STA, 20 July 2021 - The latest survey by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) shows that between 27.5% and 32.1% are still unwilling to get vaccinated against Covid-19. This is as almost 37% of the population has already been fully inoculated.

Releasing the 13th SI-PANDA survey on the impact of Covid-19 on people's lives, NIJZ noted that the proportion of fully-vaccinated people was steadily increasing.

The latest data on the NIJZ website shows that 36.5% of Slovenia's population has been fully vaccinated and 42% of the people have received their first dose.

Asked what would affect most their decision on getting the jab, most of those questioned said it would depend on whether there was sufficient data available on the vaccine being safe and effective, on whether the vaccine had been used for a while and on whether they would be able to choose between vaccines.

The main reasons cited by those unwilling to get vaccinated are concerns about side effects and the jab's long-term effect on their health and the belief that vaccines are not safe.

Nearly two out of three respondents (61.5%) reported that the pandemic had negatively impacted on their social contacts with their extended family and friends and just over one in three reported taking less exercise and as many saying their financial security had deteriorated.

On the other hand, those noticing a positive effect of the pandemic reported mainly taking more exercise.

The proportion of those who experienced stress increased compared with the CINDI survey conducted about a year ago. Nearly one fourth of respondents in the latest survey reported experiencing stress often or on a daily basis, about 7% more than in 2020.

Nearly three out of four of those who have had Covid-19 reported having issues still a month after recovering from the disease.

The survey is based on of WHO questionnaire, adapted to the Slovenia situation, which makes data internationally comparable.

STA, 20 July 2021 - Slovenia started issuing digital certificates on 24 June, but initially they were only available on the national e-health website, which requires a digital identity to access.

In early July, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) then sent out paper copies of the digital certificate to around 900,000 residents.

Since last week users can download the eZVEM app to their mobile devices running Apple's IOS or Google's Android operating system. To activate the app, they need one of two national digital identities.

To use digital Covid certificate data basis without internet access, registration is not needed. The users only need to scan the QR code of their digital Covid certificate to save it on their mobile device.

"The app and the genuine digital certificate are steps in continuation of the previously announced digitalisation and modernisation of Slovenian healthcare and public administration," said the health minister.

The key change is that parents will be able to download on their mobile phones the certificates of their children and other family members.

"In this way digital certificates will be always with you and will ease entry not only to other countries but also into cultural institutions, hotels, restaurants, sports venues," said Poklukar.

The new mobile app also makes it possible to access health documents such as e-prescriptions, e-referrals, waiting times and test results.

Poklukar also announced a special app that would allow event organisers to check "anonymously" whether visitors to public events have been either vaccinated, have recovered from Covid or tested negative.

This was as organizers have so far not been obliged to check whether the visitors meet one of the three conditions, even though that was a condition for access to the event.

"We would like participants in public events to attend them safely and to stay safe after the event, to not see a repeat of a football event like a year and a half ago becoming a source of infection or an outbreak," said Poklukar.

Calling on everyone to get a jab, he said as doctor he favoured those who have been vaccinated to be able to attend school in person, use public transport, go to the theatre, restaurant or hotel when the delta variant is set to spread in the autumn and winter.

Poklukar said that the country had so far allocated EUR 53.5 million for rapid tests, nearly EUR 70 million for PCR tests, while the cost of more than 17,000 Covid hospitalisations had been EUR 195 million.

NIJZ has so far recorded the issuance of 160,626 certificates proving recovery from Covid, 103,471 PCR test certificates, 504,852 vaccination certificates and 257,431 rapid test certificates, which are data from all issuing points and apps.

Get the app for Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems. You'll need a national digital identity to activiate it.

STA, 16 July 2021 - The delta strain of coronavirus has overtaken alpha as the dominant strain in Slovenia in just weeks. In the latest round of sequencing a full 89% of the samples were delta, show data released on Friday by the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food.

Delta, first detected in India, was first confirmed in sequencing five weeks ago and only last week it still accounted for a small though growing share of infections.

The surge in delta is largely the result of a huge outbreak among two groups of students who returned from a school trip to Spain in early July.

While the laboratory does not have information of which samples were from these specific students, it said 60% of the delta samples sequenced this week were among those aged 17 or 18. The regional breakdown of cases confirms that as well.

The alpha variant, first detected in the UK, was confirmed in under 7% of the samples sequenced this week.

STA, 15 July 2021 - Slovenia will enable those who have been vaccinated against Covid, have recovered from it or have been tested to have as few restrictions in public life as possible, while rapid tests will be no longer be free of charge from mid-August, PM Janez Janša said on Thursday as he urged vaccination together with the other coalition leaders.

Based on the European Commission's recommendation, the Health Ministry is drafting changes to a regulation to enable the three groups to have as few coronavirus-related restrictions in public life as possible.

Janša said the government had discussed the epidemiological situation in the country at today's session, including risks posed by new variants of the virus.

Now that there are enough vaccines and one can choose with which to be vaccinated, it is one's responsibility to protect themselves and also prevent lockdowns, he said.

Janša believes that "we have enough tools not to close public life again, limit movement, restrict certain businesses, especially not services".

Together with NSi leader Matej Tonin and SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek, he urged joining forces "to achieve as high a vaccinated rate as possible".

Rapid antigen testing will no longer be free of charge, expectedly from mid-August on, while PCR testing will remain free, he said. PCR tests are free on referral from GP.

"We've so far spent EUR 60 million on testing," he said, wondering "whether we can ask those who have been vaccinated to pay for those who have not been when there is free vaccination available".

The prime minister also noted there was a trend in Europe not to have free testing anymore. Still, the government is not considering making vaccination mandatory.

Janša, Tonin and Počivalšek urged Slovenian residents to get vaccinated, invoking people's personal responsibility to get protected.

The three welcomed today's joint call of all deputy groups for vaccination to prevent a potential fourth wave of the epidemic in the autumn.

"I think it is a big deal which still came at the right time," Janša said.

STA, 15 July 2021 - Significantly tighter rules for entering Slovenia took effect today, as the colour-coded lists of countries were replaced with the requirement that passengers who wish to enter the country need to have a Covid certificate regardless of where they come from.

The certificate will have to prove that passengers have had a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours, a negative rapid antigen within the last 48 hours, certificate of vaccination or proof that they have recovered from Covid.

The EU's green digital certificate and equivalent certificates of third countries are acceptable.

The acceptable vaccines are those by Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen as well as the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the Chinese Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.

There are three sets of exemptions: passengers in transit and lorry drivers, owners of land on both sides of the border and accompanied minors under 15.

Persons without a Covid certificate will have to quarantine for ten days and foreigners without a certificate and without residence in Slovenia are allowed entry and quarantine only if they can prove they have a place to quarantine for ten days.

It is unclear how compliance will be verified since Slovenia does not currently have police checks on the borders with Austria, Hungary and Italy, only on the Schengen border with Croatia.

The decision comes amidst concern about a rising number of new cases and a surge in the share of the more infectious delta variant of the novel coronavirus.

STA, 12 July 2021 - The National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, vetoed in an 18:13 vote on Monday the amendments to the communicable diseases act that the National Assembly passed last week in order to replace provisions that have been struck down by the Constitutional Court.

The veto comes as a surprise since it had not been demanded by any particular group of councillors. The proceedings were just a continuation of the National Council's practice, introduced at the outset of the epidemic, to automatically debate vetoes of all major laws before the expiry of the seven-day veto period to make sure they may be implemented as soon as possible.

The law was amended after the Constitutional Court declared parts of the act and by extension the measures introduced during the epidemic unconstitutional because they gave the government too much leeway in introducing restrictions that affect fundamental rights.

The amended act determines that expert assessments are required for some measures, and that certain indicators must be taken into account when restrictions are adopted. It also introduces curbs on the duration and location of the measures.

Critics, including centre-left opposition parties, have attacked the amendments as merely affirming the government overreach.

Several councillors echoed these concerns today, in particular with regard to government powers, urging the National Assembly to come up with better solutions.

The amendments were passed in a partisan 44:42 vote last week. To override the veto, at least 46 MPs must vote in favour, a majority that the current government does not have.

The other two laws that the National Council debated today, the latest stimulus law for the tourism and hospitality sector and a law on emergency measures in the healthcare sector, passed muster and can now be enacted.

STA, 12 July - The recent surge in coronavirus cases in Slovenia is to a large extent the result of an outbreak associated with two groups of secondary school students who were on a trip to the Spanish resort Lloret de Mar. A total of 134 students have tested positive since their return and a further 57 secondary cases have been confirmed.

A total of 108 cases were confirmed among 300-plus students from Dolenjska who returned home on 3 July, plus 51 secondary cases, according to the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).

In a slightly smaller group from Gorenjska that returned from Spain on 8 July, there are currently 26 confirmed cases and six secondary cases, NIJZ epidemiologist Eva Grilc told the press on Monday.

The NIJZ has conducted contact tracing for both groups of students and all have been ordered to quarantine. However, a few who were supposed to quarantine went on to continue their vacation in Croatia.

"Two or three persons indeed went to Croatia and we have alerted the Croatian authorities thereof. This is all I know," she said.

Grilc said the vast majority of the students had not been vaccinated yet. "We definitely recommend that all persons who wish to travel get their jabs before leaving."

While the sequencing of the samples has not been completed yet, Grilc said there were preliminary indications the students were infected with the more transmissible delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.

STA, 9 July 2021 - Slovenia will tighten rules on the border starting on 15 July, as the colour-coded lists of countries will be cast aside in favour of the requirement that passengers who wish to enter the country will need to have a Covid certificate showing they have been vaccinated, tested or have recovered from coronavirus, regardless of where they come from.

Under a government regulation adopted on Friday, passengers will need a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours, a negative rapid antigen test no older than 48 hours, certificate of vaccination or proof that they have recovered from Covid.

The EU's green digital certificate will be accepted, as will the equivalent certificates of third countries, which must contain the same information as the EU certificate and be issued in English.

The acceptable vaccines are those by Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen as well as the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the Chinese Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.

Only owners of land on both sides of the border and accompanied minors under 15 are exempted.

Persons without a Covid certificate will have to quarantine for ten days and foreigners without a certificate and without residence in Slovenia are allowed entry and quarantine only if they can prove they have a place to quarantine for ten days.

The decision comes amidst concern about a rising number of new cases and a surge in the share of the more infectious delta variant of the novel coronavirus

STA, 8 July 2021 - People who come to Slovenia from countries and areas listed as red and dark red but show proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recently recovered from the disease will no longer need to quarantine as of this Saturday, the government decided on Thursday.

Digital Covid certificates from EU and third countries will be accepted.

However, a 10-day quarantine requirement remains in place for foreigners without residence in Slovenia coming from red-listed areas.

The border police page - in English - with the list of dark red, red, and orange countries is here

To enter Slovenia, they will need to provide a negative PCR test and prove they have a place to stay for the 10-day period. Those who fail to do so will be denied entry.

Foreigners without residence in Slovenia coming from dark red areas are not allowed to enter the country.

There are no changes for entry from the green-listed countries.

Persons entering Slovenia from orange-listed countries can enter without quarantine if they provide a digital Covid certificate from the EU or third countries. Otherwise they need to quarantine for 10 days.

Foreigners without residence in Slovenia will be allowed to enter the country and go into quarantine only if they prove they have a place to stay during the quarantine.

STA, 7 July 2021 - The National Assembly passed on Wednesday amendments to the communicable diseases act after the Constitutional Court declared parts of the act and by extension the measures introduced during the epidemic unconstitutional.

The amended act determines that expert assessments are required for some measures, and that certain indicators must be taken into account when restrictions are adopted. It also introduces curbs on the duration and location of the measures.

In case of restrictions that would strongly affect human rights and fundamental freedoms, there will be a special mechanism under which individual measures in place for more than 90 days can only be extended by the National Assembly.

This comes after the Constitutional Court declared parts of the communicable diseases act allowing the government to restrict movement and public assembly unconstitutional at the beginning of June, and annulled the government decrees that were based on this law.

It said the act was unconstitutional because it gave the government too much leeway in the ways, types, scope and duration of restrictions that strongly interfered with the freedom of movement.

The amendments were passed in a partisan 44:42 vote.

The coalition defended the legislation as necessary to have measures in place before the next wave of the coronavirus pandemic hits. It said the wording was in full compliance with the Constitutional Court decision.

Jožef Horvat of New Slovenia (NSi), dismissing complaints that more debate was needed, said on Tuesday the Constitutional Court had given the legislature a clear deadline to implement the changes.

The centre-left opposition on the other hand claimed that instead of addressing the Constitutional Court's concerns about encroachment on fundamental rights, the government had now merely given itself unfettered powers.

Dejan Židan of the Social Democrats (SD) wondered if Slovenians really wished to live in a country in which the government was allowed to declare a state of emergency for an indefinite time.