smaller retailers.
        LJUBLJANA - To ease the impact of the coronavirus fallout, the government issued a decree suspending certain contributions on electricity bills that will result in about 20% lower cost of power for households and small businesses until 31 May.
        LJUBLJANA - The governing council of the National Public Health Institute appointed Ivan Eržen acting director after the government relieved Nina Pirnat of her duties and moved her to the Health Ministry's Healthcare Directorate, unofficially due to her handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
        LJUBLJANA - Only days after being appointed, Miro Petek was dismissed as acting director of the Government Communication Office and replaced by Uroš Urbanija, a former STA home desk editor, who also worked as editor at the public broadcaster's news web portal MMC RTV Slovenija and commercial broadcaster Planet TV.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control joined efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine in cooperation with Slovenian and international companies, research institutes and universities. Its head Matjaž Peterko said development could take between less than a year and a few years.

SATURDAY, 21 March
        LJUBLJANA/ŠMARJE PRI JELŠAH - The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country rose by 42 to 383 with a total of 12,162 tests performed. Prime Minister Janez Janša visited the town of Šmarje pri Jelšah, the site of the second largest outbreak in the country, where the nursing home became a major hotspot.
        LJUBLJANA - Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government coronavirus crisis response unit, threatened that a ban would be imposed restricting people's movement to their municipality, a plan later shelved because of a low number of violations of existing lockdown measures.
        LJUBLJANA - Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, the Journalists' Association (DNS) and the Journalists' Trade Union condemned a Twitter post by Prime Minister Janez Janša in which he accused TV Slovenija of lying after running an interview with a trade unionist who expressed indignation about the pay rise for ministers and state secretaries. The government later announced a 30% cut in public office holders' pay during the epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - After the first week of school closure due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Education Minister Simona Kustec found that remote schooling was going very well while problems of some 700 students without access to computer or internet were being addressed.

SUNDAY, 22 March
        LJUBLJANA/METLIKA - Slovenia recorded a second coronavirus fatality as the number of confirmed cases rose by 31 in the past day to 414. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said that both patients who had died were in their 90s and had underlying health issues. The latest fatality was an elderly woman from the Metlika nursing home, like the man who died just over a week earlier. Visiting the facility, PM Janez Janša pledged an all out effort to supply enough protective equipment.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia sent emergency relief aid to Croatia in response to the neighbouring country's appeal for help via the European civil protection mechanism after a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit the capital of Zagreb in the morning. Slovenia dispatched ten tents equipped to accommodate up to 80 people with 60 beds and 60 sleeping bags and 20 heating devices, valued at EUR 107,000.
        KLAGENFURT/GRAZ, Austria, KRŠKO - The Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) reported that a preventive examination of systems and equipment had not detected any damage or impact on operations caused by a severe earthquake in Zagreb that was felt in Slovenia as well. The Nuclear Safety Administration said the power station, situated near the border with Croatia and hence close to the earthquake's epicentre, operated normally. Meanwhile, several Austrian politicians reiterated their calls for the closure of Slovenia's sole nuclear power plant.

MONDAY, 23 March
        LJUBLJANA - A 67-year-old man with multiple underlying conditions died at the infectious diseases department at the UKC Ljubljana hospital in the third coronavirus-related death in the country as the number of confirmed cases rose by 28 in a day to 442. As many as 13,812 tests were conducted, as rules changed to expand testing to persons older than 60, those with other risk conditions and those with immunodeficiency disorders even if they only have mild symptoms.
        LJUBLJANA - After halving its economic growth forecast for Slovenia for 2020 to 1.5% less than a fortnight ago, the government economic think-tank IMAD projected a 6-8% contraction in the country's GDP due the worsening coronavirus crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - A survey by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) found 93% of the companies surveyed had serious difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic and its ramifications, with 40% expecting a more than 70% drop in revenue in March, a further 18% expect to halve their revenue and as many project a fall of at least 30%. The chamber estimated a stimulus package of between EUR 2-4 billion was needed to avert an economic and social crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar revealed following a videoconference with his EU counterparts that more than 1,000 Slovenians were still looking to get repatriated amid the travel restrictions across the globe prompted by the pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - A public opinion poll conducted for the commercial broadcaster POP TV before the lockdown measures, put the voter approval rating for the government at 45.4% and the ruling Democrats (SDS) in the lead among parties on 20%.
        LJUBLJANA - Jernej Pintar, director of the Ljubljana Technology Park, told the newspaper Finance that several groups of engineers were developing various types of ventilators to meet the demand among a growing number of Covid-19 patients; the first prototypes were turned on the day before after development of several versions started over a week ago.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) announced that MP Franc Trček, who left the opposition Left after the National Assembly appointed the Janez Janša cabinet, was joining their deputy faction, which hence members eleven deputies in the 90-strong lower chamber.

TUESDAY, 24 March
        LJUBLJANA - The government presented a package of economic stimulus measures worth roughly EUR 2 billion designed to protect jobs and keep society in general functioning through the crisis. The measures, yet to be hashed out in the form of legislation, include loan guarantees for companies, purchase of claims to companies, co-financing of social contributions, temporary basic income for the self-employed and a one-off allowance for pensioners. Matej Lahovnik, the economist who heads a special task force of economists and executives advising the government on the measures, said this was the biggest stimulus ever in Slovenian history. PM Janez Janša and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj assured the public that the funds to finance the package were sufficient, with reliable sources available to tap into. Both the opposition and businesses welcomed the package.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded the fourth coronavirus-related death as an elderly woman died at the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. The woman had multiple underlying chronic conditions and died "at a very advanced age". The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia was up by 38 in a day to 480.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued EUR 850 million worth of three-year bonds and increased by EUR 250 million the existing 10-year bond issue due in March 2029. The newspaper Finance reported that the required yield on the three-year bond is 0.253% and 0.695% on the nine-year debt.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan welcomed the decision of EU European affairs ministers who agreed via videoconference to let Albania and North Macedonia begin accession talks after a series of setbacks. Dovžan said the step was a vital political signal for the region indicating a path to EU membership. He also stressed the importance of the EU's practical approach in tackling other open issues in the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The Agency for Public Legal Records (AJPES) said that 779 sole proprietors had closed shop due to coronavirus-related measures between 1 and 20 March, which is 44% more than in the same period last year, 48% more than had been the case for 1-20 February and 29% more than in the 1-20 January period.
        LJUBLJANA - Fresh police data showed an increase in the flow of illegal migrants across the Slovenian border despite the coronavirus pandemic, a trend attributed to warmer weather. Last week alone, 234 migrants were recorded, but no one tested positive for the novel virus. Slovenian police recorded 1,165 cases of people crossing the border illegally in the first two months of the year, an increase of 80% compared with the same period a year ago.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Večer reported that former Istrabenz CEO Igor Bavčar and former Laško CEO Boško Šrot were allegedly among some 130 prisoners who were released early as a result of efforts to stem the coronavirus spread.
        LJUBLJANA - Due to plummeting of global oil prices amid the Russia-Saudi price war and the coronavirus turmoil, administered fuel prices in Slovenia slumped to a multi-year low. The price of regular sold at service stations outside the motorway network fell 17.6 cents to EUR 1.029 per litre, the lowest since May 2009, and diesel was down 12.9 cents to EUR 1.017, the lowest since March 2016.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) chairman Bogdan Gabrovec welcomed the decision to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, saying that common sense had prevailed. The OKS called on the government to include sport in its measures to mitigate the crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian basketball player Luka Dončić, one of the key players of the Dallas Mavericks and former member of Real Madrid, was named to the EuroLeague's 2010-2020 All-Decade Team, as a third pick after Spanish Juan Carlos Navarro and American Kyle Hines.

WEDNESDAY, 25 March
        VIENNA, Austria - Drago Jančar, arguably Slovenia's leading contemporary writer, won the Austrian State Prize for European Literature 2020. The life-time achievement award, handed out each year, comes with a check of EUR 25,000. "Taking an individual to penetratingly render understandable the delusions of our history: this is one of the big strengths of his literature," the jury wrote about the 71-year-old.
        LJUBLJANA - A fifth coronavirus-related death in Slovenia was confirmed as another resident died in the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in the country. The number of people infected rose by 48, the largest daily increase, to 526, 73 of whom healthcare workers.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reintroduced border checks with Austria at 13 checkpoints to restrict access to the country because of the coronavirus epidemic. The same rules already apply on the Italian border.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to wait before it formally proposes the activation of a legislative provision that gives the military limited police powers in controlling the border, saying it plans to consult parliamentary groups as a two-third majority is needed in parliament. The article's invocation had been endorsed by President Borut Pahor in his capacity of commander-in-chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Nine EU leaders, including Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša, called for eurozone countries to jointly issue debt, a coronabond, in order to fight the devastating impact of coronavirus on the European economies, in a letter to President of the European Council Charles Michel.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor endorsed the government action to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Slovenia as well as the EUR 2 billion stimulus package. In an interview broadcast on TV Slovenija, Pahor said the composition of the group of experts advising the government on the crisis measures inspired great confidence, and the measures themselves were a step in the right direction.
        LJUBLJANA - The first of two convoys designed to repatriate Serbian citizens stranded in Slovenia due to Serbia closing its borders to curb the coronavirus epidemic, including to its own citizens, headed for the country after the Slovenian government reached an agreement with Serbia to organise transport for around 400 Serbian citizens returning from other European countries. The other convoy left for Serbia on 26 March.
        LJUBLJANA - A major shipment of much needed personal protective equipment arrived in Slovenia from the Czech Republic as an increasing number of businesses were joining the effort to meet the needs. A plane carrying 25,700 surgical masks and 5,000 protective suits landed at Ljubljana airport. This was following the 23 March shipment of 125,000 surgical masks, 93,000 pairs of gloves, 856 Tyvek suits, 20,000 head covers and 2,550 shoe covers. Two companies in Slovenia launched protective face mask production.
        LJUBLJANA - The government's emergency response unit, set up on 13 March to help manage the response to the coronavirus crisis, was dissolved after all capacities attached to the unit had been taken over by the relevant ministries and their departments.
        LJUBLJANA - The government formally submitted to UNESCO the multi-national bid for placing the Lipizzan horse breeding and related practices on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Slovenian-led bid to include the tradition in the longer of the two UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists also includes Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Slovakia.

THURSDAY, 26 March
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Janez Janša, National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič and National Council President Alojz Kovšca met to discuss the functioning of political institutions and joint action during the coronavirus crisis. They said action must be effective but also democratic so as to prevent a decline of trust in democratic institutions.
        LJUBLJANA - A resident of the Metlika nursing home died of complications caused by the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths in Slovenia to six. Total number of Covid-19 cases confirmed so far is 562, with a A total of 17,294 tests having been conducted.
        LJUBLJANA - The central bank said in its latest report that the banking system remained strong capital- and liquidity-wise but should now brace for a fast drop in profitability. A total of EUR 15.4 million in pre-tax profit for banks in Slovenia was reported for January, a 61% decrease year-on-year.
        LJUBLJANA - A survey showed that Slovenians are still worried about the coronavirus epidemic, but an increasing number (57%) believe the situation is improving. Only a week ago, over 50% of those polled said the situation was getting worse.
        LJUBLJANA - The Manager Association said it had elected Medeja Lončar, the director of Siemens Slovenija and CEO of Siemens Hrvatska, its new president. Lončar, who is succeeding Aleksander Zalaznik after he served two three-year terms, has been among the leading entrepreneurs in Slovenia and Croatia and already served as the association's vice-president in the previous term.

All our posts in this series are here

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Aleksandra Jereb. You can see more of her work here.

Contents

Sixth Covid-19-related death in Slovenia confirmed

Survey: Slovenians quite optimistic about coronavirus situation

Slovenia's stock of protective gear sufficient for at least a week

Top officials pledge effective and democratic action

Pahor endorses govt coronavirus action

Slovenians returning from Spain to be put in strict quarantine

Coronavirus crisis particularly hard on Roma without access to drinking water

Sixth Covid-19-related death in Slovenia confirmed

STA, 26 March 2020 - An resident of the Metlika nursing home died last night of complications caused by the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths in Slovenia to six. The person had several underlying conditions, the head of UKC Ljubljana's infectious disease clinic Tatjana Lejko Zupanc announced on Thursday.

There are currently 41 persons at the infectious disease clinic treated for Covid-19, of which 11 are in intensive care. One of the patients from the intensive therapy unit no longer needs artificial ventilation, UKC Ljubljana said on Twitter.

"This is exceptionally good news, which we had awaited eagerly," said Lejko Zupanc, adding that additional beds were being prepared at the orthopaedic clinic. A total of 20 beds have been prepared, and the capacity will be further expanded, if necessary.

She said that it was hard to predict how things would develop and that more would be known next week. "The next week will be critical, and then it will be easier to assess the situation," but "the end will not come over night."

Lejko Zupanc noted that all patients undergoing intensive therapy needed several weeks to be unplugged from artificial ventilation. Patients in other wards also need oxygen and hospitalisation takes a long time, which is why the number of patients in increasing.

She added that doctors at UKC Ljubljana spent a lot of time on duty and that they were under immense stress, but that they remained very optimistic for now.

The UKC Maribor hospital reported that 19 patients were being treated there, including four persons in intensive care, who are connected to ventilators. Two patients are also in intensive care in the Golnik Clinic for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases.

Nine Covid-19 patients are currently hospitalised in Celje, with one in intensive care, the Celje general hospital said on Twitter.

A total of 36 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 562. A total of 17,294 tests have been conducted so far.

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Survey: Slovenians quite optimistic about coronavirus situation

STA, 26 March 2020 - Slovenians are still worried about the coronavirus epidemic, but an increasing number (57%) believe the situation is improving, a survey carried out by pollster Valicon between 23 and 25 March shows. Only a week ago, over 50% of those polled said the situation was getting worse.

While 3% even think the situation is improving considerably, the number of those who believe it is much worse than it was has dropped from 8% last week to only 3%.

And while 84% of the 566 polled respondents are worried, two points up from last week, only 25% are very worried, a drop of two points.

Almost 50% of those polled perceive the situation as rather negative, labelling it as "unpleasant or tiresome", but over 50% gave more positive answers such as "acceptable or manageable".

The respondents are still most worried about their families (74% as opposed to 81% a week ago), followed by being worried how long the epidemic will last (54%) and the consequences it will have for the economy (46%).

The majority (51%) approve of anti-coronavirus measures taken by the government, 46% said they were partly adequate or partly inadequate, with 3% seeing them as outright inadequate.

The number of those who believe the measures are not strict enough has fallen from over 50% to 40% in a week, with 53% describing them as appropriate.

Forty-three percent of Slovenians believes schools and kindergartens will be closed and public life at a standstill for another two months, whereas around 30% believe this will change in a month.

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Slovenia's stock of protective gear sufficient for at least a week

STA, 26 March 2020 - After Slovenia received several shipments of protective gear in the past few days, its current stock should suffice at least for a week, chief of the civil protection service Srečko Šestan told the press. New orders have also been placed, so there should be enough protective gear in the future as well, said Aleš Cantarutti of the Economy Ministry.

Slovenia currently has over 7,500 protective suits, 26,000 FFP3/N95 masks, 790,000 surgical masks, 100,000 IIR surgical masks and 7.7 million pairs of gloves. Provided that the gear is used up at a similar pace as it was in the past week, this will suffice for at least one week, Šestan said, noting that additional shipments were expected.

He said health institutions - hospitals, community health centres, retirement homes, pharmacies and dentists - had priority in the distribution of protective gear. Some 30% of the gear is intended for other providers of crucial services such as funeral services, taxi drivers, security guards, prisons etc.

The Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration has between 2,000 and 5,000 people working in the field every day, including helping with border checks and distributing aid to people's homes. Šestan said they were also ready for a potential increase in demand for their services.

Some 100 employees of the Financial Administration (FURS) and FURS vehicles were also helping with the distribution of the gear, the chief of the civil protection services said.

According to Economy Ministry State Secretary Aleš Cantarutti, the first Slovenian-made masks have already been delivered as well. Given the number of companies making face masks in Slovenia now, Cantarutti believes the country will eventually reach a certain degree of self-sufficiency in this respect.

Nevertheless, the Commodity Reserves Institute has made several new orders in the past days, and the delivery of those items, including 326 additional ventilators, is expected in the next 60 days.

Additional ventilators have also been ordered by the UKC ljubljana and Celje hospitals, and together with a donation by the power utility HSE, the health system should get an additional 472 ventilators shortly.

But since it is not clear what the demand for these devices will be, another 100 will be ordered. They should be in Slovenia in the next four to six weeks.

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Top officials pledge effective and democratic action

STA, 26 March 2020 - Slovenia's top officials met on Thursday to discuss the functioning of political institutions and joint action during the coronavirus crisis. They said action must be effective but also democratic so as to prevent a decline of trust in democratic institutions.

"The way we survive the crisis will determine how we live after the crisis," President Borut Pahor said after talks with Prime Minister Janez Janša and the heads of both chambers of parliament, National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič and National Council President Alojz Kovšca.

Pahor said the intention of the meeting was to determine whether adjustments may be needed so that all decisions are taken fast and in line with the constitution and the law.

"It is of utmost importance that this crisis - health and social crisis - be tackled in a democratic manner with due respect for all standards," he said.

He said the government was doing a good job while the general atmosphere in politics was favourable with differences in views reconciled without hampering the efficiency of measures.

Janša said the government was working efficiently and lawfully, with the measures realistic and feasible, adding that it was "fighting a battle against time".

Zorčič mentioned the possibility of shortening the time frame after which new bills and legislative changes that may not be challenged in referendum take effect, with Pahor saying that the currently valid period of eight days remained in place.

If there is a need to change this so as to allow more effective decision-making, the rule may be changed in line with the rules of procedure by means of democratic procedures, Pahor said.

Zorčič said that some legal experts believed solutions to this could be found within the existing legislation, "but I believe nobody has said that this could already be done today and without risk. And when it comes to emergency laws we really do not want to risk having them declared unconstitutional because they had taken effect to quickly."

The upper chamber president said that the councillors would make an effort to make decisions as fast as possible, noting that the National Council had already waived the right to veto the most recent package of emergency measures drafted by the government.

Talking to the STA after the joint statement, Kovšca said that in the future he would inquire with councillors whether they were thinking about vetoing any bill discussed in parliament and in case of a critical number of affirmative answers, inform the speaker and the president about this.

"Democracy, its standards and norms do not make effectiveness impossible. But in such extraordinary situations they do require more coordination, foresight, cooperation and understanding," Pahor said.

Zorčič said that one of the main challenges was to "prepare for MPs falling ill and get everything ready so that at least a part of their work could be done from home". This is not allowed in the rules of procedure, but the speaker believes that there is political will to change that. The National Council has meanwhile already video-conferenced its sessions, said Kovšca.

Janša and Pahor also expressed hope that EU countries will learn from this epidemic. Pointing to the migration crisis, Pahor said that the global pandemic had shown for a second time in a short time that the EU was unable to fight together. He hopes the bloc will draw a lesson from the situation so as to strengthen the trust of the people.

The prime minister echoed this. His government is "making a list of things that need to be prepared if Slovenia is faced with another epidemic in the future. As far as we're concerned, we'll be a hundred times better prepared that we were now."

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Pahor endorses govt coronavirus action

STA, 26 March 2020 - President Borut Pahor has endorsed the government action to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Slovenia as well as the EUR 2 billion stimulus package it set out on Tuesday. In a televised interview last night, he commended citizens and the opposition for responsible conduct.

In an interview broadcast on the late night Odmevi news show on TV Slovenija, Pahor said the composition of the group of experts advising the government on the crisis measures inspired great confidence, and the measures themselves were a step in the right direction.

"I'm not saying they are ideal or that they won't need amendments and adjustments on the go, but I feel they are being taken on time and are such that no one will be left behind," he said about a legislative package to aid businesses and people, to be adopted by the government on Friday.

The president finds action to contain the epidemic appropriate. He praised in particular health staff and the health system as a whole. "They've managed to flatten the curve of infections and the sick to an extent the system can manage."

He in particular noted a "responsible attitude" by the opposition: "They have their opinion, criticism, but they are doing it in a responsible way."

He also lavished praise on the citizens for "exemplary" abiding by the measures imposed. "I'm proud of our homeland and our people, how we've responded in this serious situation to the recommendations and instructions of the competent services."

Asked whether the lockdown measures were taken on time, he said neither South Korea nor Singapore claimed they had taken all the necessary measures on time.

"No country in the world, not even China, has reacted right away. There's no rule book for such a situation. It's an unprecedented situation. Perhaps Slovenia should have taken some steps sooner or differently as well, but we'll be all wise after the event.

"Fact is we've caught the last train for those radical, partly excessive measures that I've welcomed so that we've flattened the curve. While we cannot project the peak, we may be optimistic that due to the right action Slovenia is on top of the situation."

Pahor expects the health crisis to be followed by a recession where it would be important to take measures that would not generate inequality. "I find it important that there won't be differences at the level of countries or between countries that could provoke disappointments, even anger, which would then reduce politics' potential to manage the situation."

The latter issue would be the topic of the four leaders' meeting today, as Pahor hosts PM Janez Janša and the speakers of both houses of parliament. "I find it important not to focus only on measures aimed at reducing the number of infected and sick, we must also take on the consequences so that everyone gets the feeling they were not left behind in this crisis."

Pahor reiterated his support for invoking a special clause of the defence act to give the army limited police powers, so that it could alleviate the burden on the police on the south border.

However, he finds it important that deputy factions are consulted. "It's essential to keep the sense of democracy, democratic standards despite the state of emergency (...) We must convince the needed majority in parliament with arguments that this is a necessary measure."

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Slovenians returning from Spain to be put in strict quarantine

STA, 26 March 2020 - Some 100 Slovenians will return home on Thursday on evacuation flights arranged by the Foreign Ministry. About 50 have already been flown in from Warsaw and Prague, while 50 are to return on a flight from Madrid this evening. Coming from a high-risk area, the latter will not go into self-isolation but will be quarantined in a hotel.

Apart from the Slovenian passengers - among them is reportedly also basketball player Zoran Dragić - the flight from Madrid will also carry a handful of Austrian citizens.

The Slovenian citizens have been informed by the embassy in Spain that they would not be self-isolating at home. The decision to place them at a separate location was made by health experts because Spain is a high-risk country, the Foreign Ministry said.

They will be placed in Paka Hotel in Velenje, which has been made available to the state free of charge by Hisense, the Chinese-based owner of household appliances maker Gorenje.

The Foreign Ministry is currently organising a second flight from Madrid, with take-off expected on Saturday. The ministry also called on those who want to return to get in touch with the Slovenian embassy in Madrid as soon as possible.

This flight from Spain will follow the same quarantine protocol, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that the Health Ministry and the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) are in charge of quarantine.

The previous night 50 Slovenians returned on a flight from Warsaw that made a layover in Prague, where the plane was also boarded by a group of seven retuning from Vietnam. Meanwhile, the flight from Ljubljana to Warsaw carried 12 Poles and two Czech citizens.

Moreover, there is also a possibility of an evacuation flight from Helsinki next week, sometime between Monday and Wednesday. The flight may make layovers in other Nordic countries, the Slovenian embassy in Denmark has said on its website.

The embassy in Brasilia is meanwhile getting everything ready to get Slovenians out of Ecuador. Three flights have been planned: one on Friday from Quito to Frankfurt with a layover in Guayaquil, and two on Monday, both from Quito to Madrid with layovers in Guayaquil.

These will be special flights and ticket bookings will only be possible through embassies.

A crisis team at the Foreign Ministry has been working tirelessly for days on end to ensure Slovenians abroad can return home, as global passenger transport has been gradually shutting down. Slovenia has suspended regular air passenger traffic last week, however, evacuation flights may land and take off.

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Coronavirus crisis particularly hard on Roma without access to drinking water

STA, 26 March 2020 - Several informal Roma settlements in Slovenia remain without drinking water and are thus struggling particularly hard in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Efforts are under way to equip them with emergency water tanks, while solutions are also being sought to include more Roma children in distance learning.

The Forum of Slovenian Roma Councillors, comprising Roma municipal councillors, has warned that the tough living conditions for the Roma mean this population is paying an even higher toll due to the epidemic and social distancing measures.

While it is particularly hard to stay at home when living conditions are inappropriate, the key problem is that individual settlements remain without drinking water, the councillors wrote.

The head of the forum Darko Rudaš has told the STA that a fresh appeal had been made to secure water access, an appeal that is this time "not based on the Slovenian constitution that secures drinking water to all citizens or on the protection of human rights, but on the threat of an infection that would be impossible to control in a settlement without drinking water".

"It would not be realistic to demand systemic solutions and we are not doing that, since it could take too long," Rudaš said, while explaining the idea was to install water tanks. "We are not demanding that this be free of charge, only that is financially accessible for these people," he added.

Rudaš explained talks on this had been under way with the Government Office for National Minorities and that water tanks could be arranged within a week.

The office's head Stane Baluh confirmed efforts had been started with several Roma organisations and that a call to protect the Roma had been sent in recent days to several institutions.

Rudaš said that no cases of Covid-19 had been confirmed yet in Roma settlements in Slovenia, that the community had been informed about the needed protective measures via a TV report in the Roma language and was behaving responsibly.

He also highlighted problems with the inclusion of Roma children into distance learning schemes set up by schools as a result of the crisis.

"The schools have made a huge effort and are establishing contact with Roma children and their parents. The importance of Roma assistants became particularly clear in this situation," he said, but stressed that, in particular in the south-east of the country, lack of computers and limited internet access was an issue.

Rudaš pointed out that distance learning was tougher for children living at close quarters and that some of the parents were too poorly educated to help them. Serious efforts will need to be invested to help them catch up after the crisis.

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STA, 25 March 2020 - Nine EU leaders, including Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša, have called for eurozone countries to jointly issue debt in order to fight the devastating impact of coronavirus on the European economies. The leaders presented their idea in a four-page letter addressed to President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The leaders of Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia propose in the letter "a common debt instrument issued by a European institution to raise funds on the market on the same basis and to the benefits of all member states".

They believe this is necessary for "ensuring stable long term financing for the policies required to counter the damages caused by this pandemic."

"The case for such a common instrument is strong, since we are all facing a symmetric external shock, for which no country bears responsibility, but whose negative consequences are endured by all. And we are collectively accountable for an effective and united European response."

The common debt instrument should have sufficient size and long maturity to be fully efficient and avoid roll-over risks now as in the future, the leaders argue.

The idea of a mutualised debt is a frequent request of heavily indebted EU nations and is championed by the European Central Bank, but Germany and other rich northern members, which usually carry the biggest part of the burden in such projects, oppose it.

France, Spain and Italy have long called for some kind of eurobond, that is in effect joint borrowing by the 19 members of the euro single currency.

They say it could serve as the bedrock of a safer and more unified European economy and would become a globally respected asset on par with the US Treasury bills that help make the dollar the world's reference currency.

EU leaders discussed the possibility of an EU "corona bond" to finance urgent measures and help deal with the consequences of the epidemic at a videoconference last week.

In today's letter, EU leaders say the coronavirus pandemics "is an unprecedented shock and it requires exceptional measures".

All European countries have taken or are taking containment measures to stem the spread of the virus, but the success of these measures will depend on the timing, the extent and the coordination of sanitary measures implemented by different governments, they say.

They urge "an alignment of practices across Europe, based on past successful experiences, on experts' analysis, on thorough exchange of information".

"This is necessary now, during the peak phase of the epidemic... It will also be necessary tomorrow when we will roll-back the extreme measures taken today, both to avoid too hasty a return to normality and to prevent re-importing the virus from other countries."

The leaders are calling on the European Commission to "come out with agreed guidelines, a common base for the collection and sharing of medical and epidemiological information, and a strategy to deal in the near future with the staggered evolution of the epidemic".

Preserving the functioning of the single market is essential to give all European citizens the best possible care and the strongest guarantee that there will be no shortage of any kind, the letter reads.

"We need to recognize the severity of the situation and the necessity for further action to buttress our economies today, in order to put them in the best condition for a rapid recovery tomorrow. This requires the activation of all existing common fiscal instruments to support national efforts and ensure financial solidarity, especially within the eurozone."

EU leaders are expected to hold a video conference on Thursday, where they are expected to greenlight a pandemic crisis instrument to help European countries with precautionary loans from the European Stability Mechanism.

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Xenia Guzej. You can see more of her work here.

Contents

Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed

Major shipment of protective equipment in Slovenia

Slovenia requests tax and tariff exemption for medical gear imports

Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed

STA, 25 March 2020 - A fifth coronavirus-related death in Slovenia was confirmed Wednesday as another person died in the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in the country, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announced.

Gantar said that fifty new cases of Covid-19 infection had been confirmed since yesterday, bringing the total number to 528. According to him, 73 of the infected persons are healthcare workers.

This is the largest daily increase in the number of infected persons in Slovenia, surpassing the previous record of 45 on 13 March.

However, a direct comparison is not possible since the methodology has changed: the cases used to be counted by 10am, now they are counted from midnight to midnight. The latest daily increase thus refers to the entire Tuesday.

The National Public Health Institute later said that 528 positive tests had been recorded by midnight on Tuesday, but that the number of positive persons was actually 526, as some of the tests had been repeated.

"We expect a growth in the number of patients in the coming days. At this point we cannot project when the epidemic will peak," Gantar said.

He added that the situation could deteriorate very quickly if citizens failed to respect all the instructions and restrictive measures.

The minister also said that it was hard to project possible additional measures in the healthcare system, as these would depend mainly on the trends in patient numbers.

A total of 16,113 persons have been tested, with 1,243 being tested on Tuesday alone.

A total of 72 patients have so far been hospitalised, of whom 14 are in intensive care. Nationwide there are 539 beds available for coronavirus patients, of which 56 in intensive care, and the number could be increased to up to 1,000 if other health services are scaled back.

Gantar said that the government would reorganise the healthcare system as needed to adapt it to the growing number of Covid-19 patients.

The number of regular services has been reduced because of the limited staff capacity, equipment and premises, he said, adding that the ministry wanted to connect hospitals around the country when it came to the most important fields.

Coordinators for individual fields will be appointed in individual hospitals to gain a comprehensive insight into the developments and capacities in the country.

Intensive care will be organised as a single hospital. "This way we will know at any moment where enough staff, equipment and room is available for potential new Covid-19 patients," the minister explained.

Asked how many patients had recovered, Gantar said that there was no clear definition of recovery, while noting that dozens of persons had been discharged from hospital.

Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj added that nursing homes around the country remained the hot spots, but added that the operators had been well prepared for the situation, which was under control.

Both ministers noted that protective gear remained one of the main challenges both in nursing homes and medical institutions.

More about this topic is expected to be known on Thursday, with Gantar saying that small shipments continued to arrive on an ongoing basis.

The system has a sufficient quantity of medication for the next 30 days, and procedures are under way to purchase additional quantities, he added.

The minister noted that foreign countries had started to restrict exports of medications, adding that Slovenia had contacted Japan in relation to a medication which was expected to be used for treatment of Covid-19.

"There are many experimental studies, but there is not enough scientific evidence for us to go for quick imports of some of other medications," he said.

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Major shipment of protective equipment in Slovenia

STA, 25 March 2020- A major shipment of much needed personal protective equipment arrived in Slovenia from the Czech Republic on Wednesday as an increasing number of business are joining the effort to meet the needs.

A plane carrying 25,200 N95 surgical masks, 500,000 other surgical masks and 5,000 protective suits landed at Ljubljana airport, the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration said.

Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec, who was present upon the landing, tweeted that the flight form Pardubice had been organised as a matter of urgency overnight.

"This and other shipments expected in Slovenia these days will significantly improve the material situation at Slovenian hospitals, which also means better and safer working conditions for doctors and other health staff," the ministry stated on its Facebook profile.

Prime Minister Janez Janša has thanked the Czech Republic for the equipment via Twitter.

Defence Minister Matej Tonin, also communicating via Twitter, has said that distribution of the equipment to health institutions and nursing homes has already begun.

The Commodity Reserves Institute has also supplied an additional 3.36 million pairs of latex gloves and 920 washable masks.

A total of 526 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia, including 73 health staff. Four of the patients who have died have been residents of nursing homes, which have proved major virus hotspots in the country.

Medical organisations and trade unions urged the government today to supply health staff with suitable personal protective equipment on time, pointing to a dire lack thereof.

"What had been unacceptable [in terms of safety standards] only a week ago, has become a daily practice due to a lack of protective equipment," the organisations said in a joint appeal.

They say the equipment is needed urgently to contain the spread of the infection in health institutions, which they say were a ticking bomb.

The organisations also called for health staff that could get infected while treating Covid-19 patients to be provided accommodation outside their home.

The call comes as a growing number of Slovenian businesses are shifting production to make protective masks, with one of the companies starting to 3D print masks.

Having manufactured industrial protective garments and goggles for thirty years, the Ptuj-based company Zaščita had already developed an ergonomic reusable mask even before the coronavirus outbreak.

"We first offered masks to our business partners for their employees. Due to huge demand, we implemented strict hygienic measures for the safety of our employees and expanded production," company official Žiga Tement said.

The 40 employees are now working two shifts to put out between 3,000 and 4,000 masks a day in cooperation with external partners. They put most of them on the market, but have offered part of them to health institutions.

The dental lab of the Križaj Clinic in Muljava in central Slovenia has designed a reusable mask to be made on 3D printers that also includes a filter that keeps away 99.95% of 0.3 micron particles.

Before use the masks will be tested at the high-tech company Bia Separations.

Masks are also being made by individuals as well as several other companies, including Supreme, the Izola-based family business manufacturing sails. Employing only two people, they make 100 masks a day and could increase the output to 150 a day.

Several companies are donating equipment, including the Chinese-owned household appliances manufacturer Gorenje, which donated 1,000 masks to the Velenje municipality.

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Slovenia requests tax and tariff exemption for medical gear imports

STA, 25 March 2020 - As part of the measures to tackle the coronavirus epidemic ramifications, the Finance Ministry called on the European Commission on Wednesday to enable Slovenia imports of protective gear, medical devices and other commodities needed to contain the spread of the virus in Slovenia without VAT and customs duties.

EU regulations allow such an exemption in case of disasters and under certain conditions, reads the ministry's press release.

The relevant provision can be activated at the request of a member state or a number of them following a discussion between all EU countries.

The imported equipment or devices exempted from VAT and customs duties must be then distributed among the victims of the epidemic free of charge, with the commodities remaining in the ownership of the organisations that have imported them.

Italy has been the first member state to address such a request to the EU Commission.

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All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Alexander Sandi. You can see more of their work here.

Contents

Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed

No hold-ups at Austria border checkpoints

Proposal to give army limited police powers on hold for now

Tourism not yet affected in February, but drastic drop to follow

Ljubljana animal shelter preparing to admit animals of Covid-19 patients

Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed

STA, 25 March 2020 - A fifth coronavirus-related death in Slovenia was confirmed Wednesday as another person died in the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in the country, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announced.

Fifty new cases of Covid-19 infection have been confirmed since yesterday, bringing the total number to 528. According to Gantar, 73 of the infected persons are healthcare workers.

This is the largest daily increase in the number of infected persons in Slovenia, surpassing the previous record of 45 on 13 March.

However, a direct comparison is not possible since the methodology has changed: the cases used to be counted by 10am, now they are counted from midnight to midnight. The latest daily increase thus refers to the entire Tuesday.

"We expect a growth in the number of patients in the coming days. At this point we cannot project when the epidemic will peak," Gantar said.

He added that the situation could deteriorate very quickly if citizens failed to respect all the instructions and restrictive measures.

The minister also said that it was hard to project possible additional measures in the healthcare system, as these would depend mainly on the trends in patient numbers.

A total of 16,113 persons have been tested, with 1,243 being tested on Tuesday alone.

A total of 72 patients have so far been hospitalised, of whom 14 are in intensive care. Nationwide there are 539 beds available for coronavirus patients, of which 56 in intensive care, and the number could be increased to up to 1,000 if other health services are scaled back.

Gantar said that the government would reorganise the healthcare system as needed to adapt it to the growing number of Covid-19 patients.

The number of regular services has been reduced because of the limited staff capacity, equipment and premises, he said, adding that the ministry wanted to connect hospitals around the country when it came to the most important fields.

Coordinators for individual fields will be appointed in individual hospitals to gain a comprehensive insight into the developments and capacities in the country.

Intensive care will be organised as a single hospital. "This way we will know at any moment where enough staff, equipment and room is available for potential new Covid-19 patients," the minister explained.

Asked how many patients had recovered, Gantar said that there was no clear definition of recovery, while noting that ten persons had been released from hospital.

Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj added that nursing homes around the country remained the hot spots, but added that the operators had been well prepared for the situation, which was under control.

Both ministers noted that protective gear remained one of the main challenges both in nursing homes and medical institutions.

More about this topic is expected to be known on Thursday, with Gantar saying that small shipments continued to arrive on an ongoing basis.

The system has a sufficient quantity of medication for the next 30 days, and procedures are under way to purchase additional quantities, he added.

The minister noted that foreign countries had started to restrict exports of medications, adding that Slovenia had contacted Japan in relation to a medication which was expected to be used for treatment of Covid-19.

"There are many experimental studies, but there is not enough scientific evidence for us to go for quick imports of some of other medications," he said.

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No hold-ups at Austria border checkpoints

STA, 25 March 2020 - Traffic at the border with Austria is running smoothly after Slovenia introduced border checks at 13 points as of midnight to contain the coranavirus epidemic. Maribor police, who control four check points, said no foreign citizens had been denied entry to the country in the first twelve hours.

"We did not deny entry to any passenger in the period when the checks were introduced and midday," the Maribor Police Department, which controls Jurij, Šentilj and Trate border crossings, told the STA on Wednesday.

"There are no tailbacks," the police said, but added traffic could become a bit more dense at times at the Šentilj motorway border crossing, which is the busiest one.

Similarly, Slovenian workers commuting daily to Austria, who are not subject to the checks, have not experienced any major delays on their way to work, according to head of their trade union Mario Fekonja.

The same regime of checks of foreign citizens applies on the Slovenian border with Italy, with passengers being checked their body temperature.

They need to produce a medical certificate showing they tested negative for the coronavirus no more than three days ago.

Should they not have it, medical staff assesses their health condition; they are allowed entry if their body temperature is below 37.5 degrees Celsius and they show no symptoms of infection such as coughing, sneezing and difficulty breathing.

The restrictions do not apply to Slovenian citizens or to persons with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia.

While rail transport with Austria has also been suspended, transit is allowed only in agreement with the neighbouring country.

Cargo transport and humanitarian convoys are excluded from the restrictions.

Slovenian citizens are meanwhile also checked by Austria. The new regime on the Austrian side was introduced on Friday.

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Proposal to give army limited police powers on hold for now

STA, 25 March 2020 - The government has decided to wait before it formally proposes the activation of a legislative provision that gives the military limited police powers in controlling the border. Before a formal proposal to that effect is made, parliamentary factions will be consulted, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said on Wednesday.

 "We decided yesterday that I withdraw the proposal from the government's agenda for now... I will first conduct talks with all deputy groups. We want deputy groups to contribute their ideas and their thoughts, but most of all we want to include all deputy groups in relevant decision-making as to the appropriateness of this measure," he said.

A two-thirds majority in parliament is needed to give the military police powers and the majority of leftist parties have been apprehensive about the plan. Some have said it is unnecessary at this point, others have expressed fear about the potential for abuse. Hojs has already talked to some of the deputy groups, the remaining meetings are scheduled until Friday.

The minister stressed that the army was not currently needed in Slovenian cities or on the country's roads, but it is "badly needed on Slovenia's southern border" with Croatia.

This is because a portion of the police force had to be deployed to the border with Austria, where police checks were introduced at midnight, while a segment of the force had been put on standby to step in if some officers become ill. Soldiers would fill any remaining gaps.

The checks on the border with Austria have been put in place to prevent Slovenia from becoming a pocket for stranded foreigners, Hojs said.

"We've restricted access for those who cannot continue from Slovenia to their homeland. We're talking about nationals from Southeast Europe: Serbs, Bulgarians and Romanians. Slovenia cannot become a pocket."

In recent days several hundred Serb nationals have converged on Slovenia. They had wanted to return home to Serbia from across Europe but were turned away on the Serbian border and dozens had been seen camping out in front of the Serbian embassy in Ljubljana.

Many were put up in a sports hall Tuesday night and will be evacuated to Serbia in special convoys today and tomorrow.

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Tourism not yet affected in February, but drastic drop to follow

STA, 25 March 2020 - Before an expected dive in March due to coronavirus, the tourism sector in Slovenia continued to do well in February, recording an only 4% year-on-year drop in arrivals to 302,000 and a 1% decrease in overnight stays to 853,000, show data released by the Statistics Office on Wednesday.

February in a fact saw an increase in the number of arrivals by foreign tourists, by almost 3% to 173,000. Italians accounted for 13% of all foreign visitors. Tourists from Serbian and Austria followed with 12% each, while Croatians accounted for 11% of the total.

The capital was doing particularly well, recording an 8% rise in the number of overnight stays compared to February 2019.

The figures are expected to change drastically over coronavirus in March. All tourist accommodation had to close in mid-March, air traffic has ground to a halt, and borders have been closed.

The government has responded to the expected woes of business and vulnerable groups with a EUR 2 billion stimulus package that is expected to be finalised by the end of the week.

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Ljubljana animal shelter preparing to admit animals of Covid-19 patients

STA, 25 March 2020 - The Ljubljana animal shelter has limited the admission of animals to urgent cases and is making preparations to take in the animals of potential Covid-19 patients who have nobody to look after their pet during their illness.

While the animals will be subjected to a 10-day quarantine, which is standard procedure at the shelter, a special protocol has been put in place for the handover.

Owners are urged not to bring the animals to the shelter but instead notify it via phone or get a healthy person with an authorisation notice to deliver it.

The head of the shelter, which has the capacity to admit about 50 animals, Marko Oman has told Delo that the staff is already used to working in protective gear, which is why protocols did not need to be changed much.

Omar is urging caution even if there has been no evidence so far that pets can also contract the novel coronavirus.

"It is recommended to avoid petting the animals, since we don't know as much about the disease as we would like to," he said.

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A short film by Danilo Milovanović, made during the pubic shutdown dealing with the coronavirus epidemic, shows how Bosnian workers continue to work 10-hour shifts at various constructions sites in the centre of Ljubljana, from Trubarjeva to Gregorčičeva. In the film, with English subtiteles, you can learn about their concerns. 

WORKING CLASS IN THE TIME OF A PANDEMIC from dnlmlvnvc on Vimeo.

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Sašo Vrabič. You can see more of his work here.

Contents

Number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia up by 38 to 480

Slovenia reintroducing border checks with Austria

Budget funds for stimulus package sufficient, say PM, treasury

Options for home delivery of food products expanding

Supply of ventilators and protective gear on schedule

Number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia up by 38 to 480

STA, 24 March 2020 - A total of 480 cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed by 10am today, up 38 in a day. According to the National Public Health Institute, central Slovenia remains to be the region with the highest number of infections.

Out of the 480 cases, 168 were recorded in central Slovenia, 89 in the Savinjska region in the east, 60 in the south-east, 47 in Podravje in north-east and 31 in Gorenjska in the north. Other regions have less than 20 cases. Six foreigners are also infected.

At least one case of infection has been confirmed until today in 109 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities, while 60 municipalities have more than two cases.

Most of the infected (96 persons) are aged between 25 and 34. Another 91 are 45 to 54 years old.

By midnight, a total of 14,870 tests were conducted.

According to data released by the government, 1,058 persons were tested today and 36 tested positive. In total, 65 persons were hospitalised today, ten are in intensive care.

Slovenia recorded the fourth coronavirus-related death today as an elderly woman died at the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic in the country.

The woman had multiple underlying chronic conditions and died "at a very advanced age", the Šmarje pri Jelšah municipality said on its website without specifying the woman's age.

The woman was a resident of the local nursing home, where 24 residents and six staff have so far been diagnosed with Covid-19.

According to Tadeja Kotar from the UKC Ljubljana hospital, 39 Covid-19 patients are being treated at the hospital today; eight of them in intensive care, which is the same as yesterday. The total number of patients rose by seven.

The patients are on average between 60 and 70 years old. Both the youngest and the oldest patients are women, at 25 and 95, respectively.

Ten people have so far been discharged from hospital, but none from intensive care. She said treatment in intensive care usually takes three to five weeks.

Kristina Nadrah from the hospital's unit for infectious diseases said patients were primarily receiving medical support but that some of them were also receiving the drugs principally used for the treatment of other conditions that have proven to be effective in the treatment of Covid-19, including chloroquine, used to treat malaria, and hydroxychloroquine.

Patients are also receiving lopinavir/ritonavir, which was intended for treating patients with HIV infection.

Nadrah said combinations of the drugs were being prescribed to patients, depending on their underlying conditions. But she stressed this was a test treatment and that the efficiency of the drugs in Covid-19 patients had not been proven yet.

The test drug remdesivir, which was developed in the US as a treatment for Ebola virus disease and is not registered yet, has also already been administered to the first patient.

Slovenia has received the drug as a donation from the US manufacturer, since the drug cannot yet be sold on the market, the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija reported last night.

Nadrah said the patient who had received it was feeling better but that it was hard to say whether this was only because of the drug. She said the drug would be available to other patients in intensive care as well.

According to Nadrah, Slovenian doctors are in contact with their counterparts from abroad on a daily basis. Talks are also under way for Slovenia to start importing some Asian drugs that have not been registered here yet, she said in a video-statement released today by the hospital.

The number of patients at the UKC Maribor hospital rose from 11 to 13. The number of patients in intensive care rose from two to three. The hospital currently has 67 members of staff in self-isolation because of close contacts with infected persons.

The Celje hospital admitted three additional patients today, putting its total number at four. One member of the hospital staff is in self-isolation. Ten tests were conducted among staff there and they were all negative, the hospital said today.

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Slovenia reintroducing border checks with Austria

STA, 24 March 2020 - Slovenia will reintroduce border checks with Austria from midnight to restrict access to the country because of the coronavirus epidemic. A total of 13 border checkpoints will be set up at former border crossings with Austria, Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government coronavirus crisis unit, announced on Tuesday.

According to Kacin, Prime Minister Janez Janša has signed a decree restricting entry to Slovenia from Austria in line with the rules that already apply on the Italian border.

The checkpoints will be set up at the former border crossings Gornja Radgona, Kuzma, Holmec, Vič, Jurij, Karavanke, Ljubelj, Trate, Radlje, Gederovci, Šentilj - motorway, Šentilj - local road and Korensko Sedlo.

Only foreigners with a medical certificate showing that they have tested negative for coronavirus not more than three days ago and foreigners with body temperature under 37.5 degrees Celsius and no visible symptoms of infection will be allowed to enter the country.

Slovenian citizens and residents will be allowed to enter.

Locals who own land on both sides of the border, those commuting on a daily basis, cargo transport, emergency and humanitarian vehicles will continue to be allowed to cross the border.

Train transport has already been suspended.

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Budget funds for stimulus package sufficient, say PM, treasury

STA, 24 March 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj have assured the public that the funds to finance the coronavirus stimulus package announced on Tuesday are sufficient, with reliable sources available to tap into.

Addressing the press conference at which the package to help businesses and the population was unveiled, Janša said the government was not planning a special supplementary budget tor the measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus crisis.

He said that a special framework outside existing fiscal rules and limitations was being set out at the EU level, a framework that would be expanded at the level of monetary policies of the European Central Bank (ECB) as well as at the level of EU and eurozone instruments.

"There's currently no concern about a lack of current liquidity to meet the needs," said the prime minister, referring to the planned measures to help business and the population and current public expenditure.

Minister Šircelj noted that the taskforce preparing the stimulus plan had estimated its value at around EUR 2 billion, adding that the Finance Ministry's calculation of the financial impact of the measures would be ready by Thursday evening, when the relevant bills were ready.

"The sources to finance those measures exist and are secured, realistic and reliable," said Šircelj, pointing to EU and domestic funds.

He assessed that Slovenia could count on EUR 1.1 billion from an instrument to be formed by the Eurogroup based on the European Stability Mechanism and EUR 2.5 billion as part of the ECB council's decision on an increased bond-buying plan.

The state will approve guarantees through SID Bank and special-purpose funds so that commercial banks can help the population and businesses with borrowing and loan repayment. In one of the measures the Bank Assets Management Company will be allowed to buy non-performing loans.

Money from cohesion funds will be diverted to where the money is needed more.

Slovenia is also in talks with the International Monetary Fund on an instrument that will allow additional guarantees, and with the World Bank, according to Šircelj.

He said that government borrowing would be within the set annual limit. The budget financing plan for the year sets the cap on state borrowing at EUR 1.58 billion.

Considering the still relatively favourable terms in the market, borrowing is possible and in a way pays off, said the minister, as the past more costly borrowing is being replaced by cheaper borrowing.

"These measures will cause nothing unusual, exceptional finance-wise, the financial system is stable," said Šircelj, expressing regret that some businesses and sole traders suspended their operations because they did not believe the state would take care of them.

Similarly, economist Jože Damijan maintains that financing the crisis mitigation and stimulus package should not be a problem for Slovenia.

He estimates a minimum state intervention should be between EUR 2.6 billion and up to almost EUR 6 billion, while Slovenia already has about EUR 3 billion liquidity in the budget.

The economist expects the state will issue EUR 5 billion of 10- and 20-year bonds. The state can borrow in international markets at low interest rates, while there is also considerable potential at home with EUR 20 billion in savings deposits.

In a webinar hosted by the Ljubljana School of Business and Economics, Damijan argued that a fast and substantial intervention was needed to reduce the damage to the economy caused by the pandemic.

He welcomed most of the measures set out by the government today, but dismissed the solidarity allowance for pensioners and a cut in public office holders' pay as populist, and labelling as discrimination the plan that the self-employed get only 70% of the minimum wage, while infected farmers get 80%.

He believes the government should fully compensate companies for the loss of income and wages for employees and self-employed. As a follow-up he suggests a transfer of EUR 500 for each adult and EUR 150 for each child to be able to spend more after the crisis at the budget cost of EUR 800 million.

Among several other measures he also proposed a six-month moratorium or rescheduling of loans of affected business and individuals.

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Options for home delivery of food products expanding

STA, 24 March 2020 - After major grocery chains already started struggling with a sharp increase in demand for home delivery last week, options for avoiding in-store purchases have continued to expand. Large numbers of volunteers have stepped forward to help the elderly, while companies making pasta, frozen baked goods and the like have set up delivery schemes.

Retailers have been reporting about up to five-fold increases in delivery orders, with capacities booked out days or weeks in advance, and have been expanding capabilities accordingly.

Some are also cooperating with volunteer organisations, which have moreover teamed up with social work centres, the police force, the civil protection and health centres.

Meanwhile, forays into home delivery are being made by companies with limited or no experience in this field, for instance Pekarna Pečjak, the biggest maker of frozen dough foods in the country,

On Wednesday, Pekarna Pečjak plans to start delivering around 100 products from its frozen foods line, along with pasta, bread, biscuits, oil, milk, salt, sugar and flour.

A similar service was launched a few days ago by Mlinotest, the Ajdovščina-based bread and pasta company.

Food delivery is moreover provided by the webstore of energy trader Petrol, while the bolha.com classified ads website is serving as a digital market connecting users to local food producers who deliver fresh food.

The network of food producers delivering their products has expanded around country and a number of farms have started selling their products directly.

Municipalities are taking action as well and are for instance publishing lists of food delivery providers.

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Supply of ventilators and protective gear on schedule

STA, 24 March 2020 - Senior Slovenian officials have assured the public that the supply of ventilators and the protective equipment required to contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country is running without disruptions.

President Borut Pahor received on Tuesday Chinese Ambassador Wang Shunqin to thank him for his country's support in the supply of ventilators, which are expected to be used on patients most affected with the coronavirus.

The post on the website of the president's office says that Pahor and Wang had agreed that Slovenia and China would maintain humanitarian, scientific and economic ties in a bid to manage the consequences of the pandemic.

The ambassador said that the company which supplied the ventilators would make sure that the supply to Slovenia went as agreed.

After the first 20 ventilators were delivered yesterday, another 100 are expected to be delivered by the beginning of the next week. A total of 220 ventilators are expected to be supplied in two weeks.

The press release adds that Wang had informed the president about the situation in China and thanked him for Slovenia's support and aid in the hardest moments.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek meanwhile told the press that a sufficient quantity of ventilators and protective masks had been ordered. The latter will eventually be available to all, not only to medical staff.

The minister said that there had been some logistical problems, but the "relevant ministries, equipment suppliers and diplomatic services are giving it their best for the ordered quantity of the protective gear to be supplied."

Počivalšek rejected speculations that some of the ordered equipment had gotten stuck along the way and reiterated that payments were made only after the equipment was delivered, not in advance.

The minister noted that companies based in Slovenia had also started producing protective equipment. "Soon we will start delivering increasing quantities of protective equipment and masks from our producers," he added.

At least two companies started producing face masks this week and are expected to make several thousand each day.

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Govt announces EUR 2bn stimulus package for economy

Crisis already reflecting in sole proprietorship, unemployment figures

Slovenian cultural institutions to suffer significant loss of income

Govt announces EUR 2bn stimulus package for economy

STA, 24 March 2020 - The government has prepared a package of economic stimulus measures worth roughly EUR 2 billion to keep society running during the coronavirus crisis. The measures include loan guarantees for companies, purchase of claims to companies, co-financing of social contributions, temporary basic income for the self-employed and allowances for pensioners.

Presenting the outlines of the "coronapackage" on Tuesday, Prime Minister Janez Janša said the measures were designed to protect jobs and keep society in general functioning through the crisis.

They are valued at roughly EUR 2 billion, the biggest stimulus ever in Slovenian history, according to Matej Lahovnik, the economist who heads a special task force of economists and business executives that has advised the government on the measures.

One of the principal measures helping the corporate sector will be a broad expansion of support for companies, both for those that continue to operate and those that are forced to scale back operations.

Part-financing of temporary layoffs had been provided as part of the first package of measures but this kind of financing will now be expanded: the state will fully cover up to two months of social contributions.

The measure will be in place until 31 May but may be extended if necessary, according to Janša.

To keep companies functioning, the state plans to step in and cover the employer and employee pension contributions of private sector workers who remain working during the crisis.

Janša also announced what he called a "financial cannon": a guarantee scheme for companies and purchases of corporate claims.

According to Lahovnik, companies will be able to sell unenforceable claims to a public institution. While the bad bank had initially been mentioned as the institution to handle such claims, Lahovnik said this had not been finalised yet.

Sick pay of all those who fall ill during the crisis will be fully covered by the public health insurance rather than employers having to cover the first 30 working days of absence. Unemployment benefits will automatically kick in on the first day of unemployment.

Corporate income tax payments will be provisionally suspended and suppliers dealing with the state will be paid in 8 days, down from a minimum of 30 at the moment.

The prime minister also announced extra funding for scientific and research institutions helping to develop coronavirus vaccines, drugs to alleviate coronavirus symptoms and protective equipment.

The self-employed will get a waiver of contributions and a monthly basic income of 70% of minimum pay. To be eligible, all they will have to do is to submit statements that their business has been affected by the crisis.

Lahovnik said it was crucial to keep this system simple and eschew red tape. The statements will be checked retroactively.

Pensioners with pensions below EUR 700 will get a special allowance to help them better cope, according to Janša. The one-off payment will be in the EUR 130-300 range and will be transferred on 15 April.

A special set of measures will be dedicated to farmers, with direct transfers and cancelled contributions planned for farmers who may contract coronavirus.

There will also be some savings measures, including a 30% pay cut for holders of public office and a 30% cut in fees for members of supervisory boards in state-owned companies.

While the judiciary will be exempted under a Constitutional Court ruling on the matter, Janša called on decision-makers there to voluntarily join the effort.

Lahovnik said follow-up measures focused on liquidity were already under discussion as well and would be presented "in a few weeks". He said it was crucial to act fast since the corporate sector risked entering "chain illiquidity" otherwise.

Janša said the state will provide "as much funding as necessary". "The fundamental aim is to freeze the existing situation in Slovenia so that we protect people and preserve jobs and potentials in business, science, research, culture and society in general."

The guidelines will be transformed into formal legislative proposals by the end of the week.

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Slovenian cultural institutions to suffer significant loss of income

STA, 24 March 2020 - Slovenia's public cultural organisations are trying to work out to what extent the coronavirus outbreak will affect their business if they stay closed for two weeks, a month or more. Some have opted to offer their production online as a gesture of good will for many staying at home, but this will not improve their bottom line.

All events have been cancelled, work largely suspended or reorganised from home, with those unable to work from home being put on hold, or instructed to use days off.

At Cankarjev Dom, the largest cultural centre in the country, only security guards and those vitally needed for the centre to be maintained come to work daily.

All the other employees are working from home, but there is no shortage of things to do, its director Uršula Cetinski told the STA.

"We're working on finances, staffing, cancellations or rescheduling of events, and we're also busy with preparations for the eagerly-awaited moment when we reopen."

The situation is similar at the SNG Drama Ljubljana, the leading theatre in Slovenia.

"Our business offices are open only a few hours a day for the employees to pick up the most urgent material or tools to work from home.

"This is also a time when our premises are being cleaned and disinfected as a precaution," the theatre explained for the STA.

Slovenian Philharmonic musicians are practising for post-coronavirus concerts at home, and National Gallery curators are busy with research related to future exhibitions.

Estimates of the loss incurred due to the coronavirus pandemic have not yet been finalised but Cetinski said Cankarjev Dom would lose EUR 416,000 if closed for a month.

The Drama SNG Ljubljana does not yet have the final figure, but the cancellation of its shows until the end of March should cost it over EUR 200,000.

What is more, it expects not to be able to reschedule most of the shows it was to play around Slovenia or among the Slovenian minority in neighbouring countries this season, which usually ends in May or June.

Given the situation, it will probably also have to cancel three major guest appearances abroad scheduled for the coming months, which will cause a major loss of income.

The Slovenian Philharmonic estimates its loss for March at some EUR 30,000 as a result of cancelled concerts and cancelled renting of its halls.

As for alternatives to live events, Cankarjev Dom offers on its website only an audio guide to a major exhibition on Ancient Greece's science and technology.

Cetinski explained that in order to stream an event, it would have to be first produced in an empty hall, which would pose a risk for artists to get infected.

Ljubljana's Drama has made some of its past events available on its YouTube channel and will have some TV adaptations of its productions broadcast by national broadcaster RTV Slovenija.

The SNG Maribor, another major theatre bringing together drama, ballet and opera, is planning to put some of its productions on the internet, but is still negotiating copyright, explained director Danilo Rošker.

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Slovenia receives fresh shipment of protective gear

Employers with new proposals to mitigate impact of epidemics

A thousand Slovenians still looking to be repatriated

Slovenia receives fresh shipment of protective gear

STA, 23 March 2020 - Slovenia received on Monday another shipment of protective gear to be used during the coronavirus epidemic, according to a tweet by Defence Minister Matej Tonin.

The civil protection today received 125,000 surgical masks, 93,000 pairs of gloves, 856 Tyvek suits, 20,000 head covers and 2,550 shoe covers, Tonin said on Twitter, adding that another 1,000 FFP2 masks were on the way.

Tonin, whose ministry is in charge of distribution, did not say where the protective equipment had come from.

Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government crisis unit, refused to say at today' conference how much protective gear was still needed in Slovenia but he did note that the country was in need of many pieces of protective gear.

"The main problem continues to be logistics, or how to get this protective gear that is mainly produced in China to Europe, and from here to the end user," he said.

He said the public would be informed of any shipments once they reached the country.

Kacin also said that plans were being made for Slovenia to transport protective gear by air, at least around Europe.

He thanked all donors that are helping out in this crisis and called on all those who want to help to contact local civil protection units, reiterating that hospitals, community health centres and retirement homes would be the first to be supplied with protective gear.

Some 800,000 protective face masks arrived in Slovenia on Thursday and Friday, while all trace seems to be lost of the 1.5 million ordered masks which were supposed to arrive at Hamburg airport on Wednesday.

Like many other countries, Slovenia is also launching its own mask production. Boxmark Leather, the Kidričevo-based maker of car upholstery, intends to produce between 40,000 and 45,000 masks per week or some 5,000 to 8,000 per day, and the Celje-based Prevent&Deloza plans to soon make between 30,000 and 40,000 washable masks, first supplying critical services and then also selling them in shops.

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Employers with new proposals to mitigate impact of epidemics

STA, 23 March 2020 - Employer representatives proposed to the government further measures to mitigate the impact of the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus epidemic, including full coverage of sick leave in relation to the virus, partial pay compensation for workers who currently do not have work and financial injections for companies.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has proposed that, in order to secure financial stability and liquidity, the obligation to pay taxes and social security contributions for March and April be written off.

The write-off rate would be 50% for companies who saw their turnover drop by more than 10%, and 100% for companies whose revenue dropped by more than 30%.

A 12-month moratorium would be in force for the payment of taxes and social security contributions for May, with the option of a 5% discount in case of immediate payment.

The chamber also proposes a EUR 1 billion capital injection in the SID Banka investment and development bank for loans to companies in 2020 and a guarantee scheme for all claims by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

On the labour market, the GZS proposes lay-offs without severance pay for the maximum of six months. These workers would get 80% of their wage, but not less than the minimum amount of the unemployment benefit.

The employer would commit to hiring back at least two-thirds of employees temporarily laid off in such a way under the same conditions, not later than six months after the lay-off.

The chamber furthermore proposes the option of a lay-off for the maximum of four months - employees would get 80% of their net wage, 20% of which would be covered by the employer, and the rest by the state.

During the temporary lay-off, the employee would have to be available to return to work for up to 16 hours a week.

Also proposed is that workers who are not able to work because they need to tend to small children get full compensation of their wages and that sick leave caused by the epidemic (including preventive self-isolation) is paid by the state.

In order to kick-start the economy when the time is right, the GZS proposes major public investment projects, preferably implemented by domestic companies, and a special programme for modernisation of public infrastructure.

Also proposed are incentives for private investments and a special programme for start-ups, promotion of venture capital funds, other measures for the financial market, and tax breaks for R&D and new investments, the chamber said in a release.

Additional proposals from the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) include full coverage by the state of the wage bill in companies for sole proprietors who have been banned from working or have no work due to the crisis situation.

Sole proprietors should also be exempt from paying taxes and social security contributions and get compensation for the period in which they are not able to perform their activity, it added.

The OZS said that employers should be allowed to unilaterally order part-time work or use of annual leave for 2020, and that if a worker is dismissed because of a drop in sales or orders, the state should cover severance pay.

Employers should also be allowed to retire workers who meet the conditions for retirement for the duration of the emergency situation.

While welcoming the financial measures prepared by the state bodies, the chamber said that the possibility of a 12-month deferral of credit obligations should also apply to leasing companies.

The OZS also said that the state should follow the German example and earmark one-off financial aid to micro and small companies.

The opposition Left meanwhile proposed today that wages of the lowest-paid workers "who have remained on the front line" - shop assistants, delivery personnel, and workers in manufacturing - should be doubled, with half of the increase to be covered by the state.

Left coordinator Luka Mesec told the STA the government had adopted last week "completely insufficient measures, missing out on a bunch of people who will be affected as the economy has slowed down."

These are, for example, precarious workers and self-employed, he said, adding that Slovenia would soon be able to use up to EUR 3 billion in aid from the European Central Bank (ECB) and that the state should help all.

"We will propose that all self-employed are exempt from paying social security contributions, that all who have been left without income and work get easier access to all forms of aid," he added.

The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber said that, in order to avoid mass lay-offs, the state should provide EUR 1,000 per worker in the tourism industry a month, or adopt amendments increasing the state's share in wage compensation from 40% to 80%.

The chamber also proposes liquidity-boosting measures in the form of grants, subsidies for lost revenue, write-offs of all social security contributions and taxes for all employees for this year, and of corporate income tax for 2019 and 2020.

On the labour market, it wants to see shortened work hours, aid to self-employed, partial coverage of wages for six months, and red tape cuts.

Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced that the government will discuss thing evening guidelines for a new emergency package. The guidelines include pay bonuses for workers in critical sectors, and aid to the self-employed.

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A thousand Slovenians still looking to be repatriated

STA, 23 March 2020 - More than 1,000 Slovenians are still looking to get home from other EU member states or third countries amid travel restrictions across the globe as a result of the escalating coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Anže Logar revealed following a videoconference with his EU counterparts.

The repatriation of more than 300,000 EU citizens who have expressed interest in returning home was one of the major topics of the first videoconference of EU foreign ministers on Monday.

Logar took the occasion to thank all the neighbouring countries with which Slovenia agreed joint corridors for transport of goods to destination markets across the borders despite restrictions in the past week. He also thanked fellow ministers of the countries helping with repatriation of Slovenian citizens.

Over the past week more than 300 Slovenians have been brought home safe and sound, and the ministry has been in touch with more than 400 helping them with information on their options to return to Slovenia.

More than 1,000 Slovenians who are still abroad have responded to the ministry's appeal to get in touch if they wished to return to their home country. About 500 are currently in the EU, most of them in the UK, with the rest dispersed across the globe, Logar said.

He repeated his call on all Slovenians abroad to get in touch with the consular service's crisis cell via the Foreign Ministry's website.

The ministry is organising repatriation from Warsaw, Prague, Brussels and Budapest, but Logar told reporters in Ljubljana that Slovenia would not organise additional flights from destinations where Slovenian citizens had declined to return on flights already organised.

Logar noted that EU member countries today had made a number of proposals to fight the consequences of coronavirus, including invoking the European solidarity clause. He said the idea shared was the need to tackle the shortage of needed medical and other equipment to combat the virus.

He said member countries were generally moving from measures to restrict movement in public spaces to measures to stimulate the economy and help the hardest-hit, a direction also taken by the Slovenian government, which is to have a preliminary discussion today on measures to contain the fallout from the pandemic.

Logar said the pandemic had shown the importance of defining critical infrastructure and services needed for a community to function in such a crisis. The EU will have to act fast to ensure urgent production and infrastructure so as not to depend again on certain markets or even a single market in the future.

EU foreign ministers have not taken any formal decisions as these cannot be taken in a non-formal videoconference but can only be taken in a written procedure.

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