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STA, 16 April 2020 - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs has accepted the resignation of Franc Breznik, a state secretary at the ministry who was caught drink driving and speeding. "People have to be held to account for such mistakes," Hojs told the press on Thursday.
Breznik, an MP for the ruling Democrats (SDS) before he was named state secretary, was driving a ministry car when he was pulled over by a patrol on the Ljubljana ring road on 2 April.
The breathalyser test showed 0.44 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air, 0.20 mg above the acceptable limit. He was also driving 20 km/h above the speed limit.
Hojs, who found out about the incident from the media, said he had been assured by acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner that the police had not intentionally targeted Breznik in what would have been a repeat of a 2015 incident involving the then public administration minister.
The minister, who had announced on Wednesday he would check the conduct of the officers, said that the police had behaved professionally.
While adding there were cases of mayors in Slovenia who continued to serve despite being caught drink driving, Hojs said Breznik probably did not inform him earlier because "everybody has been working 16 or 18 hours a day". Breznik told him he had planned to tell him at a meeting this Friday.
Hojs is meanwhile puzzled by the police preferring to first share the story with the media. "Obviously certain police officers are fonder of journalists than their leadership," he said.
Breznik told commercial broadcaster POP TV yesterday that he had met with the representatives of Derby, a major importer of exotic fruits, to arrange a donation for humanitarian organisations in his hometown of Lenart. He said he had had two shots of liquor at the meeting.
The circumstances have raised some eyebrows, as Derby, owned by Izet Rastoder, was reportedly involved in January in criminal investigation into trafficking in illegal drugs.
Cocaine Found in Slovenian Banana Shipment, Company Denies Involvement
While the media reported cocaine had been found among bananas shipped by Derby, Rastoder said he was the victim of a criminal cartel. The company issued a statement saying the suspects apprehended were not linked to Derby and that accessible data showed Rastoder was not the subject of investigation.
Breznik's is far from being the first drink driving incident featuring a senior official.
The list includes former Local Government Minister Henrik Gjerkeš who resigned in 2010 after being caught with 0.64 mg/L, ex National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) head Bruno Blažina who stepped down in 2013 after crashing into a road maintenance vehicle while driving drunk, and former Ambassador to Bosnia Nataša Vodušek who served nine months in prison after seriously injuring a man while drink driving in 2008.
STA, 16 April 2020 - The Slovenian government has decided to partially ease the strict lockdown restrictions starting on Saturday. Limited movement outside the municipality of residence will be allowed, as will certain sports activities that do not involve close contact among persons.
Under amendment to the original lockdown decree adopted late on Wednesday, the prohibition of movement and gathering of persons that has confined residents to their municipality will continue to apply.
However, several exemptions were added to the existing list that already included going to work, shopping, access to emergency services, farm work and care for family members.
Bearing in mind the usual precautions about safe distance between individuals, individual sports such as jogging, bicycling, golf and yoga will thus be allowed as well as group sport such as tennis, badminton and boules.
Individuals and families or members of the same household will also be allowed to access private land outside their municipality of residence for purposes such as maintenance and seasonal works.
To do that, they will have to possess some sort of evidence of ownership of property or the right to use such a property, for example a copy of the land deed. They will also have to produce a document stating the purpose of their travel on a special form that is a part of the government decree.
Tens of thousands of Slovenians have property in the countryside and the relaxation in effect means they will be allowed to spend time on properties that many use as holiday homes and where many grow vegetables.
Violations of the decree are subject to fines under the law on the prevention of infectious diseases and compliance will be checked by police.
The decision marks the first significant easing of lockdown restrictions that were introduced on 20 March to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The government started indicating last week that some easing was being considered since the growth in new infections had started to slow down, but it wanted to make sure the flattening of the curve of infections was sustainable.
Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said yesterday Slovenia had managed to turn the trend and would cautiously proceed with the relaxation of measures.
The number of new infections has been steadily declining. After a quiet Easter weekend during which testing was at about half the usual pace, the number of new infections rose by 28 on Tuesday to 1,248.
But more importantly, the number of patients requiring hospitalisation and intensive care has been broadly flat and has so far not come close to the capacity of the health system.
Five persons died of Covid-19 on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 61. The vast majority of the victims have been nursing home residents with multiple underlying conditions.
Defence Minister Says Slovenia Needs Transport Plane, Denies Wrongdoing in PPE Purchase
STA, 15 April 2020 - The coronavirus crisis has shown Slovenia urgently needs a transport plane, Defence Minister Matej Tonin pointed out after Wednesday's videoconference of NATO defence ministers. "It has turned out that we can only rely on ourselves in these difficult times," he said.
The multi-purpose 1988 Turbolet L-410, which can transport both passengers and cargo, has done an excellent job in this crisis but a new solution must be found, Tonin pointed out.
The ministry has already initiated procedures, requested input from the military and formed a working group that will examine which option would be best: the purchase of a new transport plane, a donation agreement or a third option.
Tonin said he did not have a specific type of aircraft in mind yet, as he first wants to look at all the options.
He stressed that such an aircraft could not be purchased overnight. The government must first make a decision and then it may take up to three years for delivery.
NATO defence ministers today debated how to accelerate and strengthen coronavirus aid to member states. Several hundred tonnes of medical equipment has already been delivered in the framework of NATO.
Slovenia had requested aid in securing transport for protective gear and other supplies needed during the coronavirus epidemic via NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC).
Tonin said today the aid involved transporting protective equipment from China to Slovenia and assistance in evacuating infected troops from international missions.
The Agency for Commodities Reserves has signed a special agreement with Hisense, the Chinese owner of home appliances maker Gorenje, which will host a logistics centre for Slovenia at one of its locations in China.
Once enough equipment comes together, it will make sense to dispatch a place to transport it, according to Tonin.
But the minister said access to NATO's mechanisms was difficult and expensive. The bill for a return flight for a large transport aircraft that can carry 100 tonnes is EUR 1.2 million.
Tonin also said Slovenia had offered Italy assistance in the form of a medical team. Ten to fifteen Slovenian doctors have responded and the details are now being coordinated by civil protection services.
Tonin denies wrongdoing in protective gear purchases
STA, 15 April 2020 - Protective gear purchases have raised quite a lot of dust and could even become subject of a parliamentary inquiry. Defence Minister Matej Tonin told the press on Wednesday how he approached the matter amid a severe shortage of such equipment at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Once it was clear that all established suppliers have failed to deliver, Tonin had intervened in three cases, contacting businessmen Joc Pečečnik and Janez Škrabec as well as UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin.
"In those most critical moments when medical staff was literally crying due to the shortage of protective gear, I called the three people whom I believe have enough contacts abroad to be able to help Slovenia get the equipment.
"All of them responded and helped Slovenia," Tonin said as he visited the 72nd Brigade of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in Črnomelj today.
As to allegations that Pečečnik has overcharged the costs of transport, Tonin said it had been agreed that once all transport is completed, Pečečnik would draw the line to see if the transport was really overpaid and return the money, the defence minister explained.
Tonin has recently also come under fire after it became clear his mother works for a company which struck three deals with the state worth EUR 30 million for the procurement of protective gear.
Tonin at the time denied he or his mother having had anything to do with the deal and himself asked the anti-graft commission to investigate the matter to dispel any doubts.
Tonin was also asked today about a new SAF chief of the general staff after Alenka Ermenc was dismissed as of 17 March and her deputy took temporarily over. He said the candidate had already been chosen and would be announced in due time.
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This summary is provided by the STA:
President, ministers again call for army to be given police powers
ČRNOMELJ - President Borut Pahor and the defence and interior ministers, Matej Tonin and Aleš Hojs, visited the southern border area along the Kolpa river to call for the military to be given limited police powers. They argued that boosted joint border patrols were supported by the army and police, and the locals in the area. In line with the estimates available to the interior minister, activation of article 37.a of the defence act would increase the number of soldiers along the border from the current 140 to around 500.
Slovenia to conduct random testing to determine scope of coronavirus infections
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will conduct random population testing on a sample of 1,000-1,500 residents to get a reliable estimate of the scope of the coronavirus epidemic. The trial will include antibody tests, said Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute for Microbiology and Immunology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine. The testing, conducted nation-wide and expected to begin next week, will involve technicians visiting people agreeing to the test at home and taking both nasal swabs to determine the presence of the virus SARS-COV-2 as well as conducting a serological test for antibodies. This should give the health authorities a clearer picture of how many people have actually been infected.
Defence minister says Slovenia urgently needs transport plane
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The coronavirus crisis has shown Slovenia urgently needs a transport plane, Defence Minister Matej Tonin pointed out after a videoconference of NATO defence ministers. "It has turn out that we can only rely on ourselves in these difficult times," he said. The multi-purpose 1988 Turbolet L-410, which can transport both passengers and cargo, has done an excellent job in this crisis but a new solution must be found, Tonin pointed out.
Tonin denies wrongdoing in protective gear purchases
ČRNOMELJ - Protective gear purchases have raised quite a lot of dust and could even become subject of a parliamentary inquiry. Defence Minister Matej Tonin told the press today that once it had been clear that all established suppliers had failed to deliver, he had intervened in three cases, contacting businessmen Joc Pečečnik and Janez Škrabec as well as UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin. "In those most critical moments when medical staff was literally crying due to the shortage of protective gear, I called the three people whom I believe have enough contacts abroad to be able to help Slovenia get the equipment.
Concerns aplenty as non-urgent health services resume
LJUBLJANA - After the government gave its go-ahead for some non-urgent health services to resume, Slovenian hospitals have started contacting patients for rescheduling. Medical organisations say one out of two patients will have to be rescheduled. Hospitals say very strict preventive safety measures will need to be followed, including a sufficient distance between patients, separate entries and disinfecting and airing out the surgery after every patient. Medical Association head Rajko Komadina said already long waiting times would now be even longer.
Ministry proposes data exchange between health institute and police
LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry proposed that the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) shares citizens' personal data with the police to help contain the coronavirus epidemic. If the motion is endorsed, the police will be privy to the information about the quarantine duration and other anti-COVID-19 restrictions imposed on the individual. The data exchange is key for enabling police work in line with Article 103 of the anti-corona bill, said the ministry, referring to police powers to search for persons and temporarily restrict their movement.
Five new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, cases up by 28 to 1,248
LJUBLJANA - Five more persons died of Covid-19 on Tuesday to bring the overall death toll to 61. The number of persons infected with the new coronavirus was up by 28 to 1,248. The number of new cases is up compared to Monday as the number of tests more than doubled to 1,168, bringing the total number of tests to 37,114. While the daily numbers of fatalities and infected persons were up, the number of hospitalised patients dropped by seven to 96, and the number of intensive care cases was down by one to 34.
President expresses solidarity with Italy, UK in face of pandemic
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor posted two separate video messages on Twitter, expressing solidarity with the Italian and British people as they face the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking in Italian and English, Pahor expressed solidarity in the "joint fight against the coronavirus." He expressed, on behalf of Slovenians, admiration for the British and the Italian people, saying they had shown determination, courage and hope during the coronavirus pandemic.
Slovenia sends aid to Bosnia to help fight coronavirus
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has sent material aid to Bosnia-Herzegovina via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help the country fight the coronavirus pandemic, the Slovenian Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief tweeted. The package includes ten tents, 60 field beds, 50 sleeping bags, ten heaters, 1,500 blankets, 100 pieces of cutlery and 20 waste bag stands.
Interior Ministry official hands in resignation after DUI
LJUBLJANA - Interior Ministry State Secretary Franc Breznik has offered his resignation after he was caught speeding and drunk driving on 2 April. The commercial broadcaster POP TV reported that Interior Minister Aleš Hojs had learnt about the incident from its journalist and that he is likely to accept the resignation. The breathalyser test showed 0.44 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air. POP TV reported Breznik was pulled over by the police in the afternoon on 2 April, as he was returning from a meeting with representatives of produces importer Derby Banane.
Gloves no longer mandatory in closed public places
LJUBLJANA - Protective gloves are no longer mandatory in closed public places such as shops, pharmacies and post offices as of today. Hand sanitizer must be used instead and it has to be provided by the business owners. Face masks are still mandatory. The government had made it mandatory to wear face masks or an equivalent face and nose covering and gloves in closed public places on 30 March. The decree was amended mandating that instead of gloves, hand sanitizer must be used upon entering and exiting a closed public space.
Majority of Slovenian contingent in Mali returns home
LJUBLJANA - A majority of the eight-member contingent of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) serving in the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Mali returned home after training tasks there were suspended and focus put on containing the spread of coronavirus. While one Slovenian soldier serving in the EUTM Mali mission was brought home on Sunday after becoming infected with coronavirus, another five returned to Slovenia today. Two have stayed in Mali, the Defence Ministry said.
Top court unable to keep up with increasing workload
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court highlighted in a report for 2019 a continuation of an unsustainable rise in the number of cases and urged legislative changes that would result in less cases ending up in the hands of the top court. The increased fresh workload on the yearly level, which started in 2016 after it had been decreasing several years before that, meant 1,599 new cases in 2019, 4.6% more than in 2018.
Frost wreaking havoc in orchards
LJUBLJANA - The mild winter and severe fluctuations in daily temperatures seen in the past three weeks, including constant dips well below freezing point, have caused major damage in Slovenian orchards. First estimates suggest the yield could be slashed by 80% or more. Temperatures fell below freezing point yet again last night to "probably claim what little had been left after three weeks of struggle against frost", Metka Hudina, a member of the Slovenian Fruit Growing Expert Society and professor at the Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty, told the STA.
Monthly pay in February up y/y
LJUBLJANA - Average monthly pay in Slovenia rose in February compared to a year ago, but dropped in comparison with January, the Statistics Office said. Average gross pay stood at EUR 1,800, up 5% in nominal terms and 2.9% in real terms over February 2019. Net pay reached EUR 1,170, up 5.6% in nominal and 3.5% in real terms.
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All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Polona Kačič with an image from a series organised by Tam Tam, with the rest of them here.
Ministry proposes data exchange between health institute and police
Food deliveries surge due to coronavirus lockdown
Left wants MPs to debate situation at retirement homes
President expresses solidarity with Italy, UK in face of pandemic
Ministry proposes data exchange between health institute and police
STA, 15 April 2020 - The Interior Ministry proposed on Wednesday that the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) shares citizens' personal data with the police to help contain the coronavirus epidemic. If the motion is endorsed, the police will be privy to the information about the quarantine duration and other anti-COVID-19 restrictions imposed on the individual.
The data exchange is key for enabling police work in line with Article 103 of the anti-corona bill, said the ministry, referring to police powers to search for persons and temporarily restrict their movement.
According to today's proposal, the police would acquire information, including the given name, national identity number or, in case of foreign citizens, the identification number, type of the ID document and the country that has issued it, as well as permanent or temporary residence, data about the individual's GP and a decree ordering isolation or quarantine, the duration and type of such and other restrictions.
Personal data that is designated special would be labelled as such and unauthorised persons would be prevented from accessing the dataset. The exchange would be conducted in line with the regulations concerning personal data protection, added the ministry.
Under those regulations, the NIJZ would also keep track of all the exchanged data, the content, timelines and purposes, so as to ensure a sufficient audit trail.
Moreover, the institute would be in charge of recording activities involving the processing of such data, with the police keeping relevant access records.
The proposal lays down that the police would be able to request consulting the data 24/7, while the institute would be bound to send the requested data immediately or two hours after receiving the request at the latest.
The issue of accessing citizens' personal data as a potential strategy to fight the epidemic has been making headlines in the past days after a senior health official presented a nation-wide mobile tracking application to notify individuals whether they were in contact with those infected with Covid-19.
The Institute of Criminology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law raised concerns over this potential measure on Tuesday, saying that the use of such apps was problematic in terms of privacy. It may indirectly affect a number of other rights and have a substantial effect on societies in the future, it said.
Food deliveries surge due to coronavirus lockdown
STA, 15 April 2020 - Lockdown restrictions imposed to contain the novel coronavirus epidemic have led to an increase in food deliveries. With people staying home and restaurants suspending dine-in options, food delivery apps have been recording a spike in demand, including outside the lunch hour.
Lunchtime used to be peak time for delivery services, however lately, they have been detecting an increase in the number of orders in the evenings and over weekends.
Following the tightening of lockdown measures, online food delivery provider Ehrana have seen a staggering surge in the number of food orders in the Ljubljana area by as much as 310%.
It has also detected an increase in the number of orders submitted in the evenings, between 6pm and 8pm. The figure has doubled over the weekends and remains high during lunchtime.
Since 20 March, the number of restaurants providing delivery options have increased as well - by 26%. There are currently more than 160 Ljubljana restaurants and pubs available on the Ehrana platform.
"Those are the restaurants that did not deal with or consider deliveries before because they were busy as it was," said Ehrana director and co-founder Borut Markelj, referring to a new influx of restaurants using one of Slovenia's leading delivery service providers.
The epidemic has taken a toll on restaurant business as well and delivery options have become the only source of income for the majority, added Markelj.
One of those is Indian restaurant Maharaja, which is staying afloat due to deliveries in the time when its revenue has plunged by 50-70%.
During the crisis, Ljubljana citizens have been mostly craving fast food though, such as burgers, pizzas and salads. "Apparently, there are a lot of fast food lovers in the capital," quipped Markelj.
He highlighted that the health of delivery drivers, consumers and other staff comes first. Employees are wearing masks, using hand sanitisers regularly and heeding physical distancing rules.
Moreover, cash payments are not possible during the epidemic. Consumers have been adapting to the new reality really well, added Markelj.
Left wants MPs to debate situation at retirement homes
STA, 15 April 2020 - The opposition Left would like the parliamentary Health Committee to debate problems at nursing facilities around the country. Since the elderly are the most vulnerable group as the coronavirus spreads, the party intends to put forward several resolutions for the government to act upon.
MP Primož Siter said on Wednesday the Left had been bringing the situation at retirement homes to the government's attention for the past two years.
The situation is difficult even in normal circumstances because it has been neglected by consecutive governments, Siter told the press.
"Instead of tackling it and strengthening the network of public retirement homes, they have left it to the market, which turned it into a business."
The MP said that the data released by Radio Slovenia on Tuesday showed three-quarters of all Covid-19 deaths in Slovenia took place at nursing homes.
He also criticised the government for not providing the media and public with trustworthy information about the situation.
The party thus asked for a Health Committee session to shed light on these issues and put forward proposals to improve the protection of the elderly.
Among the proposals, the Left will propose to the government to provide hospital treatment for all infected residents of nursing homes.
"Homes for the elderly are not medical organisations. That's what we have hospitals for."
The government should also make an arrangement with private medical organisations to use their facilities and staff and to arrange for transport.
What is more, it should provide detailed statistics about the number of infected people and about the deaths.
Sporočilo predsednika republike britanski kraljici in britanskemu ljudstvu v skupnem boju proti koronavirusu. @RoyalFamily #everythingwillbeOk #Covid19UK #StayHomeSaveLifes #CoronaCrisisuk pic.twitter.com/3gvpGqopuk
— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) April 15, 2020
President expresses solidarity with Italy, UK in face of pandemic
STA, 15 April 2020 - President Borut Pahor posted two separate video messages on Twitter on Wednesday expressing solidarity with the Italian and British people as they face the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking in Italian and English, Pahor expressed solidarity in the "joint fight against the coronavirus." He expressed, on behalf of Slovenians, admiration for the British and the Italian people, saying they had shown determination, courage and hope during the coronavirus pandemic.
"In Slovenia, we deeply feel your sadness and look forward to you successful overcoming of this crisis. United with other nations and countries, we will win this fight together. Everything will be just OK," said the president.
Both Italy and the UK are among the countries hardest hit by the global coronavirus pandemic. By Tuesday afternoon more than 21,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Italy and 13,000 have died in the UK, according to the most recent data.
All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Gordana Grlič of Trubarjeva cesta's Photo Pauli.
Five new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, cases up by 28 to 1,248
Gloves no longer mandatory in closed public places
Slovenia to conduct random testing to determine scope of coronavirus infections
Five new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, cases up by 28 to 1,248
STA, 15 April 2020 - The government reported on Wednesday that five more persons had died of Covid-19 yesterday to bring the overall death toll to 61. The number of persons infected with the new coronavirus is meanwhile up by 28 to 1,248.
The number of new cases is up compared to Monday as the number of tests more than doubled to 1,168, bringing the total number of tests to 37,114.
While the daily numbers of fatalities and infected persons were up, the number of hospitalised patients dropped by seven to 96, and the number of intensive care cases was down by one to 34.
A total of 13 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospital yesterday, the figures released by the government on Twitter also show.
The National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) meanwhile reported that the share of confirmed cases was, expectedly, the highest among persons older than 85, as testing mostly included persons with the most serious symptoms.
The NIJZ noted that another important reason for the high incidence rate in the oldest population group were outbreaks in nursing homes.
On Monday, the rate for this age group was 250.6 per 100,000 population, which is significantly higher than in the lower age group (75-84 years), where it stood at 87.9.
As for the younger generations, the rate ranges from 41.6 per 100,000 population in the 15-24 age group to 70.1 in the 45-54 age group. In the youngest age group (0-4 years), the rate was 5.9 and in the 5-14 age group it was 9.9.
The latest NIJZ statistical data on deaths, which refers to a total of 53 cases, show that more than 80% of persons in Slovenia who died of Covid-19 were older than 75, and almost 60% were over 85.
The gender structure is balanced, with 27 of the victims being women and 26 men. The number of women older than 85 who died of Covid-19 is much higher than that of men (22 to 9), but this is very likely due to higher life expectancy.
Gloves no longer mandatory in closed public places
STA, 15 April 2020 - Protective gloves are no longer mandatory in closed public places such as shops, pharmacies and post offices as of Wednesday. Hand sanitizer must be used instead and it has to be provided by the business owners. Face masks are still mandatory.
The government had made it mandatory to wear face masks or an equivalent face and nose covering and gloves in closed public places on 30 March.
The decree was amended on Tuesday night mandating that instead of gloves, hand sanitizer must be used upon entering and exiting a closed public space.
The decision comes after the Ministry of Health said last week that many people were not using gloves correctly. Since the decree was originally adopted, hand sanitizer has been more widely available after initial severe shortages.
Slovenia reported 56 coronavirus deaths and 1,200 infections as of Monday. The curve of infections has been flattened but the government has decided to wait a few more days before starting to ease lockdown restrictions.
Slovenia to conduct random testing to determine scope of coronavirus infections
STA, 15 April 2020 - Slovenia will conduct random population testing to get a reliable estimate of the scope of the coronavirus epidemic. The trial will include antibody tests, Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute for Microbiology and Immunology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine, told the press on Wednesday.
A representative random sample of the population numbering between 1,000 and 1,500 people will be tested pending approval by the national commission for medical ethics. The test will presumably start next week, according to Petrovec.
The test, conducted nation-wide, will involve technicians visiting people agreeing to the test at home and taking both nasal swabs to determine the presence of the virus SARS-COV-2 as well as conducting a serological test for antibodies. The tested persons will also fill out a questionnaire.
That way, the health authorities will get a clearer picture of how many people have been infected and how many have antibodies, whose presence indicates that they had been in contact with the virus.
The results will give researchers an estimate of the actual number of the people who may have been infected but were asymptomatic, according to Petrovec.
While random tests have been conducted in Austria and Iceland and are planned in Germany, Petrovec said Slovenia's would be the first such comprehensive test in Europe.
Petrovec expects the Slovenian study will provide better results than the Austrian test as it will provide data not just on the number of infected persons but also the number of those who had been sick but have recovered.
The preliminary results are expected before the May Day holidays and would inform government decisions on the easing of lockdown restrictions.
"This will help decision-makers to adopt measures based on realistic figures," Petrovec said.
Slovenia already has a limited number of antibody tests and they will be used as a matter of priority for this study.
The trial will be managed by the Institute for Microbiology and Immunology in cooperation with the faculties of computer science, mathematics and social sciences in Ljubljana and UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest hospital.
STA, 14 April 2020 - The government has appointed lawyer and security expert Janez Stušek the new director of the SOVA (Slovenska obveščevalno-varnostna agencija) intelligence and security agency. He will take over on Wednesday for a period of five years with the option of re-appointment.
At the same Tuesday correspondence session, Rajko Kozmelj, who was appointed SOVA director by the previous, Marjan Šarec government, in September 2018, was relieved of his duties.
While it has become customary that each new government appoints a new SOVA boss, Kozmelj in fact stepped down in mid-March, just days after the Janez Janša government took office.
He said on 17 March that he had received no instructions or guidelines from the new government, which he saw as a sign of personal distrust.
Janez Stušek, a graduate of the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security and of the Maribor Faculty of Law, is a lawyer, director of and partner in the Stušek Law Firm, the Government Communication Office said in a release after the government session.
He is working on his PhD and has written about criminal law, police powers, anti-corruption legislation and IT law. He started his career at the Slovenian Armed Forces, but was also a lecturer at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security.
STA, 14 April 2020 - A contentious letter sent by the government to the Council of Europe (CoE) to claim that the majority of the main media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime was defended by Foreign Minister Anže Logar in parliament on Tuesday, as the opposition described it as a piece of one-sided political propaganda.
The letter, debated today in a joint session by the parliamentary committees on foreign policy and culture, was a response to an alert issued by the CoE Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists after Prime Minister Janez Janša tweeted in late March that the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija was misleading the public, adding "apparently there are too many of you and you are paid too well".
Addressing the session, Foreign Policy Committee chair Matjaž Nemec said the letter, drawn up by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) and sent to the CoE by the Foreign Ministry, served as a settling of scores in domestic politics, and represented yet another attack on journalists.
Nemec, an MP for the opposition Social Democrats (SD), said the letter was a manipulating description of the Slovenian media landscape that failed to mention information that linked Janša's Democrats (SDS) with media under police investigation over suspicious financial flows from Hungary or fake news.
Nemec accused the government of sullying Slovenian media in the document, and Janša of exploiting the coronavirus epidemic for denigration and misinforming European institutions about the state of Slovenian media.
"The letter addressed to the Council of Europe represents a unilateral, politically-motivated and irresponsible conduct on the part of the government against the good name of the Republic of Slovenia, and instead of steps to protect the standards, freedom and independence of journalist work, it resumes the war against the media, and deepens tensions in society," said Nemec.
Logar denied that the letter was a dispatch in response to a statement by CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović as claimed by the MPs requesting today's session. He said the government had not yet responded to that statement, and if it did, the response would be drawn by the UKOM.
The minister said that he was not involved in the compilation of the government's response, but had been acquainted with the wording before the letter was sent to Slovenia's standing mission to the CoE, which then referred it to the CoE Platform.
"Do I support the text? Do I agree with the content? What is it that doesn't hold true in what's written?" Logar challenged MPs. He also read the accompanying dispatch prepared and sent by the Foreign Ministry along with the government's response to the CoE.
The letter, accessible on the website of the CoE Platform, argues that "the majority of the main media in Slovenia have their origins in the former Communist regime, and even in the late 1990s the positions of editors-in-chief were held by the former members of the infamous security service UDBA".
Logar left the session after making his point due to other obligations, which upset the Culture Committee chair Violeta Tomić of the Left: "The minister spat on us, poured mud over us and then left."
In place of Logar, the Foreign Ministry was represented by State Secretary Tone Kajzer, but since the latter would not answer MP questions and would have nothing to add, the session was broken up to be resumed when Logar is available to attend.
The opposition demanded the government retract the contentious letter and replace it with a content that would not harm Slovenia's reputation. They moreover called on junior coalition partners to take responsibility and honour their promise the government would not be a one-man and one-party government.
The junior partners, the Modern Centre Party (SMC), Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi), distanced themselves from the letter last week.
Opposition MPs today denounced the letter as abuse of power for party interests, an attack on democracy, independent journalism and freedom of expression. They also accused Logar of lying after he said last week he knew nothing about the letter.
Speaking on behalf of the SDS, MP Eva Irgl denied the opposition's accusations, arguing today's session was meant as an attack against the foreign minister and to settle scores with the SDS, government and prime minister.
While the Journalists' Association (DNS) denounced the letter last week, its smaller counterpart, the Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP), which brings together mostly journalists and commentators from right-leaning media, upheld the letter as accurate and pinpointing key problems of the Slovenian media space.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ZNP argues that the main problem of Slovenian media is a lack of pluralism as most media more or less openly favour the political left.
"Fact is that even after the fall of the dictatorship, the political forces stemming from the previous Communist regime, along with their ideological supporters continue to control almost uninterruptedly the economic, judicial and media fields in the country, including public RTV Slovenija," reads the ZNP's response.
The ZNP says that the majority media under the control of the left have often been abused for the settling of scores with the centre-right political opponents. They see media bias coming to the fore again as the third Janez Janša government took over, asserting that the most radical of journalists from the dominant media controlled by the left openly agitate against the new government.
STA, 14 April 2020 - Education Minister Simona Kustec, who participated in a videocall EU ministerial on Tuesday, is not yet able to say when kindergartens and school in Slovenia could reopen. But she announced the decision on whether to hold nation-wide primary school exams for sixth and ninth grade students would be taken this Friday.
The ministerial showed countries hold very different views on when to reopen schools, with some, including the gravely affected Spain, arguing in favour of starting already at the beginning of May, Kustec told the Slovenian press.
The minister was not yet able to say when this could happen in Slovenia, stressing it would depend on an expert assessment that this could be done safely.
Kustec, who added EU ministers were united in the view that performance grading needed to be kind and motivating in the current circumstances, announced Friday would bring a decision on whether to hold the nation-wide exams in Slovenia for sixth and ninth grade primary school children, which are usually held in May.
A decision has already been made in favour of holding the secondary school-leaving exams, although probably later than originally scheduled, meaning not before June.
Meanwhile, during today's ministerial, Kustec placed special attention on the need for equality when organising remote schooling during the pandemic. She highlighted Slovenia's positive experience with donations that allowed computers and other necessary equipment to be provided for all pupils.
All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here
Businesses donate computer tablets to disadvantaged students
STA, 14 April 2020 - A group of companies and employer organisations have raised more than 250 computers and tablets to enable disadvantaged students to participate in remote learning, said AmCham Slovenija on Tuesday.
The campaign, titled Solidarity Together, has been coordinated by AmCham Slovenija in cooperation with the Education Ministry and the National Education Institute.
Apart from the American-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, the campaign also included the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), Managers' Association, Slovenian Business Club (SBC) and British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.
The organisations' members have provided equipment enabling distant learning during the epidemic for students most in need of assistance, said AmCham, adding that the donated devices would also help the students keep in touch with their peers.
The most generous contributors included brewer Pivovarna Laško Union, telecoms operator Telemach, app developer Outfit7, IT company Oracle Slovenija and HP Computing and Printing, added AmCham.
Chairman of Telemach Adrian Ježina said that the company had donated tablets and internet access to 90 children and their families.
Meanwhile, Pivovarna Laško Union corporate affairs director, Tanja Subotić Levanič, said that the brewer had equipped 40 children with tablets as well as donated additional 15 devices needed for distant learning to hospital schools.
Moreover, Outfit7 has raised EUR 5,500 for the cause, according to AmCham.
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This summary is provided by the STA:
IMF forecasts 8% GDP drop for Slovenia in 2020
WASHINGTON, US - The IMF forecast Slovenia's gross domestic product (GDP) to shrink by 8% this year compared to 2019 as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, while a rebound of 5.4% is expected in 2021. The forecast for Slovenia in the latest World Economic Outlook report is a drastic downgrade compared to the projection from last autumn, when Slovenia was forecast to record 2.9% GDP growth this year. The country's annual inflation now was projected to hit 0.4% this year and 1.4% next year, with the survey unemployment rate expected to increase to 9% this year and drop to 6% in 2021.
First easing of lockdown expected next week
LJUBLJANA - There had been indications Slovenia may start relaxing lockdown measures this week, but the government's chief medical advisor for the coronavirus epidemic said the easing would not start before next week. Bojana Beović, who heads the Health Ministry's medical task force for coronavirus, said the easing would depend on when the health authorities determined the epidemic was tailing off. While data on new infections over the Easter weekend is encouraging, it is too early to say whether the epidemic is "being gradually extinguished", she said. One more death related to the coronavirus epidemic was recorded on Monday, bringing the overall death toll to 56. Only eight new cases were recorded yesterday for a nationwide total of 1,220.
Majority of Covid-19 victims aged over 75
LJUBLJANA - The figures released by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) show that more than 80% of people who died of coronavirus in Slovenia were older than 75 years and almost 60% were older than 85. Although 56 persons died until Monday, the NIJZ statistics take into account only 53 deaths because the institute gets the data with a delay. All the deceased were older than 45, but the number of deaths rose with age; the number of deaths in the age group between 75 and 84 was 13 and that in the age group of over 85 reached 31. Public broadcaster Radio Slovenija meanwhile reported that as many as 75% of all the 56 victims had died in nursing homes.
Govt letter on journalism to CoE debated in parliament
LJUBLJANA - A contentious letter sent by the government to the Council of Europe (CoE) to claim the majority of the main media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime was defended by Foreign Minister Anže Logar in parliament as it was discussed by the foreign policy and culture committees. The letter was a response to an alert issued by the CoE Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists after PM Janez Janša tweeted that the public broadcaster was misleading the public and indicated that some of its staff should lose their jobs. While denying the letter was a dispatch, Logar indicated he agreed with its content. Since he left after making his point due to previous engagements, the session was suspended until he could attend it. The opposition said the letter served as a settling of scores in domestic politics and an attack on journalists.
Govt migration crisis spokesperson back to Interior Ministry
MARIBOR - Boštjan Šefic, the former Interior Ministry state secretary best known for providing government briefings during the 2015-16 migration crisis under the Miro Cerar government, returned to the Interior Ministry last Friday to work on changes to asylum law, the newspaper Večer reported. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs indicated the coalition could tighten asylum legislation, including by taking into account some of the Cerar government's proposals and the European Court of Human Rights's ruling that migrants who do not enter the country lawfully could be turned back. Šefic returned to the Interior Ministry from the Defence Ministry, and had previously long worked for SOVA, the national intelligence and security agency.
Report: New fence erected on southern border
LJUBLJANA - New fence is being erected on Slovenia's southern border, according to the newspaper Delo. As part of a EUR 4.5 million deal won by the Serbian company Legi SGS last year, 40 kilometres of fence will be put up in the municipalities of Kočevje and Kostel, and in the western Primorska region. The government does not reveal the locations where the new fence will be set up, but according to Delo, 10 kilometres of fence will be erected in the municipalities of Kočevje and Kostel. Fencing has also been erected in southern Primorska. Croatia's local newspaper Glas Istre reported that the Slovenian authorities had put up a metal gate in the middle of Mlini in Istria.
Delo poll shows majority support broader army powers
LJUBLJANA - Over 57% of Slovenians support the government's plans to give the army additional powers to patrol the border with Croatia, showed a poll carried by the newspaper Delo. Just under 26% expressed opposition to the plan, and some 16% were undecided. Asked about whether they trusted the government to consistently uphold democratic standards, 42% said they trusted it to do that, with 37% expressing distrust and just under a fifth were undecided.
Corona-survey shows fewer people worried about their lives
LJUBLJANA - The share of the Slovenians who are worried about their lives because of the coronavirus epidemic is dropping, showed the latest survey by the pollster Mediana, as it currently stands at 50%. Some 42% of the respondents said they were worried and 8% that they were very worried, a drop of 10 percentage points compared to the previous poll from the end of March. 68% of the respondents meanwhile believe it will take three or more months for life in Slovenia to return to normal after the epidemic.
Corona deals could become subject of parliamentary inquiry
LJUBLJANA - Three opposition parties intend to seek a parliamentary inquiry into the government's ordering of personal protective gear worth millions of euro in the coronavirus epidemic. The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) all want an inquiry, but another seven votes are needed to launch it. The eleven-strong deputy group of the Social Democrats (SD) is expected to discuss its position on Wednesday. Meanwhile, National Party (SNS) leader Zmago Jelinčič said it was too early to take a position. He believes a fortnight is needed for things to become more clear, while the moves made now are nothing but vexatious acting-out.
Minister unable to say when schools could reopen
LJUBLJANA - Education Minister Simona Kustec, who participated in a videocall EU ministerial, is not yet able to say when kindergartens and school in Slovenia could reopen. The decision will be made based on an expert assessment that this could be done safely, she explained. However, she announced the decision on whether to hold nation-wide primary school exams for sixth and ninth grade primary school students would be taken this Friday. A decision in favour of holding the secondary school-leaving exams had already been made, although the exams will probably take place later than originally scheduled, meaning not before June.
Slovenian tourism sector expects sharp contraction
LJUBLJANA - Tourism is among the industries hit particularly hard by coronavirus. The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) expects the sector to see a 60-70% contraction this year if the relaxation of lockdown measures starts in June. If the restrictions last longer, the contraction is expected to be even sharper, STO director Maja Pak told the STA. After the decline, the recovery is expected to be long. Pak expects it will take several years. Tanja Mihalič, a Ljubljana School of Business and Economics professor who specialises in tourism, believes it may take until 2023 or 2024 before Slovenia returns to last year's levels.
More companies gradually resuming operations
LJUBLJANA - Companies which have suspended their production due to the coronavirus epidemic are gradually restarting operations and joining those that have only partly shut down or have not closed shop at all. At household appliances maker Gorenje, the plant producing washers and dryers started its operations last Friday and other production lines in Velenje restarted today. Sports goods maker Elan sent more than half of its employees back to work. Several other companies have announced the stoppage will last at least another week.
Applications come in for aid from first stimulus package
LJUBLJANA - Businesses and individuals eligible for state aid under a EUR 3 billion fiscal stimulus package have started filing their requests after the package entered into force on Saturday. The Employment Service has received 1,154 applications for pay subsidies from companies with idle employees. Before the stimulus package came into force, companies had been filing requests for aid under a less favourable emergency which had been applicable since 29 March. Unofficially, 8,441 such requests had been filed. All applications will be processed under the new law, which has the state cover in full pay to idle workers equalling 80% of their normal pay.
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All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Maruša Štibelj. You can see more of her work here.
Majority of Covid-19 victims aged over 75
Latest corona-survey shows fewer people worried about their lives
Chinese association donates protective gear
Dozens of millions in coronavirus damage expected in Slovenian sports
Majority of Covid-19 victims aged over 75
STA, 14 April - The figures released by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) show that more than 80% of people who died of coronavirus in Slovenia were older than 75 years and almost 60% were older than 85.
Although 56 persons died until yesterday, the NIJZ statistics take into account only 53 deaths because the institute gets the data from the infectious disease data base with a delay.
The NIJZ figures show the number of victims among men and women was relatively balanced, as 27 women died as opposed to 26 men.
All the deceased were older than 45, but the number of deaths rises with age.
The number of deaths in the age group between 75 and 84 was 13 and that in the age group of over 85 reached 31, the NIJZ data also show.
Public broadcaster Radio Slovenija meanwhile reported that the majority of 56 victims, or 75%, died in nursing homes.
Latest corona-survey shows fewer people worried about their lives
STA, 14 April 2020 - The share of the Slovenians who are worried about their lives and the lives of their closest ones because of the coronavirus epidemic is dropping, shows the latest survey by the pollster Mediana, as it currently stands at 50%.
Some 42% of the respondents said they were worried and 8% that they were very worried, a drop of 10 percentage points compared to the previous poll from 24 and 25 March.
On the other hand, 7% of the people polled said they were not worried at all and 18% said they were not worried.
68% of the respondents meanwhile believe it will take three or more months for life in Slovenia to return to normal after the end of the epidemic, while 16% think it will take two months and 10% only one month.
Almost half of the respondents (46%) see the lack of social contact with family and friends as the main problem one month into the lockdown, an increase of 23 percentage points compared to two weeks ago.
Some 36% of the people polled have the feeling of being restricted, which is an increase of 26 percentage points.
Still ranking high among the worries is the uncertainty about when the epidemic will end (43%), which is however an 11 percentage-point drop compared to the previous survey.
There are also significant drops in the share of people who fear that at-risk groups would get infected (from 47% to 33%) and people who fear getting infected themselves (from 44% to 27%).
The share of people who experience the feeling of helplessness has also dropped, by ten percentage points to 23%.
The survey was carried out on 10-11 April among 503 Slovenian residents aged between 15 and 75 years, in what Mediana says was a representative sample by gender, age and region.
Chinese association donates protective gear
STA, 14 April 2020 - Slovenia saw a number of protective gear donations by Chinese organisations and cities on Tuesday meant to boost the country's commodity reserves and ramp up the protection of critical services, including police officers and healthcare workers.
The association of the Chinese living in Slovenia donated protective equipment to the trade unions of services essential in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic.
It has provided 40,000 face masks, 700 hazmat suits and 120 thermometers for the trade unions joined under the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KSJS) umbrella organisation.
The Police Trade Union of Slovenia (PSS) said today it had received 10,000 kits, so it would equip its members with 20,000 masks meant for personal use in the coming days.
The donation is a result of "excellent cooperation" between the trade union and the Chinese association, the PSS added.
The union has single-handedly purchased an additional 10,000 face shields, however the gear has not yet arrived in Slovenia.
Apart from the police trade union, the supplies were also donated to the health and social security workers' as well as the nurses' trade unions.
The donation was handed over by Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Wang Shunqing and Ji Rongqiang-Chang, the association's head, who had initiated the campaign, at the civil defence warehouse in Roje on the outskirts of Ljubljana.
Also in Roje, the Chinese Olympic Committee handed over 10,000 surgical masks for the Slovenian Agency for Commodities and Reserves today.
The delivery was received by Economy Ministry State Secretary Aleš Cantarutti and Secretary General of the Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) Blaž Perko, the OKS said in a press release.
Meanwhile, a group of Chinese cities have donated 77,000 various face shields to Civil Protection in the city of Maribor.
Slovenia's second largest city received the donation by its Chinese twin cities, including Nanjing, Huaian, Nanchang and Chongqing, on Friday. The supplies, handed over by Ambassador Wang, will be distributed to key services.
This marks the second such donation for Maribor after the city received a delivery of 10,000 FFP 2 masks from Hangzhou last week.
Dozens of millions in coronavirus damage expected in Slovenian sports
STA, 14 April 2020 - A discussion about the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on sports, organised on Tuesday by the Sport Lex sports law institute, highlighted an estimate that sports organisations in Slovenia will incur at least EUR 26 million in direct damage.
Major damage, estimated by Slovenian Ski Association president Enzo Smrekar at EUR 1.1 million, has for instance been caused by the cancellation or rescheduling of the Ski Flying World Championship that was to be held in Planica in March.
Smrekar moreover pointed to the cancelled men's Alpine Ski World Cup races in Kranjska Gora, speaking of a damage of up to EUR 700,000.
Reflecting on how to proceed, he said it was not necessary to invent new solutions, since Austria, Italy and Germany had provided good examples of how to stimulate sport.
Also participating in the videocall panel was the secretary general of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Blaž Perko, who said a recent survey had shown the coronavirus crisis would cost Slovenian sports organisations at least EUR 26 million.
"Everybody pointed out they will have liquidity problems, while the smaller ones will also have trouble covering labour and rent costs. The summer season will be practically dead and it will not be possible to make up for the losses already suffered," Perko said.
Listing measures that could help, he mentioned a deferral of loan payments and tax cuts, as well as a state-sponsored emergency fund that would help cover cancellation costs.
While Austria has already earmarked EUR 100 million in aid to sport as a first step, "there has been no open mentioning of sports by the government here so far", Perko said.
