STA, 17 October - Almost 900 new coronavirus were confirmed on Friday, a new daily high. A total of 897 were confirmed in Slovenia 5,605 tests, one Slovenian citizen tested positive abroad, the government's Covid-19 spokesman Jelko Kacin said on Twitter.

The figures come to a positivity rate of roughly 16%, which is on par with Thursday's rate.

Slovenia now has 6,082 active cases from a total of 12,414 confirmed so far, according to data by the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik.

The 14-day cumulative rate of infection per 100,000 people is now 290.

Official government data shows there are 250 persons in hospital, up approximately 3% over the day before, while the number of patients in intensive care declined by two to 43.

Four people with Covid-19 died, bringing the death toll to 184.

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STA, 16 October 2020 - Slovenian epidemiologists will continue establishing contact with those infected with the novel coronavirus, however from Saturday they will no longer pursue their contact tracing strategy or issue proposals for quarantine orders.

The epidemiological service of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) announced on Friday that as of Saturday it will be up to the infected to notify everyone they have been in contact with of their infection.

Epidemiologists' capacities are not limitless, said NIJZ, adding that they have stepped up their efforts to investigate coronavirus cases, however case numbers are rising and investigation delays are bound to occur.

Currently, epidemiologists can deal with some 350 cases per day, tenfold compared to the spring.

In the morning, there were some 1,300 cases of confirmed infections that had not been yet dealt with, meaning close contacts had not been established.

Epidemiologists will continue notifying the infected of all the key information, including about the quarantine procedure and the code for activating an alert via contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav (#StayWell).

The infected person will also receive instructions to warn all who have been in contact with them and deliver relevant guidelines.

Epidemiologists will thus no longer determine risky contacts themselves nor will they issue quarantine proposals.

Regardless of a change in its protocol, the service will carry on with its work and keep providing key epidemiologic data representing an important basis for deciding on anti-corona measures, added the NIJZ.

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STA, 16 October 2020 - Putting 38% of Slovenian territory under Natura 2000 protection was "a shot in the knee", Prime Minister Janez Janša told the press after an EU summit that had climate goals as one of the items on the agenda. He indicated Slovenia would only support goals that are feasible.

The EU summit on Thursday called for a strengthening of climate ambitions in the next decade in order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. There is no specific agreement yet on the goal to reduce emissions, the desire is to reach one in December.

It was agreed this time that the enhanced goal must be reached together in the most cost-effective way. All member states will participate, whereby national circumstances, fairness and solidarity will be considered.

Eleven member states that have pushed for more ambitious targets issued a special statement calling for an agreement on the goal to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

Asked whether Slovenia intended to join the eleven, having once considered itself as a climate-ambitious country, Janša said that "politics can change every day, but we will not change natural conditions, in particular when we shot ourselves in the knee in the past."

He said one such shot in the knee was declaring 38% of Slovenia's territory a Natura 200 area, where it is forbidden to produce energy from natural and sustainable sources. The European average is 18%.

"We'll try to be ecologically conscious and yet not be complete idiots like those who drew these maps at that time not realising what it is actually all about," he said.

"We will not deal with the signing of various statements in which you commit to high targets, but at the same time ... expect that others will achieve them," he said, noting that Slovenia would support goals that will actually be implemented and would not pay triple the price like some neighbouring countries might.

Speaking about the summit debate, Janša said that nobody had major qualms about the 55% target, but there were concerns about how to achieve it, the price, and a fair approach.

"These targets need to be achieved so that they are actually sustainable, it should not just be about achieving some formally determined targets notwithstanding the price and consequences."

This means that "it does not make sense to generously subsidise electric cars and abolish diesel [cars] but then burn coal in thermal power plants to charge electric cars. There are rational boundaries here that simply must be respected."

Janša also highlighted the issue of global competitiveness. If Europe, which produces just over a tenth of global emissions, sticks to the rules and limits its own industry to its detriment, its competitiveness will decline, which will leave less money for research and innovation, the only path to achieving long-term climate goals.

He said it was clear the targets cannot be achieved without nuclear energy, which is a problem for some countries. Slovenia will definitely not have a new generator at its nuclear power plant until 2030, which means a lot will have to be done to approach the target.

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Slovenia's daily coronavirus tally hits a high of 834

LJUBLJANA - Coronavirus transmissions keep gaining pace in Slovenia with 834 of 5,196 tests performed on Thursday coming back positive and the rolling 14-day average per 100,000 residents rising by 27 in a day to 257.21. The Covid-19 death toll hit 180 after four more fatalities. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose to 242 with 45 patients requiring intensive care. Two more Slovenian statistical regions for a total of nine out of 12 went into lock down and officials indicated new restrictions could follow soon. Epidemiologists said they would continue establishing contact with those infected with the novel coronavirus, however from Saturday they will no longer pursue their contact tracing strategy or issue proposals for quarantine orders.

Electoral reform tops agenda of Zorčič's visit to Rome and FM Logar's to Trieste

ROME/TRIESTE, Italy - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič held talks with the presidents of both chambers of the Italian parliament, the chairs of several parliamentary commissions and a Foreign Ministry state secretary. The focus of the talks was on reform of Italian electoral legislation The Slovenian minority in Italy expects that the new electoral law will secure representation of the community in the Italian parliament in line with a 2001 Italian law on the protection of the Slovenian minority. This was also the main topic of what was first official visit of Foreign Minister Anže Logar to the Slovenian community in Italy. Logar said Slovenia will follow the minority's situation with even more care given the situation and announced several more high-level meetings until the end of the year.

PM says putting 38% of Slovenia under Natura 2000 a mistake

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Putting 38% of Slovenian territory under Natura 2000 protection was "a shot in the knee", PM Janez Janša told the press after an EU summit that had climate goals as one of the items on the agenda. He said that the European average for the area, where it is forbidden to produce energy from natural and sustainable sources, is 18%. "We'll try to be ecologically conscious and yet not be complete idiots like those who drew these maps at that time not realising what it is actually all about," he said. As for the call by some member states for an agreement on the goal to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, Janša said Slovenia would support goals that will actually be implemented and would not pay triple the price like some neighbouring countries might.

Janša accuses mainstream media of coronavirus denial

BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša told reporters in Brussels that fake news in the sense of denial of the danger of the new coronavirus, spreading in Europe mainly through social media, and in Slovenia unfortunately also through mainstream media was what was forcing Europe and individual countries to take harsher measures than would otherwise be needed. Speaking after the pandemic topped the first day of the EU summit, Janša said Slovenia had been acting in line with recommendations regarding coordination of Covid-19 restrictions.

Following PM's tweet, European journalists urge end of media demonisation

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said "appalled by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša's latest attack against the Slovene public broadcaster STA". This comes after Janša's Twitter post on Thursday calling the STA a "national disgrace". "This demonising of public service media and journalism must stop," said the EFJ. A reaction also came from Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), which monitors, tracks and responds to violations of press and media freedom across Europe. "In Slovenia PM Janez Janša continues to discredit, undermine and attack media outlets including the STA, both online and in reported comments at the European Council," tweeted the MFRR.

Ministry defending national energy and climate plans

LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry defended the national energy and climate plans in the face of a review from the European Commission, saying that in some areas Slovenia's goals were even more ambitious than the bloc's commitments. The ministry also said the Commission highlighted some positive aspects of the plans adopted last February. In a Wednesday report assessing national energy and climate plans until 2030, the European Commission said Slovenia's plans in renewable energy lacked ambition, while the ambition in energy efficiency was assessed as modest or small.

Fiscal Council says budget expenditure for next two years too high

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council warned that the budget expenditure planned for the next two years is too high, while also saying that the divergence from the fiscal rule was understandable and could be allowed, considering the coronavirus pandemic. Council president Davorin Kračun told the press that conditions have been met for divergence from medium-term balance in 2020 and 2021, considering the data available at the moment. It is yet too early to make the same assessment for 2022.

All Saint's Day without public ceremonies

LJUBLJANA - Addressing the government briefing on coronavirus, Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore said that this year's All Saint's Day will not see public religious ceremonies at cemeteries on 1 November due to Covid-19. He urged citizens to comply with anti-corona measures and to help out those in need, noting that in-person mass services are temporarily banned in red listed regions. He said that currently there are six priests quarantining, five were infected and one died a Covid-19-related death.

Trade unions walk out of ESS session on demographic fund

LJUBLJANA - The trade unions that are members of the Economic and Social Council (ESS), the main industrial relations forum, walked out of the session dedicated to the emerging Demographic Fund, where the government pans to pool all state assets to shore up the pension system. While refusing to go into detail before Monday, the unions said they were unhappy with the social dialogue. The Labour Ministry indicated the walkout was because the agenda item on social dialogue was postponed due the absence of the minister. The Pergam trade union association earlier urged the government to withdraw the bill on the Demographic Fund and reach a broad consensus on the bill first, and the anti-graft watchdog of corruption-risk related issues in the bill.

Second national digital radio network operational

LJUBLJANA - The second Slovenia-wide digital radio network, a technology known by its acronym DAB+, was launched. The new multiplex will carry the signals of regional and local radio stations, and stations serving the Italian and Hungarian minorities. Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, which operates the network, said the the radio stations Radio Koper, Radio Maribor, Radio Capodistria and Pomursko-Madžarski Radio are broadcast for now. Other Slovenian local radio stations will be able to join the multiplex, which has nine transmission points, based on a call for applications by the Agency for Communications Networks and Services.

Report: Hoče Magna to build new electric Fisker SUV

TORONTO, Canada/GRAZ, Austria - Magna International, the Canadian-Austrian automotive multinational, announced it would start producing Fisker Ocean, an electric SUV, in 2022. According to unofficial reports by the Austrian Kleine Zeitung, the car would be assembled in Magna's plants in Graz, Austria, and in Hoče, near Maribor, starting off with 50,000 vehicles a year. Magna is yet to confirm the report about assembly location, although the Maribor-based paper Večer writes the info is accurate.

Companies told to be prepared for hard Brexit

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian and British companies must be prepared for the time after the Brexit transition period no matter whether an agreement is reached between the UK and the EU, heard participants of Tea with Reason held by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. The new UK Ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler said it was key for British companies to remain willing to do business with Slovenia and Slovenian businesses with the UK. She believes every company should look into consequences it might face.

Association concerned after Požar receives suspended prison sentence

LJUBLJANA/SLOVENJ GRADEC - The Association of Journalists and Commentators expressed concern over "a renewed abuse of the wheels of the judiciary" after Bojan Požar, author and proprietor of the news portal Požareport, received a suspended three-month prison sentence for defamation and insult due to an article in which he alleged that Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič and his former aide Matjaž Štandeker had bribed bankers. Požar announced he would appeal the ruling, handed by the Slovenj Gradec District Court earlier this week.

Maribor Theatre Festival shorted to one day

MARIBOR - The 55th Maribor Theatre Festival was shortened to a single day because of the deteriorating epidemiological situation in the country. The only event will be tonight's dance performance Burning Water by the Ballet of the Ivan Zajc Rijeka from Croatia, when Borštnik Ring for lifetime achievement in theatre acting will be conferred to Maribor-based actor Peter Boštjančič. All further events have been cancelled because of coronavirus.

Ljubljana Marathon cancelled due to coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Marathon, due next weekend, was cancelled as new coronavirus restrictions took effect in parts of Slovenia with the highest incidence of new cases, including Ljubljana. "Unfortunately, the second wave and the high rise in cases is happening just in time for the Ljubljana Marathon and has prevented us from carrying out the event safely," Ljubljana Marathon director Gojko Zalokar stated. A virtual race will go ahead with registrations expected until 19 October.

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STA, 16 October 2020 - Two more of Slovenia's 12 statistical regions, Pomurska and Podravska in the north-east, have turned from orange to red on the coronavirus incidence metre, which means that lockdown restriction apply in nine regions in total.

According to data by the National Institute for Public Health, the 14-day average incidence threshold of 140 Sars-CoV-2 cases per 100,000 population has been exceeded in Pomurska and Podravska.

The only regions still designated orange are Primorsko-Notranjska, Goriška and Obalno-Kraška in the west and south-west of the country.

Red-region residents are not allowed to leave their region, although a number of exceptions apply. A total ban on gatherings is in place, bars, restaurants and indoor sports facilities are closed, while hair and beauty salons may admit one client at a time.

More details about what red and orange regions can do are here

STA, 16 October 2020 - Coronavirus transmissions keep gaining pace in Slovenia with 834 of 5,196 tests performed on Thursday coming back positive and the rolling 14-day average per 100,000 residents rising by 27 in a day to 257.21.

The Covid-19 death toll has hit 180 after four more fatalities were reported for Thursday, according to fresh data provided at today's press briefing by sombre-looking government spokesman Jelko Kacin.

These show that Covid-19 hospitalisations have risen to 242, up by 20 from the day before, despite nine discharges. 45 patients are being treated in intensive care units (ICU), five more than the day before.

After Slovenia has already passed the 14-day average of 140 cases per 100,000 residents, one of three indicators beyond which the government plans to declare an epidemic, it is fast nearing the other two; 250 hospitalisations and 50 ICU patients.

Kacin said the government was expected to decide on potential new measures tonight, after new restrictions kicked in today in seven out of Slovenia's 12 statistical regions.

The latest cases, coming after 745 and 707 in the previous two days, bring the overall tally to 11,517, of which 5,413 remain active infections, according to tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

What the Latest Lockdown Means for Your Region (16/10/20) - if you live in Slovenia you should click here and read this

Kacin noted that the new increase was despite slightly fewer tests being conducted on Thursday (5,196) than Wednesday (5,287) with the rate of positive tests hitting an all time high of 16%.

Joining Kacin in appeals for everyone to abide by precautions such as wearing face masks in order to turn down the curve, infectiologist Tomaž Vovko from the UKC Ljubljana Department of Infectious Diseases, the country's main Covid-19 treatment facility, described the situation as "horrible".

The ICU unit there has four speciality doctors attending to 20 Covid-19 patients, aged between 42 and 85, where normally one doctor would be attending to 1.7 patient.

"We are working much harder than ever before. Our nurses that we have been working with for 20 years say they have never been facing such a burden before. They know what needs to be done for patients, but they simply cannot keep it up," Vovko said.

He repeated that while the number of hospital beds could be expanded, "we cannot clone" the staff qualified to treat the patients. "The situation is grave indeed," he added.

Asked about the suitability of Covid-19 patients from a care home in Škofja Loka (NW) being moved to a sports arena, Vovko said the conditions would be unsuitable everywhere in a fortnight.

Due to the work overload, quarantine orders are being issued with considerable delays so these are no longer being issued to risk contacts, Vovko said, saying that everyone should presume they were exposed and act accordingly.

Kacin also urged everyone to download the coronavirus exposure mobile tracing app. Data as of 14 October show the app has been downloaded by almost 129,000 users with 455 TAN-codes issued in a fortnight, of which 282 were in fact submitted.

The capital Ljubljana again confirmed the biggest surge in cases, with the number of active infections increasing by 119 to 797 for a per capita infection rate of 0.270%, followed by Kranj, where they rose by 34 to 204 (0.357%).

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STA, 16 October 2020 - Ljubljana Marathon, due next weekend, was cancelled on Friday, as new coronavirus restrictions took effect in parts of Slovenia with the highest incidence of new cases, including Ljubljana.

"Unfortunately, the second wave and the high rise in cases is happening just in time for the Ljubljana Marathon and has prevented us from carrying out the event safely," Ljubljana Marathon director Gojko Zalokar said in a press release.

What is usually the largest running event in the country had been significantly downsized and had received the go-ahead from the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) in early September.

No more than 450 participants and 50 organisers would have taken part in each of the three races: 10k, 21k and the marathon. This would have been significantly fewer than the usual 14,000 runners, running not just in the three categories but a number of other events for children and students as well.

As coronavirus cases in Slovenia continue to rise, new restrictions took effect today, among them a ban on events, while in red regions, which includes Ljubljana, there are also restrictions in place for recreational sports.

The runners who registered and paid their admission fee will get reimbursed by the end of the month, either through direct transactions or via PayPal, depending on how they carried out the payment.

However, the cancellation does not mean that runners cannot run the Ljubljana Marathon this year. Like many running events, the organisers decided to hold a virtual race next week, extending registration until 19 October.

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STA, 16 October 2020 - Wide-ranging restrictions are taking effect across Slovenia on Friday, with a number of regions going into partial lockdown as a response to a high number of new coronavirus cases over the past fortnight. Among other things, socialising will be restricted to no more than ten people and remote teaching will be introduced for older students.

CLASSIFICATION OF REGIONS

Based on the coronavirus infection rates in individual statistical regions, these are being designated either orange or red. No region has been designated green, as all have a 14-day average of cases per 100,000 residents above 40, the limit at which a region is designated orange. Regions with an incidence of over 140 per 100,000 are designated red.

Seven of Slovenia's 12 statistical regions are currently red: Gorenjska, Koroška, Osrednjeslovenska, Posavska, Savinjska and Zasavska, or 117 of 212 municipalities.

The list will change based on official infections data released by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) at least once a week; the first will be posted on Friday.

The list, in Slovene, can be found here

GATHERING OF PEOPLE

Temporarily, gathering of people is being restricted to ten persons. Moreover, these are only allowed to meet if a minimal required safety distance prescribed by the NIJZ can be observed.

Exceptions apply to close family members and members of the same household, as well as groups of up to six co-workers commuting to work together, but only if they wear protective masks.

Red regions

A general ban on events, rallies, weddings and religious ceremonies has been put in place in the red regions. Some events which have already been approved by the NIJZ will have to be cancelled.

Exceptions apply to one-time events, such as concerts, that have already been approved by the NIJZ, but not to recurring events, such as film screenings at cinemas, said Interior Minister Aleš Hojs.

INTER-REGIONAL MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS

Red regions

Red-region residents are no longer allowed to leave their region.

However, a number of exceptions have been put in place: going to work, agricultural and forestry work, providing healthcare and property protection services, care for a family member, access to a pharmacy, healthcare services and hospitals, access to foreign diplomatic and consular representation and access to emergency services, among several others.

Residents of red regions may also cross over into an orange region if they own a piece of property there, or if they are travelling to a foreign country, meaning that a red region's resident may travel across regions to cross into a neighbouring country.

Moreover, people who have previously booked a holiday may also travel across regions, although the government advises against it and has also said that it would extend the tourism voucher scheme beyond 31 December.

People are also allowed to leave a red region to visit a grave, but this is discouraged. Slovenians flock to cemeteries on 1 November, All Saint's Day, often meeting family and friends as they visit the graves of their their loved ones.

To be able to leave a red region, people will need to show some formal proof if they get pulled over in a random police check.

Orange regions

Orange region residents are free to move across regions and may also enter red regions, albeit this is not advised.

Grounds for movement restrictions described above are determined by the government every seven days.

MASK USE

Red regions

Masks are no longer obligatory only indoors, but also outside and in cars, when carrying persons who are not members of the same household.

Exceptions include children up to the age of six, primary and secondary school student in their home class, preschool teachers and teachers up to grade 5 when working with children, and university teachers when using a protective screen; persons in one-on-one fitness training sessions provided that a safety distance of three metres can be observed.

Orange regions

Masks remain obligatory indoors.

EDUCATION

Remote learning will be reintroduced on Monday for students in 6th grade and older. Currently, the plan is for this to remain in place for a week, until the one-week autumn vacation.

Remote teaching will also be in place at music schools and higher vocational schools, in case of the latter until end of October.

Institutions and schools for children with disabilities will continue in person.

Universities have decided to switch to remote teaching wherever possible.

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

Red regions

A ban will take effect on Saturday on services in fitness centres and sports facilities, as well as group exercises.

School gyms will be closed to outside users, exceptions being competitions and club members with registered athlete status training at the facilities.

Orange regions

Fitness centres and other sport facilities remain open, however attendance is capped at 1 person per 20 square metres.

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

The restrictions do not apply to athletes with registered athlete status without regard for their location, Educations and Sport Minister Simona Kustec said.

BARS AND RESTAURANTS

Red regions

Bars, restaurants, coffee shops and pastry shops will close their on Saturday. They may still prepare food, but only for take away or delivery services.

Tourist accommodation facilities may still serve food and drink, but only between 6am and 10.30pm and only to guests.

Orange regions

Serving of food and drink is allowed between 6am and 10.30pm. Guests are only served at tables, which must be appropriately spaced.

HAIR AND BEAUTY SALONS

Red regions

Only one client will be allowed in the salon as of Saturday.

Orange regions

The number of clients in the salon is capped at one person per 20 square metres.

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STA, 15 October 2020 - The National Assembly passed in a 48:29 vote on Thursday the fifth package of legislation designed to help the society at large, and the healthcare system in particular, cope with the coronavirus epidemic.

One of the principal measures of the legislation, which is estimated at EUR 420 million, is an extension of the furlough subsidy scheme for companies until the end of the year.

The state will continue to cover sick pay for workers in quarantine, including when they are on sick leave to care for quarantined children.

Sole proprietors and freelancers will once again be eligible for a monthly basic income, a measure that was already in place in the spring.

From October until the end of the year they will be able to get EUR 1,100 per month if their revenue in 2020 is 20% lower than last year.

The state will provide funds for personal protective equipment and other equipment for public health institutions and care homes and will also cover loss of income for these institutions due to vacant capacities. A task force will be established to advise the institutions in case of infections.

New bonuses will be introduced for workers in healthcare and social security. Those working directly with patients in grey and red zones, respectively for those with confirmed or suspected infections, will get 30% bonuses, and those assigned to new posts will get 20% higher pay.

Several inspectorates will have the power to monitor compliance with measures related to the epidemic. Police and traffic wardens will be able to complete small offences procedures without having to forward cases to the Health Inspectorate.

Quarantine decisions will be simplified. The National Institute of Public Health will be able to order people to quarantine in the event of contact with an infected person, while police officers will have the power to do that on the border for arrivals from high-risk countries. The quarantine orders may be oral, a solution that the opposition objected to.

The bill introduces free flu shots for everybody with a health insurance and aims to bring some relief to the healthcare system by allowing up to three days of paid sick leave three times a year without having to see a GP.

According to Elena Zavadlav Ušaj of the coalition Democrats (SDS), this will reduce the workload on community health centres.

As of 1 January doctors employed by public institutions will no longer be allowed to work for more than eight hours a week in private practices.

Another healthcare-related solution, an effort to cut waiting periods, is allowing private practitioners without public concessions to apply for public funds. EUR 42 million will be available in a public call in which public and private health care providers will compete on equal terms.

Primož Siter of the of the Left said that nothing will have changed for patients, but a lot of money will go to owners of private healthcare providers. Vojko Starović of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) believes that public funds should be used to fill up the capacity of public healthcare providers.

Defending the motion, Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said the government wanted to make use of any available capacity in healthcare.

"If previous solutions that only saw money being given to the system made no significant changes in cutting waiting periods, in fact they grew longer, it would be foolish to expect a better outcome if we used the same manoeuvre once again," said Cigler Kralj, adding that the measure focused on the patient, who will get fast access to good services.

The opposition National Party (SNS) meanwhile believe this measure to be an experiment which will have no effect whatsoever. "If public healthcare institutions have available capacities, they should work, we don't need a public call for that," said MP Dušan Šiško, who believes the biggest problem is not money but poor organisation and understaffing.

SDS deputy Mojca Škrinjar said: "I don't care if the health service is rendered by a private provider, concessionaire or a public community health centre or public hospital. What I want is fast, quality health service when I need it."

Some of the decisions were decried by the opposition as having nothing to do with the epidemic. One such measure is the repeal of a law that fixes the prices of books for a certain period. Following protests by the opposition, the final solution was that the repeal will be temporary, lasting only until the end of April 2022.

The law also provides the legal basis for a new mobile application for exposure notification. The new app will include a functionality that will inform users about preventive measures.

All our stories on Slovenia and coronavirus

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: 

New restrictive measures presented, Slovenia entering partial lockdown

LJUBLJANA - Seven of Slovenia's twelve statistical regions will be partially locked down on Friday in a bid to contain the exponential growth in coronavirus, under government decrees passed last night. Bars, restaurants and sports facilities will close in red-listed regions, primary school children as of the 6th grade and secondary school students will be schooled remotely as of Monday for at least one week in the entire country, and all healthcare providers have been urged to scale back or suspend preventive services, to secure sufficient capacity for urgent treatment of patients, including those with Covid-19. The opposition criticised some of the measures but still urged people to comply.

Parliament passes fifth corona package

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the fifth stimulus package, designed to help the country overcome the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. One of the principal measures of the EUR 420 million package is the extension of the furlough subsidy scheme until the end of the year. Sole proprietors will once again be eligible for monthly basic income. The state will provide funds for personal protective equipment and other equipment for public health institutions and care homes and will also cover loss of income for these institutions due to vacant capacities and provide for additional bonuses for staff. New bonuses will be introduced for workers in healthcare and social security.

Slovenia's coronavirus tally above 700 for second day

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has logged yet another coronavirus record as the daily tally hit 745 for Wednesday, following 707 the day before, bringing the total case count to well over 10,000. Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said that a record 5,287 tests were performed yesterday, with 14% of the cases returning positive, just slightly below 14.4% the day before. Hospitalisations increased by twelve to 222 despite 20 Covid-19 patients being discharged home. As many as 40 are in intensive case units, five more than the day before.

Podgoršek appointed new agriculture minister

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly appointed Jože Podgoršek the new minister of agriculture, forestry and food with 48 votes in favour and seven against. While the opposition did not vote in favour, they nevertheless praised his competences, which were also highlighted as his main quality by the coalition. Podgoršek said he accepted the appointment with a great level of respect for the position. "I will carry out the work with due responsibility. I hope that I will manage, at least in part, to meet your expectations and those of the stakeholders in the food supply chain."

Janša says EU needs unified response to Turkey's provocations

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for a united response of the EU in support of Cyprus and Greece following new provocations by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean as he arrived for an EU summit. Although the topic is not on the agenda, he said he expected the EU to take a unified approach towards the development in the east of the Mediterranean, where Turkey is causing tension with new provocations aimed at Cyprus and Greece. While the EU leaders recently adopted a dual approach to Turkey, now they will need to send a very clear message that the approach which includes many incentives will be applied only if "all of us adhere to the rules," he said.

Logar and Korčok urge coordinated response to Covid-19

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Slovak counterpart Ivan Korčok called for better coordination of measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic at the EU level. The Foreign Ministry said the two ministers shared the view that coordination was vital not only to successfully contain the pandemic but also to restart the European economy. They agreed that restrictions on travel between member countries should have the minimum possible impact on people's lives and business. The ministers also called for enhancing cooperation between Slovenia and Slovakia, in particular in business, regional cooperation and working together in shaping EU policies.

Tonin discusses defence cooperation in Rome

ROME, Italy - Defence Minister Matej Tonin paid an official visit to Italy. Talks with his counterpart Lorenzo Guerini focused on defence cooperation, including in international missions. Joint efforts in preventing illegal migrations were also on the agenda. The Defence Ministry said Tonin and Guerini assessed defence and military cooperation as excellent, in particular in international missions. Tonin said Slovenia planned to slightly decrease its presence in Kosovo but increase it in Mali as a means of helping reduce migration from North Africa.

MPs visit SOVA over Iranian money laundering case

LJUBLJANA - Five members of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Service Oversight Commission (KNOVS) paid an unannounced visit to the national intelligence and security agency SOVA in relation to possible influence on SOVA in the case of an suspected Iranian money laundering scheme at NLB bank. The National Assembly said the authorised KNOVS group was looking into documentation related to a reported criminal act related to the Farrokh case, possible pressure by the SOVA management on employees, and possible influence of other bodies on the agency's work in this case.

NIJZ critical of proposed change in issuing quarantine orders

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) expressed criticism on Wednesday over a proposed amendment to the communicable diseases act, part of the fifth stimulus package, under which the epidemiological service would be in charge of issuing quarantine orders, commercial broadcaster POP TV reported. The institute does not intend to serve in any capacity of an official body restricting movement of citizens, said the NIJZ.

Govt sets out budgetary plan for 2021

LJUBLJANA - The government has reviewed a draft budgetary plan for 2021, a document that needs to be submitted to the European Commission by mid-October as part the coordination of fiscal policies at the EU-level. Under plans, general government deficit is projected to decrease to 6.6% of GDP next year.

Parliamentary inquiry into PPE procurement formally starts

LJUBLJANA - A parliamentary inquiry into the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) before and during the coronavirus epidemic got off to a formal start. The head of the inquiry commission, Alenka Jeraj of the ruling Democrats (SDS), presented its objectives and work procedures before the session continued behind closed doors. The inquiry was formally initiated by the National Assembly on 14 July at the request of the coalition, which moved faster than the opposition and filed for it before the four centre-left opposition parties which had announced it first.

Left opposition files legislative proposal banning fracking

LJUBLJANA - The four left opposition parties tabled a legislative motion which would prohibit the extraction of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing. The proposed amendments, submitted by the Left, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the SocDems and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), stipulate that already issued permits and mining rights and applications for them would need to be "coordinated" with the ban as well. A similar proposal was sent to parliament in the summer by the opposition Left, but it was rejected by the coalition at committee level with the argument the issue would be incorporated into changes to the mining act being drawn up by the government.

Works begin on first section of major expressway project

ŠOŠTANJ - Construction works on the first section of a major north-south expressway in eastern Slovenia dubbed the Third Development Axis started. The first portion is an expressway that is 200 metres long and forms part of the northern section of the Third Development Axis, which stretches from Slovenj Gradec in the north to the motorway exit Šentrupert. Valentin Hajdinjak, chairman of national motorway company DARS, said the main portion of the north section, between Slovenj Gradec and Velenje, was due for completion in 2025 or 2026, while the remaining section to the existing motorway should be built by 2027.

Hisense Gorenje confirms launch of TV factory for January

VELENJE - Home appliances maker Hisense Gorenje officially announced it would start producing TV sets at one of its former facilities in Velenje in January next year. The Chinese-owned company announced that the Hisense Europe Electronic TV factory will involve around 400 jobs in the first stage, 330 of which will be for production workers.

Bad bank selling its 13% stake in Cinkarna Celje

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company has published a call for non-binding bids for its 12.93% stake in the chemical company Cinkarna Celje. Bids will be collected until 13 November, shows a posting by the state-owned bad bank in the newspaper Finance. BAMC is the second largest owner of the Celje-based plant, whose main product is titanium dioxide pigment, after the pension fund Modra Zavarovalnica (20%). The state-owned Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) holds a 11.41% stake.

Illegal migration slowing down

LJUBLJANA - After a surge in illegal migration in the summer months, figures have been declining since as the bad weather set in. Police figures show the number of cases this year until the end of September is down just over half a percent from the same period a year ago. Police handled 11,855 attempts to cross into the country illegally in the first nine months, which compares to 11,931 in the same period a year ago.

Andrzej Wroblewski's late work showcased at Moderna

LJUBLJANA - Late work by Polish painter Andrzej Wroblewski (1927-1957) is on display at Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana as of today in what is the first international exhibition dedicated solely to the artist's travels in the former Yugoslavia and his late work. The exhibition, entitled Waiting Room, showcases about 120 of his creations from the period between 1955 and his death in 1957, many of which have never been put on public display before. They will be on show until 10 January 2021.

Slovenian football team victorious in Moldova

CHISINAU, Moldova - The Slovenian men's football team showed its supremacy in Moldova on Wednesday, beating the home team 4:0 in the fourth round of play in Group 3 of League C of the UEFA Nations League at the Zimbru Stadium without spectators. This is the third win in a row for Slovenia in the competition. Slovenia now have ten points, and are followed by Greece with eight, Kosovo with two and Moldavia with a single point. The team that finishes at the top of the group will move to League B.

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