Ljubljana related

10 Mar 2021, 21:46 PM

STA, 10 March 2021 - The government has extended the majority of coronavirus restrictions by another week as it prolonged the state of the epidemic by another thirty days as part of its weekly review of measures on Wednesday.

"The current epidemic situation ... requires a new, temporally limited declaration of the epidemic across the entire territory of Slovenia," the government said.

The one relaxation the government opted for is allowing all construction services to reopen as of 15 March without the need for workers to be tested.

Builders have been allowed to perform services for business clients, but work for households has been suspended to reduce contact.

Construction companies have been urging the government to reopen at least for outdoor work.

There are also some changes on the red list of countries concerning individual regions in Denmark, Greece, Italy and Spain.

In neighbouring Italy, all regions bar Sardinia and Sicily are on the red list.

The government also debated a proposal by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs to shorten the 9pm-6am curfew but decided against any changes since the expert group did not endorse the proposal.

The decision will be on the table again in two weeks.

10 Mar 2021, 13:24 PM

STA, 10 March 2021 - Slovenia confirmed 952 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a drop of 21% from the same day a week ago, to push the 7-day average to 728 from 764 the day before. Covid-19 hospitalisations dropped below 500 again, but four patients died, data released by the government show.

Of the 6,017 PCR tests performed yesterday, 15.8% came back positive. In addition, 25,046 rapid antigen tests were also performed with all the positives there re-examined with PCR tests.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 21 from yesterday to 485, 14 fewer than Saturday morning when hospitalisations fell below the 500 mark for the first time since late October.

Noting that development, Maja Bratuša, the government's Covid-19 spokesperson, said that 38 patients with Covid-19 had been admitted to hospitals and 55 discharged yesterday. The number of intensive care cases rose by two to 92.

With hospitalisations falling below 500, one of the two conditions for the country to move to a lower, yellow tier of restrictions at the national level has been met, but the 7-day average of new cases is still far from falling below 600.

tiers coronavirus levels colours plan.jpg

Bratuša noted that the government was meeting today to re-examine the situation and potentially adjust measures.

Considering the situation in South-East Slovenia, one of the yellow-tiered regions, is deteriorating, while the situation in the red-tiered south-western region of Obalno-Kraška has been improving, there may be changes in the colour codes of the regions.

The national cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is at 496. Obalno-Kraška still has the highest incidence, at 754.

Deputy chief epidemiologist with the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Nuška Čakš Jager said Slovenia's 14-day incidence was still high in international comparison, with only the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Malta having a higher one in the EU.

She noted that only 15 infections had been detected in care homes over the past fortnight, most of those in newly admitted residents. She also noted a decline in fatalities.

A weekly analysis of transmissions among children, youth and teachers in education institutions shows the share of transmissions among kindergarten children remains constant at 1.72%.

The share is increasing somewhat at schools, which Čakš Jager described as a normal trend.

Slovenia has so far reported 197,374 coronavirus cases, with 10,446 still estimated to be active, according to the NIJZ.

Data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org show that a total of 3,908 Covid-19 patients have died.

However, NIJZ data released on Monday show that 4,156 patients with Covid-19 had died by Sunday, 7 March. Adding Monday's seven fatalities and Tuesday's four to that figure, brings the death toll to 4,167.

NIJZ data as of 9 March show that a total of 150,144 people have received the first dose of a vaccine against Covid-19 and 63,908 have received two.

All the latest data on coronavirus and Slovenia

08 Mar 2021, 11:43 AM

STA, 8 March 2021 - Secondary school students in years 1-3 joined their final-year peers on Monday as secondary schools fully reopened under model C, meaning half the class will be in school for a week while the other half will continue learning from home. The vaccination of teachers also started for those over 50 years old.

There are no changes for final-year secondary school students, who have been coming to school every day since mid-February, and also no changes for primary schools, with the only difference being the introduction of face masks for children in years 6 to 9 also in their classrooms and not only in communal areas such as corridors, halls, or dining areas.

"It's a great feeling, seeing your classmates and teachers after a long four months... taking tests will not be as much fun, though," Marko, a Maribor secondary school student told the STA.

Many students share his concerns about tests, with Eva, also a Maribor secondary school student, wondering how much she learnt during remote learning.

Teachers as well are happy to return to brick-and-mortar classrooms. Gregor Galeja, the head teacher of Gimnazija Celje Center said the school observed two holidays today: the International Women's Day and what is the already third first day of school in this school year.

After nearly five months of remote schooling the start of school in classrooms poses a unique challenge and additional stress, as this also marks a symbolic start to the final part of the school year, said Galeja, expressing hope that teachers will be able to facilitate a soft transition into the new routine.

Face masks are now also be mandatory for secondary schools, for both students and teachers.

Teachers will still need to be tested for the new coronavirus once a week.

This week, teachers will also receive vaccines, with those over 50 being the priority group, to be followed by others who have expressed interest in vaccination.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar expressed hope on Saturday that most will decide to get vaccinated and thus protect both their health and the health of children as well as help keep the schools open.

The SVIZ trade union of teachers expects more than half of teachers to express interest in vaccination.

Bars, restaurants in Posavje, SE Slovenia start serving outdoors

STA, 8 March 2021 - Bars and restaurants in two eastern regions, Posavje and South-east Slovenia, are once again allowed to serve food and drinks outdoor. Proprietors are happy that they may welcome patrons back, but are not pleased at all with the fact that this is only the beginning of the one-week trial period.

jfhgh837575.png

While Slovenia is in the orange tier of restrictions, both regions had figures last week that placed them firmly in the milder, yellow tier, where serving customers outdoor is allowed, so the government decided to temporarily allow bars and restaurants to reopen there.

Guests are served outdoors between 6am and 7pm and they will have to leave the establishment by 7:30pm.

If the number of infections increases, or if inspectors detect major violations, the government will close the bars and restaurants again.

Proprietors had to slash the capacities of their establishments to meet the safety requirements but are happy to be back in business. However, they do not like the idea of a one-week trial period.

"We had to organise, buy everything needed and get ready," Luka Retar, a proprietor from Novo Mesto told the STA. "I don't think it's right for the entire burden coming with a shut-down to fall on our backs again. We've almost had enough."

Rok Klobučar, another proprietor from Novo Mesto, said guests came in immediately after the opening this morning. He expressed satisfaction that bars have reopened and that staff is no longer on furlough.

He believes, however, that the one-week trial period is too short a time to show results. He believes a 14-day period would be more sensible, warning also that the number of infections may increase again due to other reasons, not bars opening.

Customers have to wear masks at all times, except when they are seated at their table, and staff will have to wear masks at all times and get tested for coronavirus weekly. Those vaccinated against coronavirus and those who have recovered from the disease will be exempted from the testing requirement.

Tables have to be three metres apart and no more than four guests are allowed at each table. The number of guests is also restricted based on the size of the terrace or garden. Guests are allowed to go inside only to use the toilet.

Since travel between municipalities is not restricted any more except for the Obalno-Kraška region, which is in the red tier, patrons from around the country will be able to wine and dine outdoors.

Slovenian restaurants have been closed for indoor service since mid-October. Both bars and restaurants were able to offer take-away service, and, since last month, restaurants were allowed to serve B2B guests indoors.

04 Mar 2021, 16:45 PM

STA, 4 March 2020 - Slovenia will step up health checks on its borders starting on Monday. It plans to reintroduce checkpoints on internal EU borders, which were scrapped in mid-February, and tighten quarantine rules for arrivals, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press on Thursday.

 "The government is particularly concerned about [coronavirus] variants from South Africa and from countries in which some variants have not been explored and we have no way of knowing how they will react to vaccines," he said.

There will be three kinds of border checks on Slovenia's borders with Austria, Hungary and Italy, designated as A, B and C.

Checkpoints A will be open around-the clock. They will be on major crossings Karavanke, Ljubelj, Šentilj, Gornja Radgona and Gederovci on the border with Austria, Dolga Vas and Pince on the border with Hungary, and Vrtojba, Fernetiči and Škofije on the border with Italy.

B-rated checkpoints will be open on designated hours; an updated list thereof will be available on government web pages. C-rated checkpoints are intended for owners of land on both sides of the border. They will be open around the clock and checks will be performed randomly.

The second major change concerns quarantine for arrivals into Slovenia.

All those who do not produce proof of vaccination, proof they have already had Covid-19, or a negative test will be required to quarantine and may end the quarantine after five days with a negative test; presently, they are allowed to test the next day to end their quarantine.

All those who may now cross the border on a daily basis, in particular cross-border commuters and students, will have to get tested every seven days. The requirement will be waived for children under 13. Additional testing sites will be put up, in particular on the border with Italy, Hojs said.

Some changes were also made to the list of red countries that are considered risky. Certain regions of Italy (the Aosta Valley, Sardinia and Sicily), Austria (Vorarlberg), Spain (Extremadura, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands) and France (Guyana and Martinique) are no longer red, while Finland's only red regions are Helsinki-Uusimaa and Aland, and so are Greece's Attica and West Greece, and Norway's Oslo.

Cuba was added to the list of risky third countries.

04 Mar 2021, 14:23 PM

STA, 4 March 2021 - Secondary school students in years 1-3 are joining their final-year peers Monday as secondary schools fully reopen amid the coronavirus epidemic. However, this does not mean the end of remote learning just yet - under model C, half of them will come to school for a week while the other half will be distance learning at home.

There are no changes to final-year secondary school students, who come to school every day, Education Minister Simona Kustec told the press on Thursday.

There are also no changes to primary schools, with the only difference being the introduction of face masks for children in years 6 to 9 also in their classrooms.

Currently all primary schools children - from year 1-9 - have to wear them only in communal areas such as corridors, halls, or dining areas.

Face masks will also be mandatory from next week for secondary schools, for both students and teachers.

As before, students in the shorter, two-year vocational secondary education continue in-person learning, explained the minister.

Next week will also see the launch of priority vaccination for education workers, first for those older than 50.

All teachers teaching in-person are still required to get tested for coronavirus once a week.

Kustec said the epidemiological situation in kindergartens and schools remains stable.

The latest data shows that 79% of kindergarten children and 83% of staff are in kindergarten, while both figures for primary schools are 90%.

Active infections in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools are currently at 0.16%, with 1% of children quarantining, the minister added.

Health inspectors meanwhile carried out 40 checks related to coronavirus testing at schools and kindergartens last week, establishing no breaches, Deana Potza from the Health Inspectorate told the government's daily Covid-19 briefing.

The findings show that educational establishments provide for testing of their staff and that there were no irregularities in organising nor informing the staff about testing, she explained.

Following around four months of distance learning, primary schools reopened for children in years 1-3 on 9 February, and for the rest of primary schools children on 15 February, when final-year secondary students also returned to school.

Special-needs children returned to in-person school on 5 January, while higher education continues largely remotely.

04 Mar 2021, 14:19 PM

STA, 4 March 2021 - Bars and restaurants in two eastern regions, Posavje and South-east Slovenia, will be able to start serving customers outdoor as of Monday, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced on Twitter. Initially, this will be a one-week test to see how things turn out.

Počivalšek said he was glad "we've come to a point where we can restart a portion of the hospitality industry." He suggested the two regions would serve as a bellwether for the rest of Slovenia when it comes to reopening.

"The opening carries huge responsibility... I appeal to proprietors and guests: act responsibly," he added.

jfhgh837575.png

The two lucky regions

While Slovenia is in the orange tier of restrictions, both regions currently have figures that place them firmly in the milder, yellow tier, where serving customers outdoor is allowed.

Počivalšek said that if coronavirus cases there rise, outdoor hospitality will be banned for the yellow tier.

The reopening will be strictly regulated.

Service will be possible between 6am and 7pm. Customers will have to wear masks at all times, except when they are seated at their table, and staff will have to wear masks at all times and get tested for coronavirus weekly.

Tables will have to be three metres apart and no more than four guests are allowed at each table.

Slovenian restaurants have been closed for indoor service since mid-October. Both bars and restaurants were able to offer take-away service, and, since last month, restaurants were allowed to serve B2B guests indoors.

Proprietors have welcomed the move as a sign that there is political will to reopen the industry. "It is also a motivation for proprietors in other regions to achieve the criteria [for reopening] as soon as possible," the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) said.

The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber of Slovenia added that the government should say as soon as possible when accommodation may reopen so that marketing activities may start soon enough. "Without guests, opening accommodation does not make sense," it said.

03 Mar 2021, 22:18 PM

STA, 3 March 2021 - All secondary school students who have been learning remotely will return to in-person teaching on Monday, while primary school students in grades six to nine will have to wear masks at all time in class, the government decided as it conducted its weekly review of coronavirus restrictions.

The change for secondary school students comes after schools reopened in mid-February, but only final-year secondary students returned to classrooms. They were given priority because they have to prepare for school-leaving exams.

Secondary school students have been pushing for a return to classrooms and, despite the ban on gatherings of over 10 people, in early February they staged rallies to demand schools reopen.

In primary schools all students returned to class. They have to wear face masks while mixing in common areas but so far they have not had to wear masks in class. Students in grades from six to nine will now have to wear masks at all times.

The move was proposed by the Health Ministry's Covid-19 advisory group.

Teachers have to wear masks at all times and they must get tested for coronavirus once a week, a requirement that remains unchanged.

All other restrictions remain in place as well, including the 9pm-6am curfew, restrictions on gatherings, and the closure of bars and hospitality establishments.

With the exception of the coastal Obalno-Kraška region, Slovenia is currently in the orange tier of restrictions. New cases and hospital numbers had been falling steadily, but cases in particular have plateaued and even increased in some parts of the country.

03 Mar 2021, 13:11 PM

STA, 2 March 2021 - A round table debate was critical of the government's measures to stem the Covid-19 epidemic and the manner in which it communicates with the public. Warnings could be heard about the state of human rights eroding under the current government and there were calls for citizens not to be silent about such developments.

Among others, Monday's debate hosted by the Coordination of Patriotic and Veteran Organisations featured lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar, the former information commissioner, who is concerned about the "unbearable erosion of law" during the current government.

She also noted the easiness with which measures are being taken without due deliberation, and is especially bothered by the "true hooliganism" of the government adopting regulations for which is its clear in advance that they are unconstitutional.

Pirc Musar has been noticing over the past year "how the right political pole has become the fiercest advocate of the freedom of expression", while forgetting about the remaining human rights. The former is limited with other rights, including with the right to privacy.

According to her, the principle of proportionality should be followed under which certain human rights may be limited in a democracy under certain conditions. She thus called on citizens not to be quiet as "this is the only was to prevent the terrifying erosion of human rights and law as a whole".

Slovenia's former Ambassador to Switzerland Marta Kos talked about the government's communication during the epidemic, which according to her was unified and efficient in the first wave, while inadequate in the second wave.

For this reason, the measures have not had the effect that they could have, Kos said, noting that the government had made three major mistakes. "Instead of building trust, it is undermining it," she said about the first mistake.

The second mistake is the "constant persecution of the media" that could have severe long-term consequences. "Where there is no free media, there is no democratic society," she said, adding that the government was behaving "indecently" when it came to the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

Kos mentioned as the third mistake the "inappropriate communication with which the government is undermining Slovenia's reputation in the world". She is concerned that Slovenia might have lost a lot of credibility in the international arena in recent months.

Former Health Minister Dušan Keber pointed to what he believes are mistakes in decisions to stem the epidemic that are the consequence of a misplaced theory about the spreading of the novel coronavirus, which he believes is transferred aerogenically.

On the other hand, all measures and instructions are based on the theory that the virus is spread by droplets, and Keber instead proposes that the main measure should be regular ventilation of public and private spaces.

This should be discussed as frequently as wearing face masks and hand sanitation, and citizens should also be encouraged to wear thicker masks that stop aerosols. All measures for outdoors could practically be dropped, he said.

02 Mar 2021, 15:51 PM

STA, 2 March 2021 - Every day, border police detect about a dozen falsified negative coronavirus tests with which passengers want to avoid quarantine upon entry into Slovenia, the General Police Department said on Tuesday, noting that using a fake test amounts to document falsification, a crime which carries a prison sentence of up to three years.

In January, the police detected an increase in the number of fake PCR tests at the border with Croatia presented by passengers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.

Slovenians have also been caught with fake negative tests although not that often. But last weekend, as many as 15 Slovenians were caught trying to enter the country with fake tests at the Dragonja border crossing.

In most cases, the documents are complete fakes and are discovered because police officers are checking their authenticity via other institutions.

Fake test results are seized by the police and the perpetrator is charged with document falsification and ordered to quarantine.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar said the ministry was working on solutions alongside the Interior Ministry and epidemiologists.

He would not reveal what the measures could be, but expects a solution in the coming days.

02 Mar 2021, 13:17 PM

STA, 1 March 2021 - EU ministers in charge of tourism have agreed it is important to ensure simple and predictable border crossing regimes, as they held a virtual meeting on Monday. This effort will expectedly be made easier with a digital vaccination passport the EU intends to propose later this month.

Economy Ministry state secretary Simon Zajc, who took part in the meeting alongside Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, told the press that the debate discussed joint solutions to re-establish cross-border travel flows and relaunch tourism.

"Most European destinations depend on incoming tourism, the loss of which domestic tourism cannot offset sufficiently; this is also the case in Slovenia," Zajc said.

A number of matters remain to be harmonised, as individual countries have different conditions in terms of borders, testing and quarantine. The state secretary said this is not only in the domain of ministers in charge of tourism but above all of interior ministers.

The main goal is to adopt harmonised measures to boost the single market, Zajc said, also quoting Počivalšek as saying it was key first and foremost to restore consumers' trust in the safety and predictability of cross-border travel and services.

Počivalšek also told his counterparts that vaccination certificates and rapid antigen testing procedures should be coordinated, as well as minimal standards or guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Countries should ensure predictable border crossing regimes and use all tools available, such as recovery, vaccination or testing certificates, to mitigate infection risk, and also to introduce training tools for those working in tourism, Počivalšek said at the meeting.

In the short term, liquidity funds will play a vital role for the sector, the minister said, while broader synergies will be needed for long-term recovery, as well as funds from the EU recovery plan. In the long term, the sector will have to face the challenges of digitalisation and sustainable development, said Počivalšek.

Also today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the Commission would propose this month legislation for a "digital green passport", an EU-wide digital vaccination passport, which would show that a person has been vaccination, has recovered from Covid-19 or tested negative, if they were yet unable to get vaccinated.

Page 35 of 104

Photo galleries and videos

This websie uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.