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 Lucija Kobal, with one a series from Tam Tam, which you can see here.
Slovenia records 15 new Covid-19 cases, death toll up by one to 81
Janša says restrictions here to stay, no inter-municipal movement during holidays
Insurance agents and car washes back in business
Slovenia records 15 new Covid-19 cases, death toll up by one to 81
STA, 25 April 2020 - Slovenia recorded 15 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, which brings the total number of infections to 1,388. One more person died for a total death toll of 81, according to government data released on Saturday.
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 declined by one to 77, of whom 23 were in intensive care, down by one.
Slovenia has so far performed 48,179 coronavirus tests, 1,161 of which on Friday.
Janša says restrictions here to stay, no inter-municipal movement during holidays
STA, 25 April 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the state of the coronavirus epidemic on Saturday by saying many of the restrictions in place in Slovenia and the EU "will remain in place in the foreseeable future". The government indicated movement would stay limited to municipal borders also during the May holidays.
As part of a series of tweets, Janša said the government's measures were also based on a very serious situation in the neighbourhood and the "very negative experience of countries that are battling repeated outbreaks".
The government also issued a tweet today in the wake of an assessment meeting held on Friday, summarising the recommendation by it's chief medical adviser for the epidemic, Bojana Beović, to preserve the ban on movement between municipalities, since it has proven effective.
"Because a lot of movement can be expected during the May holidays and given that available data shows the epidemic is still simmering and that the data from comprehensive random population testing is not in yet, we have decided to recommend the extension of the existing measures," the government summed up Beović's explanation.
Janša meanwhile announced a number of activities would able to resume soon, but that it would be crucial to follow three key preventative measures: "Disinfecting of hands and meeting points, keeping a safe distance and using protective masks where this (distance) is not possible."
While noting available data put Slovenia among the most successful European countries in the fight against the Covid-19, Janša said experts in Slovenia and in the EU were busy adopting standards to launch different systems, including education, tourism and public transport, so they could function again at least in a limited scope despite the virus.
The government's taskforce that examined the situation on Friday in cooperation with experts from the Health Ministry, will meet again on 29 April to look at fresh data and adopt decisions based on the latests findings.
The Constitutional Court ordered the government on 17 April to immediately verify the justification for restrictions on the movement of persons put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus, and to keep examining each week if the decree imposing these restrictions is still justifiable.
Insurance agents and car washes back in business
STA, 25 April 2020 - Car washes and insurance agents will be able to resume their business on Saturday, after the government added new exemptions to the ban on the sale of goods and services during the coronavirus epidemic.
The cabinet gave its go-ahead for the most recent easing of the lockdown rules last night, when it also extended the general temporary ban on the movement and gathering of people in public places and ban on movement outside municipality or residence.
This was as the decree imposing the ban was amended to include a provision that the justification of the measures would be checked once a week, as mandated by the Constitutional Court.
Several exemptions had already been enforced since the government imposed a temporary ban on most retail establishments in mid March to contain the coronavirus epidemic.
Only grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, post offices, petrol stations, news stands and stores selling agricultural products remained open until pet food shops were added to the exemptions from 21 March and florist shops and nurseries from 3 April, along with construction works not involving contacts with customers.
Several more stores and services were allowed to resume their operations last Monday, including DIY stores, car showrooms, stores selling bicycles, technical goods and furniture, dry cleaners and some repair shops such as tyre change and car repair and car painter's shops.
Since Monday services also resumed that are performed outdoors such as gardening services, roof and facade work, and takeaways involving minimum contact with customers.
Outdoor sports and recreational grounds such as tennis courts, golf courses and track and field areas also reopened for activities that do not involve close contact.
Yet more services will be available from 4 May, with the reopening of hair salons, beauty parlours, dog and cat grooming salons and shops of up to 400 m2 sales space, except for those in shopping centres.
Social distancing and safety measures such as the wearing of face masks in indoor places, hand sanitising and disinfection remain mandatory in all the establishments.
