STA, 23 December 2020 - A total of 2,129 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday from a combined 10,593 antigen and PCR tests as voluntary mass testing got under way, government data show. The combined test positivity rate was 20%.

The government data also show that another 36 patients with Covid-19 died yesterday, which brings the overall death toll to 2,454, according to the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 35 from the day before to 1,226 after 123 were discharged home. 204, or seven fewer than the day before, were treated in intensive care units.

The 7-day average of new cases is 1,349 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is 941, show data published on the government website.

According to the tracker site, 1,913 of the latest infections were confirmed from the 6,524 PCR tests performed yesterday.

With the latest cases from PCR and antigen tests added to the total released by the National Institute of Public Health yesterday, Slovenia's case count since the start of the pandemic would reach 109,934.

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STA, 22 December 2020 - Representatives of the Slovenian event industry are erecting a New Year tree in Ljubljana's Congress Square made from stage scaffolding and lights in order to warn about the sector having ground to an almost complete halt in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, and about the financial troubles of its employees. 

After the sector was the first to be shut down at the beginning of March, and after the summer with almost no festivals, after a year of cancelled concerts and tours, a New Year tree will be erected in Congress Square instead of a stage.

The association Mi Delamo Dogodke (We Make Events) added in the press release on Tuesday that the tree would be constructed exclusively from stage material, and put together by Slovenian stagehands.

The tree being put together with help of the Ljubljana City Municipality and "enthusiastic individuals and companies", which the organisers hope will bring at least a bit of the holiday atmosphere, will be standing in the centre of the capital until 4 January.

On the occasion, Mitja Prezelj of the coalition of the music sector told the STA that the government had failed to include in the latest stimulus package the sector's proposal to raise the universal basic income for those who had suffered revenue loss in 2020.

"We justify the proposal with the duration of the measure. The universal basic income of EUR 1,100 is not sufficient to cover all costs of living and the self-employed are thus forced to cover the the difference from our own savings," he added.

The sector is worried about it being struck out from the aid measures applied for other companies with a significantly lesser drop in revenue, because the government does not take into account the specifics of the sector.

According to Prezelj, the largest problem for the event industry next year will be that they will have to negotiate concerts for July and later without knowing whether they would be able to organise them at all due to the epidemiological situation.

He noted that some countries, like the UK and Germany, offer to organisers compensation for costs related to cancellation of events, which is not the case in Slovenia.

STA, 21 December 2020 - The government adopted a decree at Monday's correspondence session that again tightens restrictions for the sale of goods and services as of Thursday. The decree that restores the regime that was recently relaxed will be in force until 4 January.

Being permitted to stay open are shops which mainly sell food, personal care and cleaning items, pharmacies, medical and orthopaedic equipment shops, farming shops, petrol stations, financial services, post offices and delivery services.

According to a press release from the government, also belonging to the exceptions are individual non-medical counselling and therapeutic services, personal pick-up of goods or food except alcoholic beverages at pick-up points.

This applies for the period between 6am and 9pm, while it is not permitted to eat food and drink beverages in public places. Other essential services for ensuring safety and health are also permitted.

The ban on the sale of pyrotechnics is still in force.

Shops that are allowed to be open must provide at least 30 square metres per customer and all anti-epidemic recommendations must be followed.

The expected reduction in the number of exceptions comes after the government had relaxed the lockdown of businesses for the period between 15 and 23 December.

In this period, hairdressing salons, flower shops, car washes and cleaning facilities are allowed to operate. In certain regions, residents are able to cross municipal borders if they have an installed and active contact tracing app.

Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said today that travel between municipalities would be allowed on Christmas Day and also for the New Year's.

Under the latest government decree, the municipal and regional travel ban will not be in force from noon on 24 December to 8pm on 25 December, and from noon on 31 December to 8pm on 1 January.

The 9pm-6am curfew remains in force, also over the holidays, and gatherings in public spaces will not be allowed. Private meetings of up to six adults from up to two households, including their children, are allowed.

Events, rallies, parties, weddings and gatherings remain prohibited. The decree enters into force on 24 December and will be in force up to and including 4 January, the government said.

STA, 21 December 2020 - Slovenian health authorities are examining the situation and will propose action after a new, highly virulent strain of coronavirus was confirmed in the UK. The government will decide on any measures at the proposal of its medical task force, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Slovenia does not currently have air links with the UK, so unlike many other European countries, it does not need to ban flights from the UK. And under existing quarantine rules, arrivals from the UK require a negative Covid-19 test or have to quarantine for ten days.

Prime Minister Janez Janša wrote on Twitter last night that Slovenia had "prepared measures to close borders, because there is a chance that the mutated virus is also present in some other EU countries".

Janša added today that intensive coordination talks were being conducted at the EU level on the matter, adding that a possible closure of borders would also be coordinated.

He noted that in addition to vaccination, protection of the most vulnerable groups and all restrictive measures, a "new risk is becoming known in recent days", and was increasing despite the good information related to Covid-19 vaccination in recent weeks.

Janša expects that more would be known later in the day, while adding that it was already clear that the new strain was not present only in the UK, but in many other European countries, including the Slovenian neighbourhood.

As for border closure, he said it was a drastic measure that would need to be coordinated on both sides of the border so that there were no major issues for people.

However, as of today Slovenians are advised against non-urgent travel abroad until mid-March next year, and all who intend to travel to Slovenia are also advised to postpone their trips, Janša said.

At least one case of the mutated strain has been confirmed in Italy in a man who recently arrived from the UK and is now quarantining, according to multiple media reports.

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STA, 21 December 2020 - Voluntary trial mass testing will start on Tuesday in a number of municipalities, Marija Magajne of the Health Ministry told the government briefing on Monday. Exact locations and hours are yet to be announced. Results of rapid tests that will be used during the testing are from today deemed equivalent to those produced by PCR tests.

The Health Ministry said in a release that rapid testing can start in Ljubljana, Celje, Maribor, Novo Mesto, Nova Gorica, Murska Sobota, Slovenj Gradec, Koper, Kranj, Velenje, Ptuj, Lenart and Sevnica.

A greater number of testing sites will be provided in areas with the worst epidemiological situation, while there is also a possibility of conducting antigen tests in smaller municipalities as part of the trial, Marija Magajne of the Health Ministry told the government briefing on Monday.

The screening will be free-of-charge. Those who wish to get tested are required to bring their IDs and health insurance cards. They are also urged to maintain physical distance and wear a face mask.

So far, it is not necessary to book a test but that might change if many people are interested to get tested.

It is already clear that in Ljubljana, the testing will take place in Congress Square.

Residents of small municipalities with no testing sites will be allowed to travel between municipalities if they want to get tested.

Antigen tests deliver results in approximately 15 minutes. The results will be entered into the national patient register since a new definition of a positive test enters into force as of today - a rapid test result is now as good as a result delivered by a molecular or PCR test.

Those who will test positive using antigen tests will be thus automatically added to the daily tally of positive cases.

So far, such persons in care homes and health institutions, where systemic testing has been performed, have had to confirm their infection using a molecular test.

The display of daily recorded infections is to be amended as well - on top of the number of PCR tests and cases, there will be a special category showing the total of rapid tests and those that will have returned positive.

If both tests produce a positive result, only one will be taken into account and displayed, Magajne added.

Mass testing will be held until 24 December. After the holidays, rapid tests will be used among specific groups of residents, including those in education and child care.

Magajne noted that there was enough antigen tests. They are arriving in Slovenia gradually and are stored by suppliers.

The team that will be in charge of the testing in Ljubljana has already received the first batch of 1,000 tests.

Between 30 and 40 persons will be tested per hour. The rest of the tests are expected to be delivered later. An additional 100,000 tests are expected to arrive in Slovenia until the end of the week or the beginning of next year.

Magajne also said that 52 testing providers had responded to the ministry's open call. They could provide 130 mobile teams, which should be enough, according to her.

Prime Minister Janez Janša said this was not promotional testing but the start of the implementation of a plan adopted a while ago.

As part of the plan, anyone who thinks they are infected has the opportunity to get tested with rapid tests and check the result with a PCR test, he said on the sidelines of a meeting of senior officials.

The start of the mass testing was scheduled for today in Ljubljana, but was delayed by a day.

STA, 19 December 2020 - Religious ceremonies were once again allowed in Slovenia starting from Saturday [19 December] after weeks of strict lockdown. Although the move comes just in time for Christmas, no midnight masses will be held this year, the Catholic Church has decided.

Slovenia confirmed 395 new cases of coronavirus in just under 1,500 tests on Sunday, for a positivity rate of about 27%, and 26 deaths, show the latest government data.

Despite the fact that religious ceremonies are allowed once again under strict precautionary measures, masses will not be held in all of Slovenia. The six dioceses will be deciding individually about masses in their churches.

By Friday evening only the Koper and Ljubljana dioceses allowed masses with believers present physically. In Ljubljana, this will only be allowed during weekdays, but not for the main holiday ceremonies.

The Novo Mesto diocese decided to allow masses with believers present as of Wednesday, while the dioceses of Celje, Murska Sobota and Maribor have decided against services with believers present for the time being.

Under the new rules, the number of people in church has been capped to one person per 30 square metres, unless the persons are members of the same household.

A safety distance of 1.5 metres has to be observed at all times between persons who are not members of the same household. No singing is allowed.

Masks are obligatory in churches, as is hand sanitation. Priests are allowed to give out Communion wafers upon disinfecting their hands. Wafers are to be placed in believers' hands and not in the mouth.

Moreover, the rules issued by the Bishops' Conference also prohibit any form of gathering on church grounds and also prohibit holding masses in the open.

Midnight masses will not be held this Christmas and Christmas Eve masses must conclude by 8 pm at the latest.

Not only religious ceremonies are allowed from today. The government also decided this week that shops selling technical goods, garden centres, and in the four regions with the lowest Covid-19 infection rates also museums and galleries, bookshops and gift shops, among others.

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STA, 21 December 2020 - Slovenian health authorities are examining the situation and will propose action after a new, highly virulent strain of coronavirus was confirmed in the UK. The government will decide on any measures at the proposal of its medical task force, the Foreign Ministry said.

Slovenia does not currently have air links with the UK and hence does not need to ban flights from the UK like many other European countries have done. And under existing quarantine rules, arrivals from the UK require a negative Covid-19 test or have to quarantine for ten days.

Prime Minister Janez Janša wrote on Twitter last night that Slovenia had "prepared measures to close borders, because there is a chance that the mutated virus is also present in some other EU countries."

At least one case of the mutated strain has been confirmed in Italy in a man who recently arrived from the UK and is now quarantining, according to multiple media reports.

STA, 19 December 2020 - Some 72,000 Slovenians have expressed their interest in getting a Covid-19 vaccine by registering on the e-government portal. While hospitals are getting ready for vaccination to start, the Health Ministry said Slovenia is to get the first batch of nearly 10,000 doses on 26 December.

Slovenia's national vaccination strategy for Covid-19 stipulates that health care workers, and residents and staff at elderly care homes will be the first to get the vaccine.

It is unclear as yet where vaccination will kick off first, with the Health Ministry telling the STA on Friday that it was drafting instructions for the public.

The Health Ministry also said Friday evening that the country would receive the first batch of 9,745 vaccines on 26 December. Two doses must be administered to each individual three weeks apart.

"Vaccination will start immediately after the vaccine is ready and distributed to vaccination points," the ministry said.

The entire batch will be delivered to the pharmacy of UKC Ljubljana hospital, where it will be stored at -80 degrees Celsius. The hospital pharmacy's capacities suffice for the amount of vaccine which is to be delivered, the ministry said.

While the pharmacy will get the doses ready for administering, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) will take over the distribution to care homes, health centres and hospitals. The vaccine will be transported at temperatures between two and eight degrees Celsius.

However, vaccination will only be able to start after the European Medicines Agency approves the vaccine. The agency is expected to announce on Monday whether it has okayed the vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Vaccination in the EU is expected to start simultaneously in all member states, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying on Thursday that it would start on 27, 28 and 29 December.

Hospitals across Slovenia are getting ready for the vaccine roll-out, with several saying they expected more detailed instructions from the Health Ministry.

In Slovenia's biggest hospital, UKC Ljubljana, so far more than 3,000 out of its 8,500 employees have said they would get vaccinated. The hospital also told the STA that this year a record 33% of employees got a flu shot.

The UKC Maribor hospital, the country's second biggest, is in the process of checking how many of its staff would like to get vaccinated. "Vaccination will be a big challenge," the hospital also told the STA.

The general hospitals in Celje and Murska Sobota are also getting ready, but both have told the STA that they want more detailed instructions.

You can register your interest in receiving the vaccine here

STA, 20 December 2020 - The Centre for Information, Cooperation and Development of NGOs (CNVOS) has warned the most recent corona crisis package, adopted by the government on Saturday, envisaged the abolishment of the state's fund for NGOs, the only systemic source of state funding for NGOs in Slovenia.

The abolishment will take money from volunteer networks, the Caritas, and sports organisations, among others, and stop the development of NGOs and drawing of EU funds, CNVOS said, wondering how this would help mitigate the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic.

The senior coalition Democratic Party (SDS)"slipped the abolishment" into the seventh corona package, CNVOS said. "They have tried to do this this twice in recent months but without success. This time they managed to force the abolishment."

"The NGO fund is a thorn in the side of the biggest government party because it is the only systemic source of funding for non-governmental organisations, and the government cannot wilfully strip it of the money because it is protected by the NGOs act. Therefore the SDS now wants to change the act," CNVOS said in a press release.

Without state funding, there will be no more independent work in human rights, transparency, fight against corruption, fake news, hate speech, as well as a number of social projects designed to help vulnerable groups, CNVOS said.

The EUR 5.2 million fund also finances EU-funded projects and by losing this source, NGOs will not be able to get EU funding. None of this has ever been nor can it be funded by individual ministries, the press release said.

It added that the government tried to divert the attention from this move by proposing a 0.5% increase in personal income tax donations, which would amount to EUR 4.7 million. NGOs have been in favour of this for a long time, but this cannot substitute state funding, because these are completely different forms of funding.

Tax donations go primarily to people's local associations, such as firefighter societies, sport clubs and cultural associations. On average, NGOs get EUR 913 per year from tax donations, with nearly 800 NGOs receiving less than EUR 5, CNVOS said.

Meanwhile, the NGOs fund has a completely different purpose, the press release said. It is the only source of state funding used for development and innovation in NGOs. Moreover, funding from the fund is considerably higher on average than tax donations.

Economist Matej Lahovik, who is advising the government on corona crisis measures meanwhile told Radio Slovenija that NGO received between EUR 300 million and EUR 400 million from various ministries.

The changes do not interfere with these funds but only with the distribution of tax donations. Currently donations that have not been donated to a particular NGO are distributed by an expert commission.

"We are talking about four to five million euro that were being distributed by politically-appointed expert commissions and now people will have the opportunity to give them to chosen associations directly," said Lahovnik.

STA, 19 December 2020 - The government adopted on Saturday a new economic stimulus package. Direct income support for groups including pensioners, students and those with the lowest wages is planned along with aid for companies. Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said the package is estimated at around EUR 550 million.

All employees with wages up to twice the minimum wage will get a one-off payment of EUR 200 from their employers that will then be refunded by the Tax Administration.

Pensioners will get EUR 130-300 depending on their pensions. Those with pensions up to EUR 714 will be eligible.

Students will get income support of EUR 150, and whose who receive child allowance will get an extra EUR 50 per child.

Farmers over 65 with income under EUR 591 will get EUR 150.

Religious workers will get a basic income of EUR 700, plus their social security contributions will be covered by the state.

Employees in hospitals and nursing homes will get a 30% increase in hourly pay, with the hike at 65% for those "working in particularly risky conditions," according to Šircelj.

The income support payments are broadly similar to measures adopted during the first wave of the epidemic.

"The social component of this package is significant, we are confident that these transfers will improve the welfare of those who need these allowances the most," he said.

For companies, special loans will be available from the state-owned SID Banka, while companies that suffered a revenue decline in excess of 70% will be eligible for aid of EUR 2,000 per employee in fixed costs.

There are also special provisions helping transport companies, rent assistance for companies, payment of rapid coronavirus tests for companies, and waiver of VAT on medical equipment needed to fight the epidemic.

One of the drafts of the legislative package included a partial suspension of the scheduled increase in the minimum wage, which takes effect on 1 January.

The proposal was met with strong resistance from trade unions, some of which started to gear up for industrial action.

Šircelj said a provision to this effect was not included in the bill. He said it is something employers and trade unions would have to agree among themselves.

According to the minister, the bill, which has not been made publicly available yet, would be sent to parliament as soon as possible.