STA, 23 April 2021 - Updated 16:15 Slovenians are free to travel between regions and some cultural events are permitted as of Friday under government decrees, but public assembly has been scaled back from a hundred to ten people.
The ten-people limit, which replaces an earlier decree that allowed the public assembly of a hundred people, comes with the caveat that organisers of such events must ask for permission under rules governing public assembly.
The additional limit is one person per 30 square metres for such events indoors and one person per 10 square metres outdoors, and a 1.5-metre distance between people.
The same density restriction but not ten-people limit applies to museums and libraries, which have been open for a while.
In a surprise move late last night, the government also decided that cinemas and theatres may reopen as of today under the same conditions, whereby performers must get tested for coronavirus at least once a week unless they have been vaccinated or have already recovered from Covid-19.
Nevertheless, theatres and cinemas will remain largely closed, with their representatives saying the change had come at a very short notice, that the conditions were irrational, while it was also not clear what happens after 2 May, until the current decree applies.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre director Uroš Korenčan told the STA not much would change for theatres in the coming week, with some opting to have entire teams take days off.
He said the one-person-per-30-square-metres rule or more if persons are from the same household, was unrealistic, while he admits they are eagerly waiting to start working, which however cannot be done overnight.
Slovenia's Art Cinema Network head Jure Matičič said given the short notice, art cinemas were still deciding what to do, as the person-per-metre condition makes cinemas a non-profitable business.
Reopening cinemas is not as easy as it might seem, he said, explaining that film accessibility was a problem given that agreements with film distributors were made in advance for a longer periods of time.
Kolosej, Ljubljana's largest cinema centre, will also stay closed, while Ljubljana's Kinodvor will reopen on Monday, allowing ten persons per show.
In museums, libraries, cinemas and theatres it is now possible to have gatherings of groups that are otherwise permitted to gather, which means school classes will be able to attend events.
What's on at Kinodvor? Let's find out...
