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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 Polona Kačič with an image from a series organised by Tam Tam, with the rest of them here.
Ministry proposes data exchange between health institute and police
Food deliveries surge due to coronavirus lockdown
Left wants MPs to debate situation at retirement homes
President expresses solidarity with Italy, UK in face of pandemic
Ministry proposes data exchange between health institute and police
STA, 15 April 2020 - The Interior Ministry proposed on Wednesday that the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) shares citizens' personal data with the police to help contain the coronavirus epidemic. If the motion is endorsed, the police will be privy to the information about the quarantine duration and other anti-COVID-19 restrictions imposed on the individual.
The data exchange is key for enabling police work in line with Article 103 of the anti-corona bill, said the ministry, referring to police powers to search for persons and temporarily restrict their movement.
According to today's proposal, the police would acquire information, including the given name, national identity number or, in case of foreign citizens, the identification number, type of the ID document and the country that has issued it, as well as permanent or temporary residence, data about the individual's GP and a decree ordering isolation or quarantine, the duration and type of such and other restrictions.
Personal data that is designated special would be labelled as such and unauthorised persons would be prevented from accessing the dataset. The exchange would be conducted in line with the regulations concerning personal data protection, added the ministry.
Under those regulations, the NIJZ would also keep track of all the exchanged data, the content, timelines and purposes, so as to ensure a sufficient audit trail.
Moreover, the institute would be in charge of recording activities involving the processing of such data, with the police keeping relevant access records.
The proposal lays down that the police would be able to request consulting the data 24/7, while the institute would be bound to send the requested data immediately or two hours after receiving the request at the latest.
The issue of accessing citizens' personal data as a potential strategy to fight the epidemic has been making headlines in the past days after a senior health official presented a nation-wide mobile tracking application to notify individuals whether they were in contact with those infected with Covid-19.
The Institute of Criminology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law raised concerns over this potential measure on Tuesday, saying that the use of such apps was problematic in terms of privacy. It may indirectly affect a number of other rights and have a substantial effect on societies in the future, it said.
Food deliveries surge due to coronavirus lockdown
STA, 15 April 2020 - Lockdown restrictions imposed to contain the novel coronavirus epidemic have led to an increase in food deliveries. With people staying home and restaurants suspending dine-in options, food delivery apps have been recording a spike in demand, including outside the lunch hour.
Lunchtime used to be peak time for delivery services, however lately, they have been detecting an increase in the number of orders in the evenings and over weekends.
Following the tightening of lockdown measures, online food delivery provider Ehrana have seen a staggering surge in the number of food orders in the Ljubljana area by as much as 310%.
It has also detected an increase in the number of orders submitted in the evenings, between 6pm and 8pm. The figure has doubled over the weekends and remains high during lunchtime.
Since 20 March, the number of restaurants providing delivery options have increased as well - by 26%. There are currently more than 160 Ljubljana restaurants and pubs available on the Ehrana platform.
"Those are the restaurants that did not deal with or consider deliveries before because they were busy as it was," said Ehrana director and co-founder Borut Markelj, referring to a new influx of restaurants using one of Slovenia's leading delivery service providers.
The epidemic has taken a toll on restaurant business as well and delivery options have become the only source of income for the majority, added Markelj.
One of those is Indian restaurant Maharaja, which is staying afloat due to deliveries in the time when its revenue has plunged by 50-70%.
During the crisis, Ljubljana citizens have been mostly craving fast food though, such as burgers, pizzas and salads. "Apparently, there are a lot of fast food lovers in the capital," quipped Markelj.
He highlighted that the health of delivery drivers, consumers and other staff comes first. Employees are wearing masks, using hand sanitisers regularly and heeding physical distancing rules.
Moreover, cash payments are not possible during the epidemic. Consumers have been adapting to the new reality really well, added Markelj.
Left wants MPs to debate situation at retirement homes
STA, 15 April 2020 - The opposition Left would like the parliamentary Health Committee to debate problems at nursing facilities around the country. Since the elderly are the most vulnerable group as the coronavirus spreads, the party intends to put forward several resolutions for the government to act upon.
MP Primož Siter said on Wednesday the Left had been bringing the situation at retirement homes to the government's attention for the past two years.
The situation is difficult even in normal circumstances because it has been neglected by consecutive governments, Siter told the press.
"Instead of tackling it and strengthening the network of public retirement homes, they have left it to the market, which turned it into a business."
The MP said that the data released by Radio Slovenia on Tuesday showed three-quarters of all Covid-19 deaths in Slovenia took place at nursing homes.
He also criticised the government for not providing the media and public with trustworthy information about the situation.
The party thus asked for a Health Committee session to shed light on these issues and put forward proposals to improve the protection of the elderly.
Among the proposals, the Left will propose to the government to provide hospital treatment for all infected residents of nursing homes.
"Homes for the elderly are not medical organisations. That's what we have hospitals for."
The government should also make an arrangement with private medical organisations to use their facilities and staff and to arrange for transport.
What is more, it should provide detailed statistics about the number of infected people and about the deaths.
Sporočilo predsednika republike britanski kraljici in britanskemu ljudstvu v skupnem boju proti koronavirusu. @RoyalFamily #everythingwillbeOk #Covid19UK #StayHomeSaveLifes #CoronaCrisisuk pic.twitter.com/3gvpGqopuk
— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) April 15, 2020
President expresses solidarity with Italy, UK in face of pandemic
STA, 15 April 2020 - President Borut Pahor posted two separate video messages on Twitter on Wednesday expressing solidarity with the Italian and British people as they face the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking in Italian and English, Pahor expressed solidarity in the "joint fight against the coronavirus." He expressed, on behalf of Slovenians, admiration for the British and the Italian people, saying they had shown determination, courage and hope during the coronavirus pandemic.
"In Slovenia, we deeply feel your sadness and look forward to you successful overcoming of this crisis. United with other nations and countries, we will win this fight together. Everything will be just OK," said the president.
Both Italy and the UK are among the countries hardest hit by the global coronavirus pandemic. By Tuesday afternoon more than 21,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Italy and 13,000 have died in the UK, according to the most recent data.
