STA, 23 February 2020 - As the novel coronavirus is spreading fast in neighbouring Italy, Slovenian health minister assured the public on Sunday that there was no reason for alarm. However, a medical official, speaking at the same press conference, said there was little doubt that the virus would appear in Slovenia as well.

Slovenia has not confirmed any case of infection with the novel virus as yet, Health Minister Aleš Šabeder noted at the press conference in Ljubljana.

How safe is Slovenia from coronavirus?

So far the only Slovenian to test positive for the virus that originated in China was a couple who contracted the virus, named Covid-19, on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked in Japan's Yokohama for over a fortnight. The couple have been admitted to a hospital in Japan.

Šabeder said that the government would call a session of the National Security Council secretariat for Monday to discuss the situation and take potential additional measures.

The minister does not want the virus to become a political issue. "This is a serious situation, unfolding not only in Europe, but also elsewhere round the globe," he said.

Is traveling to Italy from Slovenia safe?

He said that official data from Italian authorities showed that 124 had so far contracted the virus in Italy. Meanwhile, Italian media have reported the number has risen to over 150 with three fatalities.

Should Italian authorities establish that a Slovenian citizen has been in contact with those infected, Slovenia will be alerted right away, the minister said.

Health Ministry State Secretary Simona Repar Bornšek noted that part of Slovenia had just finished winter school break and that many would have spent it abroad.

With north of Italy being a popular skiing destination for Slovenians, the official advised all travellers who had returned from north Italian regions to monitor their condition and to contact their GP or duty service in case of a fever, cough or shortness of breath.

Hospitals prepare for coronavirus in Slovenia

All primary and secondary healthcare providers have been notified of the measures they need to take and the hospitals that could admit potential coronavirus patients have been urged to re-examine their contingency plans.

The state secretary said there was no confirmed coronavirus case in Slovenia, but that additional measures would be taken depending on the developments such as expanding testing.

She urged the public to follow information the website of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ), which is being updated 24 hours a day, and not to fall for provocations.

Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of the UKC Ljubljana Department of Infectious Diseases, said that there was almost no doubt anymore that the novel coronavirus would appear in Slovenia as well.

But she said that health institutions were getting ready for such a possibility. Their department sped up activities to be able to admit the first patient.

"All the paths have been agreed, which tests would be conducted. A few beds are ready, including at the intensive care unit. We'll have extra beds ready during the week," said Lejko Zupanc.

The department could admit 10 to 20 coronavirus patients at one of its units, theoretically even more. It is also capable of providing 10 intensive care beds, which "should suffice for a smaller outbreak".

In case of a massive outbreak, procedures would be quite different, involving the civil protection, among other mechanisms, said Lejko Zupanc.

She said everyone on the staff was willing to be involved in the effort in case of a potential outbreak, and if necessary military health staff could be engaged in case of staff shortages.

She said there were currently no suspected cases in Slovenia according to her information. She also said that Slovenia was well equipped for tests which were being conducted at three labs.

She said there was no need for panic or fear; if people "have been to what are epidemic hotspots at the moment", they should monitor themselves and seek advice from health services.

As prevention against potential infection NIJZ official Maja Sočan advised regular washing of hands, regular surface cleaning and measures generally taken to prevent an infection spread.

Sočan said the four Slovenian passengers from the Diamond Princess, who have already returned to Slovenia, were feeling fine, as were the couple hospitalised in Japan.

There were a total of six Slovenians on the ship, three couples.

NIJZ has not advised against travel.

Matija Cevc from the Slovenian Medical Association noted that posters appeared in parts of the country calling for citizens on behalf of the association to take preventive tests.

He said the association had not issued such a poster, denouncing the campaign as "utterly abject". He supposes it was aimed at making money at a time when people are in distress.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia can be found here

STA, 23 February 2020 - Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus in Italy, the Foreign Ministry has advised Slovenian citizens visiting the country to be cautious on their return home. Those heading to Italy are advised to check the latest situation at their chosen destination.

 Authorities in the north of Italy have imposed emergency measures to try to contain worrying outbreaks of the virus. A dozen towns in Lombardy and Veneto have gone into lockdown as the number those infected exceeded 100 and two of those infected died.

Friuli Venezia Giulia, the region bordering Slovenia, has declared a state of emergency due to the proximity of Veneto, where the authorities have shut down the Venice Carnival and other public events as the number of coronavirus cases has risen to 25.

The carnival is popular with Slovenian tourists and several travel agencies offer trips there, but the STA has learnt that one of Slovenian travel agencies last night notified the clients booked for the trip that their trip, planned for early Sunday morning, had been cancelled.

The Foreign Ministry has noted that the coronavirus outbreak and the measures to contain it are changing fast, urging those headed to Italy to check the latest situation with their hosts, travel agencies or hotels.

The ministry's consular service, the Slovenian Embassy in Rome and the Consulate General in Trieste keep in touch with the Italian authorities and are monitoring the developments.

Slovenia has not recorded any case of the novel coronavirus infection from China except for two passengers who have contracted the virus at the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan. They have been hospitalised in Japan.

The other four Slovenians who had been aboard the virus infected ship that had been under quarantine for over a fortnight have since returned home. They have tested negative again, but have been placed in isolation at their homes for two weeks as a precautionary measure.

To prevent catching the infection, the National Public Health Institute has advised the population to follow the usual precautionary measures against contagious diseases such as avoiding close contacts with people showing signs of an infectious disease.

"Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth. Stay at home when falling sick. Follow the cough hygiene measures. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water," or when that is not available use a hand sanitiser, the institute says on its website. It says that the use of face masks is not necessary.

Janez Janša, the leader of the Democratic Party (SDS), urged the caretaker government on Saturday to call a session of the National Security Council to discuss the situation in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In response, outgoing PM Marjan Šarec tweeted that the authorities in charge were prepared for a potential outbreak of the virus and were coordinating activities on a daily basis.

"There are plans for the case of a potential broader spread of the disease," he said, adding that the situation should be taken seriously but without causing panic or politicising it.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia can be found here

STA, 20 February 2020 - Two passengers aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess are the first Slovenians to test positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the Foreign Ministry said. The couple, albeit asymptomatic, was hospitalised in Japan this morning. The other four Slovenian passengers tested negative. Two have already returned to Slovenia with a commercial flight.

The couple who tested positive are asymptomatic and feel fine, Maja Sočan of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said at a special press conference at the Foreign Ministry.

They have also been given a phone number where a Slovenian infectologist is available to them 24 hours a day, Simona Repar Bornšek, a state secretary at the Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the first Slovenian couple to disembark the cruise ship landed at Brnik airport in the early hours today. They were received by a medical team and they tested negative for COVID-19 once again.

They will nevertheless remain in isolation at home for the next 14 days and have requested privacy. They will be tested repeatedly until the end of their isolation period. The same procedure is foreseen for when the other uninfected couple returns to Slovenia.

Repar Bornšek, who was at the airport with the medical team when the first couple returned, said they were in good spirits and understood completely that they needed to be isolated. She commended them for taking precautionary measures, like wearing masks and taking their temperature during their travel.

When asked whether other passengers travelling on the commercial flight with the couple had been alerted, Sočan said that they were not a threat to their environment at the moment because they are not carrying the virus and that there was no medical reason to alert other flight passengers.

Andrej Šter, the head of the Foreign Ministry's Consular Service, said that the pair had left Japan on a commercial flight after having consulted the Slovenian Embassy in Tokyo and that the Foreign Ministry was happy that they managed to do so.

He said that the other couple that likewise tested negative decided to return with an evacuation flight organised by the EU for European passengers. As part of preparations for the evacuation flight an Italian medical team was also sent to Yokohama and only healthy passengers will be able to board the plane.

It is not yet clear when this will happen, as Japan seems to have reservations as regards permitting take-off for the evacuation flight. It is, however, unclear what these reservations are, Šter said.

He also said that Slovenia would try to evacuate the couple who tested positive as soon as possible, if possible.

Under the protocol in place in Japan, asymptomatic patients are admitted to a hospital, where they are tested for COVID-19 12 days later and again after another 12 days, Sočan said. If the final test is negative, it is considered that the infection had run its course and they are free to leave.

Diamond Princess has been quarantined in Yokohama for two weeks, with more than 620 of its 3,700 passengers and crew testing positive for COVID-19.

Quarantine ended on Wednesday and passengers have begun disembarking, undergoing health checks before being allowed to leave the ship. Japanese media reported today that two elderly passengers from the Diamond Princess treated for COVID-19 have died.

All our stories on COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) are here

STA, 18 February 2020 - Slovenia is well prepared for early diagnosis in the case of an outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, but its hospitals could not handle a great number of patients, experts told the parliamentary Health Committee on Tuesday. Slovenia's hospitals have been neglected for too long and are ill-equipped for a big epidemic, the body heard.

The committee convened to discuss the country's preparedness for COVID-19 on the demand of the Democratic Party (SDS), with its MPs Jelka Godec saying today that the government and health institutions had failed to provide concrete information.

Health Ministry state secretary Simona Repar Bornšek said that instructions to passengers entering the country have been put up on all entry points, as well as hospitals and health centres.

"Health care personnel have been given concrete information. All institutions have their own pandemic plans in place," she said, adding that there is a very clear course of procedure for COVID-19 and that there is currently no need for additional measures in schools and kindergartens.

Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of the UKC Ljubljana infectious disease clinic told the committee that the hospital had performed an extensive training for its health care staff, while UKC Maribor has also included its cleaning staff in the training.

Lejko Zupanc, as well as Aleš Rozman, the head of the Golnik hospital, both expressed concern about hospitals being outdated and too small to handle a great number of patients.

"In Slovenia, we must work on hospital infrastructure. Improvisation cannot be our default work mode," Rozman stated.

STA, 13 February 2020 - Slovenia will send over 1.2 million face masks to China to help it contain the coronavirus outbreak. The shipment is due to be dispatched to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, this week, the government said on Thursday.

The face masks are a donation of the Slovenian branch of Kylin Prime Group (KPG), a Chinese-controlled company that has amassed a majority stake in the savings and loans bank Hranilnica Lon and is currently blocked by regulators from exercising its voting rights.

The company had donated the masks in response to a Foreign Ministry request for donations and the masks will be shipped out of Vienna as part of an EU shipment of emergency aid to China. Slovenia will cover up to EUR 20,000 in transportation costs.

Stanislav Lotrič, deputy head of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, told the press as the aid was being dispatched that there had been no problems with collecting the aid in Slovenia.

He however suggested that globally it was becoming hard to meet the demand for masks, which could prove a problem.

The masks were sent to Vienna, from where they are expected to be flown to Wuhan in an EU Civil Protection Mechanism aircraft together with donations from Austria, Hungary and Czechia by Monday at the latest.

The government has also approved a EUR 60,000 emergency donation to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

STA, 7 February - The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that there are six Slovenians aboard a cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Japan because of the new coronavirus. They all feel well.

 Andrej Šter, the head of the Foreign Ministry's consular service, said the Slovenians aboard the Diamond Princess, which is quarantined in Yokohama for two weeks, were three couples.

They have been in contact with the Slovenian Embassy in Tokyo since the day the quarantine was declared after a passenger who had been on the ship last month fell ill with the virus.

"They are fine and are not among those who tested positive. They are being looked after by Japanese health authorities, while our ministry, in particular colleagues at the Tokyo embassy, are keeping in touch with them," Šter told reporters in Ljubljana on Friday.

At least 61 of some 3,700 people on board have tested positive for the new coronavirus, including citizens of Japan, US, Canada, Australia, Argentina and the UK. So far 273 of the people on board have been tested.

Šter said that having been on the ship where the virus was detected the Slovenian passengers would have been quarantined for two weeks in any case even on land.

He could not say whether they might be subject to further restrictive measures or difficulties heading home once the quarantine was over end.

However, he promised for the ministry to try to organise their return home in a way so as to not expose them to any further danger or threaten their health in any way.

Šter also called for responsible reporting on the spread of coronavirus, saying that any exaggeration, either "embellishing the situation and covering the facts" or "creating a problem where there is none", was causing further problems.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

STA, 4 February 2020 - The Slovenian national postal operator has stopped accepting mail for China until further notice after its partner air carriers suspended flights to the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Until further notice, Pošta Slovenije will no longer accept letters and packages destined for China. Deliveries already on their way to China are expected to arrive with a delay, the company said.

An exception to the suspension of the service applies to UPS packages, but the senders are advised to check first whether delivery to the intended addresses is possible.

Most recent information is that deliveries cannot be accepted in Wuhan, the city and the region at the centre of the novelty coronavirus outbreak.

Fraport Slovenija, the company operating Ljubljana airport, has said that some exporters have had difficulties dispatching their deliveries because of suspension of air links with China.

Speaking with the STA, the company could not say what quantities had been affected.

"There have been many more air mail bags from China this year, which is delayed mail from last year due to overbooked capacities for Europe. The real picture will not be clear until next month."

Meanwhile, Pošta Slovenije is looking for substitute transport channels so as to be able to resume service and allow users to post all types of mail.

"The customers will be notified as soon as the possibility of mail acceptance is resorted," the postal company said in a press release on Tuesday.

Koper port says coronavirus to affect business, no measures adopted yet

STA, 4 February 2020 - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole commercial port, has told the STA that the coronavirus situation is expected to affect transshipment volumes. Container cargo and vehicles are likely to be impacted the most, Luka Koper said, while explaining it had not yet received any instructions concerning potential health measures.

"The epidemic in China has gravely impacted production there and crippled services, including in logistics, which will sooner or later also be felt in Koper," the operator said.

While it is too early to say anything concrete, Luka Koper pointed out that some global logistics companies have already closed their distribution centres in China and that some shipowners are announcing the cancellation of certain scheduled lines.

"For the time being this does not involve the northern Adriatic or Koper but it is clear that the situation will affect transshipment volumes. Container cargo and vehicles are likely to be impacted the most," it announced.

As regards measures to contain the virus, Luka Koper explained that the monitoring of ships in Slovenia, including of the health situation of crews, is in the domain of the Slovenian Maritime Administration.

It is the duty of the captain of a ship to report any health conditions before entering the port and the report is forwarded by the Maritime Administration to the National Institute of Public Health.

The institute is also responsible for issuing instructions regarding any measures to the port, but Luka Koper said it had not received any so far.

STA, 31 January 2020 - Representatives of the Slovenian companies that have offices or facilities in China told the STA on Friday they had no problems because of the coronavirus yet but they do fear the negative consequences that might follow after the New Year holidays in China are over. Fifteen Slovenian companies operate in China, according to Sloexport data.

Tool maker group Unior, which employs some 460 people in China, told the STA its facility was closed for the holidays at the moment and was expected to open again on 10 February.

The company does not feel any consequences of the epidemic yet and was maintaining business contacts via e-mail and WeChat.

Similarly, pharma company Krka, which operates in Ningbu, has suspended trips to China, as business partners there prolonged their New Year holidays.

Work in all of its business units was running smoothly because they had made enough stock before the holidays.

In the future, business contacts will be made via conference calls and e-mails.

Electronics group Iskra has a store with three employees in Hong Kong, which is operating without disturbances despite the fact that a part of its suppliers comes from China.

"We expect one- to two-week delay on the Chinese side," Iskra representatives told the STA, adding that problems would start if production halt would expand or be extended.

Andrej Boštjančič, the head of Softnet, a specialist in advanced communication technologies and services, which has four employees at its office in Shanghai, thinks the economic impact of the virus would be massive. "Production, transport will definitely be affected."

Today the Hong Kong postal operator announced it was temporarily halting a part of its postal service, he said. "It will all depend on how long all this will last," he said.

Its office will also be closed until 10 February and then they will do business via e-mail and phone.

Le-Tehnika's two companies in Suzhou, some 100 kilometres from Shanghai, employing a dozen people, producing phones and selling the company's Slovenian-made products, are also still closed for the holidays.

CEO Drago Lemut expects some delays in the supply of some materials.

The Chinese-owned household appliances maker Gorenje has not been affected by the epidemics but it did introduce some preventive measures. All employees who return from China will have to stay home for 14 days before coming to work again, the company said.

STA, 27 January 2020 - The coordination group for monitoring and managing contagious diseases discussing the coronavirus outbreak announced in Ljubljana on Monday that Slovenia was braced for a potential outbreak. It is monitoring the situation carefully and cooperating with all WHO member states in efforts to prevent the spreading of the virus.

Mojca Gobec from the Health Ministry asserted that the country was prepared for a potential outbreak. "It is very important that we are ready because we can expect imported cases," said Gobec, the head of the public health directorate at the ministry.

It is essential that the system contains the infection and reduces the risk of the spreading of the virus to a minimum, she pointed out a press conference after today's meeting.

Medical staff has been acquainted with the procedure to prevent further contamination in case the virus occurs in Slovenia, said the head of the Ljubljana clinic for infectious disease, Tatjana Lejko Zupanc.

Maja Sočan from the National Institute of Public Health urged against travelling to China, noting that the country had run out of protective masks and that transport had been hindered because of the virus.

She noted that measures introduced at airports to prevent the spreading of the virus from China such as the measurement of body temperature were not efficient, because the disease can be spread before the symptoms occur.

"Thermal cameras seem to be a very agreeable measure at first glance, but we must be aware that most passengers arrive by land," she said.

Lejko Zupanc said that such infections were nothing new, noting that primarily at risk were the people with chronic diseases and those who are fragile.

The pneumonia-like illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus, which appeared in December in Wuhan, central China, has so far claimed at least 80 lives. More than 2,700 people have been infected.

Cases of infections have been recorded in several other countries as well, including the US and France.