26 Mar 2021, 11:44 AM

Shorter Curfew, New Travel Restrictions Come into Force Today (26/03/21)

STA, 26 March 2021 - The country-wide curfew is imposed from 10pm to 5am from Friday after the government decided to shorten it in light of the coming Daylight Saving Time change. Entering into force today are also inter-regional travel restrictions in red-coded regions. A negative rapid test result is no longer valid to enter Slovenia.

Only a negative PCR test result will be accepted from today to avoid quarantine on entering Slovenia. Meanwhile, dual owners and lessees of land in bordering areas will no longer need a negative test every seven days to cross the border.

The coastal Obalno-Kraška, western Goriška and northern Koroška regions have been demoted to tier red due to a deterioration of the epidemiological status there.

According to Wednesday's government decree, there is a number of exemptions from the ban on movement into and out of the three regions, including travel for work purposes. Students who commute from the red-coded regions to other regions for educational purposes are also such an exception even though the decree does not mention them specifically.

Bars and restaurants in regions with best epidemiological status are still allowed to serve customers outdoors.

Rallies or events of up to ten persons are permitted across the country. Outdoor religious services are meanwhile capped at one person per 10 square metres or more in the case of members of the same household.

26 Mar 2021, 04:26 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 26 March 2021

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Janša and von der Leyen discuss strengthening EU resilience

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the preparations for and priorities of the upcoming Slovenia's EU presidency. Both the PM's office and von der Leyen labelled the talks as good and constructive. They focussed on ways to boost the EU's resilience, according to Janša's office.

Janša, six other EU leaders urge level playing field for nuclear energy

LJUBLJANA - Seven EU leaders, including Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, have addressed a letter to the European Commission, voicing their concern over what they see as little room for member states' individual policy making, including in nuclear energy development, left by the bloc's efforts to reach climate targets. In the letter, they highlighted that they remained fully committed to the 2030 climate target plan. However, they worry "that the path that is currently determined to achieve this goal leaves little room for internal policy making according to country specific conditions".

Slovenia's rule of law report sent to Brussels

LJUBLJANA - Unofficial information showed that Slovenia sent its contribution for the European Commission's second report on the rule of law in EU member states to Brussels. A virtual visit to Slovenia to obtain more information and clarify potential issues is scheduled for mid-April. The deadline for EU member states to submit their contributions was 8 March. The government approved the Slovenia's response to the Commission's questionnaire for the report last evening, but the content was not revealed.

Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti survives no-confidence vote

LJUBLJANA - Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti survived a vote of no-confidence mounted by the centre-left opposition over several grievances, including his inaction during the epidemic and attitude to the self-employed and public media. 43 MPs voted to oust him, three fewer than needed for dismissal. The coalition was practically united in defending Simoniti's work in the debate spanning over two days, arguing the motion was groundless and a "farce". Forty MPs from the coalition SDS, NSi and SMC and from the opposition SNS and one DeSUS MP voted in favour of Simoniti, while three SMC MPs voted for his dismissal.

Number of new coronavirus cases still high on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus infections again exceeded one thousand on Wednesday, standing at 1,164, which is a slight drop from the day before. Hospitalisations also exceeded the 500 milestone by one patient today, while 106 needed intensive care, seven more than the day before. A total of 6,432 PCR tests were conducted on Wednesday, of which 18.1% came back positive. Another 27,645 rapid antigen tests were also performed. The rolling seven-day average of new daily cases rose from 855 to 882, the government announced on Twitter, adding that four more patients died of Covid-19.

Janša proposes meeting over third wave measures ASAP

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša has proposed that President Borut Pahor call a meeting with the heads of parliamentary parties and deputy groups with the Health Ministry and its Covid-19 advisory group as soon as possible, as the government is preparing to take additional measures by the end of the week due to a growing number of infections. Pahor called the meeting for Sunday morning, with left-leaning opposition parties indicating they would not attend. Some media have reported that the Covid-19 group could propose the government to introduce a full lockdown from 1 to 12 April.

Govt extends some stimulus measures until end of June

LJUBLJANA - The government has extended several measures aimed at helping individuals and businesses get through the epidemic. The measures would have expired at the end of the month, but have now been extended until the end of June. The furlough scheme, which expires at the end of April, has not be extended yet. Extended at Wednesday's session was the universal basic income and the partial reimbursement of a lost income for the self-employed during quarantine or inability to work due to force majeure or child care. The two measures had been in place since October and September 2020, respectively.

FinMin proposes EBA lift time limit on loan deferment

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Finance sent an initiative to the European Banking Authority to lift the nine-month restriction on loan payment deferment to extend the moratorium until the end of the year amid the ongoing fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The ministry argued the measure had proved to be a very efficient way of mitigating the impact of the pandemic on businesses and individuals. It also said many borrowers continued to be in financial distress despite other government relief measures, so it is working on potential solutions for deferment, in particular for borrowers whose operations have been hindered by the pandemic.

Rebel MPs opt out of SMC meeting

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič and head of the deputy group of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) Janja Sluga will not take part in today's session of the party council, pointing to alliances being forged by SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek behind the scenes. Sluga and Zorčič, who have been questioning the party's position in the coalition for a while and are rumoured to be forming a faction with a rebel MP from another party, told the STA today's session was meant merely as a public spectacle. Neither Sluga nor Zorčič would say whether they were planning to quit the party or deputy group.

Former Health Minister Gantar leaves DeSUS

LJUBLJANA - Former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar left the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). Gantar, who also served as a party vice-president, announced the decision at a session of the DeSUS executive committee. He told the STA he had been waiting for a proposal to consolidate the party, but given the developments he realised he had enough. The executive committee took note today of the fact that Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek is no longer party member after failing to step down as minister following DeSUS's exit from the coalition.

Hoteliers barely able to keep their heads above water

LJUBLJANA - Head of the Slovenian Hoteliers' Association, Gregor Jamnik, described the situation in the industry as disastrous, warning that the bulk of businesses are not generating any revenue and even though most are still able to keep their heads above water, they will need long-term state aid as the industry will not fully recover in a decade. "I cannot express how awful the situation," Jamnik, director of Hotel Slon in Ljubljana, told the STA. He noted the state was refunding only part of fixed costs, but that those who had used up all their cash during the crisis "cannot even be helped by the state".

Revoz suspends production for two days due to shortage of chips

NOVO MESTO - The Novo Mesto-based car assembly plant Revoz, owned by Renault, suspended production of all of its models for Thursday and Friday due to shortages in electronic parts or chips, which has become a global problem due to an increase in the use of electronic devices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Revoz spokesperson Nevenka Bašek Zildžović told the STA that the problem had been looming for a while, and was being tackled by the core company Renault, which has been distributing the supplies of electric parts and the new shipments it receives among individual factories.

Incoming Petrol supervisor resigns, allegedly over party affiliation

LJUBLJANA - Branko Bračko resigned from his position as a member of the supervisory board of Petrol before he was due to start his term on 11 April, following media allegations about his being a senior official of the ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). The energy company announced the supervisory board receiving Bračko's resignation letter in a regulatory filing without giving any further details. Bračko was appointed to the supervisory board at the Petrol shareholders' meeting late last year on the proposal of Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), the state asset manager. A few days ago, the news portal Necenzurirano reported it acquired documents, photographs and information proving that Bračko had concealed the information of his party positions from SSH.

Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi wins individual World Cup event in Planica

PLANICA - Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi won the individual ski flying World Cup event in Planica, scoring 452.5 points. Germany's Markus Eisenbichler and Karl Geiger placed second (445.1 points) and third (431.2 points), respectively. The best among Slovenians was Bor Pavlovčič in fifth place. The first event of the Ski Jumping World Cup finals saw a number of favourites miss out on the final round, including the overall winner of the season Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway.

Slovenia open World Cup qualifiers with win over Croatia

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian men's football team opened the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup by defeating on Wednesday evening world champion runners-up Croatia 1:0. Sandi Lovrić scored early for Slovenia, who managed to keep the lead all the way until the final whistle. The match in Stožice Stadium was played without spectators and was actually the first win for Slovenia against the neighbouring Croatia in nine official matches they have played. "We are happy, but we will stay firmly on the ground," head coach Matjaž Kek said as the team is playing Russia in Sochi on Saturday and Cyprus in Nicosia on 30 March.

Albaugh's expansion plans challenged by NGO

RAČE - The environmental association Rovo has appealed against the Environment Agency's (ARSO) decision to allow Albaugh TKI to expand production of phytopharmaceuticals at its location in Rače in the north-east of Slovenia which it says is situated in a water protection area. The company, a subsidiary of Albaugh Europe Sarl, which is in turn part of Albaugh, LLC of the US, is planning to expand production from 5,000 tonnes to 23,248 tonnes a year. Rovo is challenging the ARSO decision by arguing the agency misapplied the waters act and had not accurately assessed the situation.

Beekeeping to be nominated for UNESCO heritage status

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is to nominate beekeeping for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, with the nomination being a reflection of the wealth of the country's beekeeping tradition and is rooted in ecological, sustainable and social aspects of beekeeping, the government has announced. The nomination proposal, titled Beekeeping in Slovenia, A Way of Life, highlights the prevalence of beekeeping skills and practices that have been handed down from generation to generation.

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25 Mar 2021, 18:11 PM

Janša Calls for Emergency Public Meeting Over Third Wave

STA, 25 March 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has proposed that President Borut Pahor call a meeting of the heads of parliamentary parties and deputy groups with the Health Ministry and its Covid-19 advisory group as soon as possible. Pahor meanwhile said that he had sent out invitations for Sunday morning.

The call from Janša came as the government is preparing to take additional measures by the end of the week due to a growing number of infections.

According to the prime minister's office, the Health Ministry proposes additional measures to stop the third wave of the epidemic at the proposal of its Covid-19 task force.

Janša said that because of the "worryingly rapid growth of infections and Covid-19 patients" the government was forced to discuss and adopt additional measures by the end of the week at the latest.

Based on the agreement from the last meeting of medical experts with the heads of parliamentary parties that any measures adopted by the government should be discussed by them first, Janša asked Pahor to call such a meeting as soon as possible.

"Representatives of the opposition stressed at the first meeting that they wanted to be acquainted with measures in more detail before they are adopted by the government, so now the government is taking the opposition's calls into account with the call to the president," Janša said.

He also proposed that the meeting be public, "so we can all get acquainted with the proposals and dilemmas we must face".

Janša proposes for the meeting to be held on Friday evening or on Saturday or Sunday, stressing though that the government must reach a decision on Sunday evening at the latest.

Pahor said in the afternoon that he called a meeting for Sunday at 10am, saying that all stakeholders wished the government take timely action at the start of the third wave. Participants will decide before the meeting whether it will be public, as proposed by Janša.

Some media have reported that the Covid-19 group could propose the government to introduce a full lockdown from 1 to 12 April due to the growing number of infections and hospitalisations.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar said today he did not wish to prejudge what the decision would be, noting it would be a political decision. "I'm counting on us taking a constructive position, which we will then present to the public," he said.

25 Mar 2021, 18:03 PM

Ski Jumping: Kobayashi Wins Individual World Cup Event in Planica (Video)

STA, 25 March 2021 - Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi won the individual ski flying World Cup event in Planica, Slovenia on Thursday, scoring 452.5 points. Germany's Markus Eisenbichler and Karl Geiger placed second (445.1 points) and third (431.2 points), respectively. The best among Slovenians was Bor Pavlovčič in fifth place.

The first event of the Ski Jumping World Cup finals saw a number of favourites miss out on the final round, including the overall winner of the season Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway.

After the first round, the situation was looking good for the Slovenian team with Domen Prevc and Pavlovčič trailing Kobayashi at the top, however both Slovenians underperformed in the final round. Prevc placed eight, whereas the rest of the team did not make it among the first 15 competitors.

The event on the Flying hill of Gorišek brothers marked the first time the final round saw as many as ten Slovenian competitors.

In a frightening turn of events Norway's Andre Tande suffered a terrible fall in the trial round and had to be airlifted to the UKC Ljubljana medical centre. His medical condition is currently stable, according to the International Ski Federation (FIS).

The 27-year-old is part of the Norwegian team that was victorious at the Ski Flying World Championships in Planica in December.

The next World Cup event will be held tomorrow when another individual event will take place.

25 Mar 2021, 13:50 PM

Head of Slovenian Hoteliers' Association: "I Cannot Express How Awful the Situation Is"

STA, 25 March 2021 - The head of the Slovenian Hoteliers' Association, Gregor Jamnik, has described the situation in the industry as disastrous, warning that the bulk of businesses are not generating any revenue and even though most are still able to keep their heads above water, they will need long-term state aid as the industry will not fully recover in a decade.

"I cannot express how awful the situation is," Jamnik, director of Hotel Slon in Ljubljana, has told the STA. "We're one hundred percent dependent on state aid. We're not generating any cash flow or revenue."

He noted that the state was refunding only part of fixed costs, but that those who had used up all their cash during the long-running crisis "cannot even be helped by the state".

Ljubljana hoteliers are still coping, having awaited the Covid-19 crisis in quite good shape financially. However, in some other parts of the country, for example in Maribor, hotels are said to be closing down and are being repossessed by creditor banks.

At any rate, hoteliers are on artificial life support "We don't know what will happen when state aid ends, we fear that," said Jamnik, who expects the road to recovery to be very long.

It will take at least five years for tourism to recover, or even ten years in case of cross-Atlantic travel and conference tourism. "The figures we saw in 2019 are unlikely to be seen again this decade."

Still new hotels are being built in Ljubljana, which means even more beds and consequently further pressure on prices; Jamnik warned of the danger of a price war such as Ljubljana had seen out of season already before the pandemic.

The outlook for the summer is uncertain. While coastal regions report good bookings and people can hardly wait to travel, restrictions are expected to persist and PCR tests are expected to be required, which would make holidays even more expensive.

Another problem is the slow vaccination rollout, not only in Slovenia, but also elsewhere.

"People will head out if they feel safe and if they don't have to pay hefty sums for PCR tests. There's considerable risk that this year's season will be even worse than last year's, which was bad anyway."

Jamnik regrets that the government would not allow tourism and "doesn't understand hoteliers aren't a source of infections". Only business people, diplomats, athletes and people getting treatment are allowed to stay in hotels at the moment.

As an example that Slovenia could follow Jamnik offered Croatia where tourism has been allowed and hotels at seaside destinations weathered the winter well being full with local guests every weekend.

He hopes the government will allow tourism to reopen as soon as possible, so that tourism vouchers could be spent and at least May Day holidays could be rescued.

Similar demands have come from the trade union of hospitality and tourism workers, which urged Milan Krek, the head of the National Institute of Public Health, to provide arguments and data showing why the sector is an infection risk.

25 Mar 2021, 12:44 PM

Slovenia Changes National Vaccination Strategy, Higher Priority for Those Aged 60+

STA, 24 March 2021 - The government amended once again the national vaccination strategy on Wednesday, moving higher up on the list the age group of 60 and older, as well as the national Olympic team bound for Tokyo in the summer.

The changes were made due to the changing epidemiological situation and will take effect on Monday, a press release said after today's government session.

Healthcare workers and elderly care home staff remain at the top of the priority group list. They are followed by those aged 70 and over, especially vulnerable chronic patients and education staff.

The second priority group includes the age group of 60 and over and chronic patients who are not particularly vulnerable.

Diplomats and others involved in Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of the year follow, as well as foreign diplomats in Slovenia and Armed Forces members set to be deployed abroad. This priority group now also includes Slovenia's Olympic team.

The next priority group includes MPs and national councillors, some expert services staff, the government and staff at ministries vital for the government, the president and his office, mayors and Constitutional Court judges, as well as vital staff in judiciary, the police, the military and the Civil Protection Administration.

Next up will be those working in the sectors of energy, transport, food, pharmaceutical industry, water supply, finance, environmental protection and IT, as well as other staff vital for the state.

They will be followed by the rest of the population in the order individuals applied for vaccination.

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25 Mar 2021, 08:29 AM

Slovenia Changes Covid Entry Rules for Tests, Some Changes to Red Areas in Austria, Italy, Spain

STA, 24 March 2021 - Negative rapid antigen test result will no longer be accepted to avoid quarantine on entering Slovenia, while dual owners and lessees of land in bordering areas will no longer need a negative test every seven days to cross the border, under a decision taken by the government on Wednesday.

The decision means that only a negative result of a PCR test taken within the past 48 hours will qualify as proof to allow quarantine-free entry into the country or to end quarantine early.

The same as before, arrivals can also avoid quarantine if they produce proof that they had been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recovered from the disease within the past six months.

Such proofs include a positive PCR test result older than 21 days but not older than six months or a doctor's note proving the person has recovered from Covid-19 but not more than six months since the onset of symptoms.

However, a negative rapid test result no older than seven days remains valid as proof to enter Slovenia quarantine-free for those crossing daily for work or school when they are older than 13, the persons brining students or pupils across the border to school, those having a medical appointment in Slovenia or are returning from an EU and Schengen country where they provided care or assistance.

Dual owners and lessees of land in bordering areas will no longer need a negative test result to tend to land or do farm work across the border if they return within ten hours.

The government also made some changes to the red list of countries or regions as a result of which all Austrian regions are red except for Vorarlberg, all Italian regions except for Sardinia, while in Spain Cantabria, Extremadura, Galicia, Balearic Islands, Murcia and Navarra are removed from the red list.

25 Mar 2021, 05:22 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 25 March 2021

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Govt shortens Govt shortens curfew, shuts three regions

LJUBLJANA - The government shortened the curfew from between 9pm and 6am to between 10pm and 5pm, and imposed a ban on movement into and out of three regions with the highest coronavirus infection rates. Movement is being restricted to within the region in Obalno-Kraška and Goriška in the west and Koroška in the north, with several exceptions applying. The government also decided that only negative PCR test result will be accepted to avoid quarantine on entering Slovenia, except for exceptions.

Govt overhauls national vaccination strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government amended once again the national vaccination strategy, moving higher up on the list the age group of 60 and older, as well as the national Olympic team bound for Tokyo in the summer. The changes were made due to the changing epidemiological situation and will take effect on Monday. The national coordinator of vaccination logistics, Jelko Kacin, said it was realistic to expect that 70% of Slovenia's population, or all adult residents, would be vaccinated by summer, as the country expected to receive more than 250,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of June.

Rising trend persists as 1,288 new cases, nine deaths confirmed

LJUBLJANA - New coronavirus cases continue to rise at double-digit rates as 1,288 cases were confirmed on Tuesday, an almost two-month high, the latest government data show. Nine Covid-19 patients died. There were 500 Covid-19 patients in hospital, down seven on the day before, while the number of ICU cases rose by three to 99, a one-month high. The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents rose to 531 and the 7-day to 285, show data released by the National Institute of Public Health.

Slovenia summons Chinese ambassador over sanctions row

LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Foreign Ministry summoned Chinese Ambassador Wang Shunqing for talks in response to China's retaliation to EU sanctions due to human rights violations against Uyghurs. In the talks, the ministry described China's measures as unacceptable and expressed concern about human rights violations in Xinjiang and about the legislative changes affecting Hong Kong's autonomy. Talking with reporters in Brussels, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said China's actions contradicted the EU's fundamental values, and would not contribute to an EU-China partnership to boost investment cooperation.

Slovenia supports NATO's ambitious plans for the future

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Addressing reporters after a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said Slovenia supported NATO's ambitious vision until 2030 as proposed by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Logar noted in particular enhancing political cooperation and building a stronger alliance in the face of new types of threats. As for the proposed strengthening of the common-funded budget, Logar said Slovenia shared the view of some other allies that detailed data should be obtained first.

UK official opposes vaccine exports ban in STA interview

LJUBLJANA - UK Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands opposed any exports ban on coronavirus vaccines, as he talked with the STA in an interview during a visit to Slovenia. He also praised relations between Slovenia and the UK as very good. Vaccines have complicated supply chains and the best thing would be for everybody to work together, he said. "Any kind of vaccines exports ban would be a mistake," said Hands as he commented on the a possible ban by the EU.

IMAD upgrades growth forecast to 4.6% for the year

LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) has upgraded its economic growth forecast for Slovenia for this year to 4.6%, to be followed by a 4.4% growth in 2022 and 3.3% in 2023. IMAD, whose forecasts are used as a basis for state budgeting, had projected a 4.3% increase in Slovenia's GDP in its winter forecast, the reason for the upgrade being improved prospects in the international environment and businesses and consumers adapting increasingly to the new normal.

Culture minister grilled over culture and media policies

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition lambasted Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti for his treatment of the self-employed culture workers and public media as the National Assembly debated for hours their motion to oust him. Rejecting all the accusations, the minister argued he had been working for the benefit of culture, saying the culture budget would be record high this year. The outcome of the vote, which will be taken on Thursday, is not clear yet but the motion is expected to be defeated.

Contentious provision removed from water bill

LJUBLJANA - The environment and economy ministries withdrew a planned provision allowing construction of manufacturing facilities which use hazardous materials in water protected areas. This is one of the two provisions in the amendments to the water law that environmental NGOs and other experts had criticised as unacceptable. NGOs welcome the move but said the other contentious provision, which allows construction of public infrastructure in coastal areas, should be withdrawn as well.

SocDem MP proposes international debate on fracking

LJUBLJANA - Dejan Židan, an MP of the opposition SocDems, called on Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec to convene an international expert discussion on hydraulic fracturing. The debate would establish what individual countries have done abut fracking. Židan noted that the opposition had filed three times a proposal amending the mining act to ban fracking, but the amendment was voted down. The ministry's proposal to change the mining act would ban high-volume fracking and allow low-volume fracking under certain circumstances.

EUSAIR strategy for further green development in region

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) presented the initiative's key achievements since June 2020 when Slovenia took over the year-long EUSAIR chairmanship. The chairmanship revolved around green cooperation and environmentally-friendly development, including protection of the marine environment, green infrastructure and ecosystem services. EUSAIR is one of the four EU macro-regional strategies.

Report: NBI investigating Court of Audit

LJUBLJANA - The news portals 24ur and Necenzurirano reported that the National Bureau of Investigation opened a preliminary investigation into the work of the Court of Audit in the audit on the purchase of medical and personal protective equipment in the spring of 2020. Court of Audit President Tomaž Vesel told Radio Slovenija that questions forwarded from the NBI led to believe that the bureau was interested in whether the court had grounds for launching the audit.

Pragersko railway hub gets EUR 40m in EU funds

LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy approved EUR 40 million in funds from the European Regional Development Fund to thoroughly overhaul the railway hub in Pragersko, north-eastern Slovenia. The investment is valued at EUR 90 million and is part of the European cohesion policy operative programme for 2014-2020.

Google.org funds Slovenian project promoting elderly digital literacy

LJUBLJANA - Google.org, Google's charitable arm, will donate EUR 134,000 to Slovenian organisation Simbioza to bridge digital gaps in elderly digital literacy in what is Google.org's first investment in Slovenia. Simbioza will raise awareness and promote digital skills all over the country through mobile classrooms equipped with computers, smart phones and other devices, and the mobile app Magda, the first mobile app for the elderly in Slovenia.

Slovenian startup launches all-in-one POS terminal

LJUBLJANA - Lab4Pay, a Slovenian fintech startup, has launched a point-of-sale (POS) terminal that vendors can use for traditional payment methods as well as digital payments such as cryptocurrency. The Elly POS accepts credit and debit cards as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, several Slovenian electronic wallets and a number of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ether and Litecoin. More options will be added.

Judge steps down after drunk-driving crash

LJUBLJANA - The president of the Maribor Higher Court, Miroslav Pliberšek, stepped down following media reports about him causing an accident while drunk driving. According to the newspaper Dnevnik, the 57-year old was driving under the influence at the end of January and caused an accident in Maribor. In his resignation letter to the president of the Supreme Court, Pliberšek said he was stepping down to protect the reputation of the Maribor Higher Court and the judiciary as a whole.

Prosecution rejects criminal complaints over STA funding

LJUBLJANA - The prosecution rejected criminal complains by the Journalist Trade Union against Uroš Urbanija, director of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), for suspending STA funding. It also rejected UKOM's criminal complaint against STA director Bojan Veselinovič, supervisors and former UKOM boss Kristina Plavšak Krajnc over the UKOM-STA contract on public service for 2020. Prosecutor Špela Brezigar said it was evident the dispute between the STA and UKOM resulted from different interpretations of the law, while criminal procedure was not designed to solve disagreements.

Documentary Film Festival gets under way online

LJUBLJANA - The 23rd Documentary Film Festival started online, bringing 20 feature-length documentaries and four short films until the end of the month. A special section will be dedicated to films by director Matjaž Ivanišin, a winner of the Prešeren Fund Prize. Five films will compete for the Amnesty International Slovenija award. The films will be available at Cinesquare.net. Discussions with directors will be aired by Cankarjev Dom on social networks and on radio station Val 202.

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24 Mar 2021, 21:29 PM

Curfew Shortened by 2 Hrs, 10pm-5am; Movement Ban on 3 regions

STA, 24 March 2021 - The government has shortened the curfew from between 9pm and 6am to between 10pm and 5pm, and imposed a ban on movement into and out of three regions with the highest coronavirus infection rates.

Movement is being restricted to within the region in Obalno-Kraška and Goriška in the west and Koroška in the north, according to a release issued after the government session on Wednesday.

Exceptions to restriction of movement into and out of what are currently red-coded regions include travel for work, business, farming, forestry, dealing with risks to health, property, and caring for family members or maintaining parental ties.

Travel in an out of the regions is also possible to access services such as pharmacies or health services and diplomatic and consular missions, and maintaining property or graves, among other things.

Other than exceptions, travel is also allowed to persons providing a negative PCR rapid antigen test results no older than 48 hours, or proof of having been immunised against Covid-19 through vaccination or having recovered from the disease within the past six months.

The decree will take effect a day after publication in the Official Gazette and will be in force until 2 April.

The government has made no changes to gatherings or events, which continue to be capped at ten people.

It said it would take a final decision on measures proposed by the Covid-19 advisory group on Sunday at the latest, proposing for President Borut Pahor to call a meeting of heads of parliamentary parties and deputy groups prior to that.

The curfew has been in place since 20 October 2020 with the government arguing its necessity due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The cabinet had been deliberating on shortening the curfew two weeks ago, but the Government Communication Office said at the time the Covid-19 advisory team opposed such a proposal by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs.

The group's head Mateja Logar told the magazine Mladina last week they did not opt for shortening the curfew because they did not think it would change the situation much. She also announced that they would propose lifting the curfew if the epidemiological situation was good enough.

24 Mar 2021, 16:17 PM

Primary Schools Asked to Prepare for Hybrid Classes if Third Wave Begins

STA, 24 March 2021 - Primary schools have been told by the Education Ministry to prepare for a hybrid model of classes involving alternative weeks for some pupils, should the coronavirus situation worsen.

The model, dubbed C1, foresees for classes to continue in-person for years one to five, while the rest of primary pupils would be in school every other week alternating with remote learning.

According to the online edition of the newspaper Večer, year eight to nine pupils would be in school the first week and year six to seven the next.

In a circular sent to schools, the ministry said the guidance did not mean yet that the C1 model would be in fact applied, but it was just to inform them of the potential scenario should the situation worsen.

The government is conducting its weekly review of coronavirus measures today amid expectations it could tighten restrictions as coronavirus transmissions have been increasing fast in recent days.

Year one to three primary pupils returned to school in mid-February, followed by other pupils. Secondary school pupils from year one to three have had alternative weeks classes for the third week now, after they had remote classes only since mid-October.

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