STA, 11 February 2022 - A new movement has been set up in Maribor that will strive to abolish Covid restrictions on all levels of society and for normal functioning of education and healthcare. If necessary, the movement will turn into a party and stand in the upcoming general election, said its founders in Maribor on Friday.

According to Gaber Marolt, coordinator of the Movement of the Free and Well Informed (Gibanje Svobodni in Ozaveščeni Slovenije - SOS), the country's fight against the epidemic is "completely misguided" and the restrictive measures "are causing nothing but harm".

After analysing the current political options, the movement's founders came to a conclusion that none of the existing parties promises normalisation of the current situation in the country.

"Since we can actively affect the situation in the country exclusively from parliament this conclusion has led us to decide that a movement or a political party must be created in Slovenia that will ensure normal life without pointless restrictions," said Marolt, Aleš Goršak, Iris Magajna and Žiga Legat, representatives of the movement.

The SOS will be an "independent folk's movement" that will strive for a new type of rule, where the goal will be a society that is "based on achievements, facts that can be checked, mutual respect and trust".

The focus will be on the people, freedom, and welfare, human rights will be respected and laws will be clear and fair, the founders said.

Their priority will be efforts to normalise the conditions at schools, lift Covid restrictions, make informing on Covid-19 and other diseases more transparent and allow free movement of people and goods.

Individuals from the movement have so far been active in various initiatives stressing the rights of children.

In cooperation with some other initiatives, the movement is filing into parliament today a demand for expanding early treatment of Covid, for which they had collected several hundred signatures.

STA, 10 February 2022 - Slovenia confirmed 12,137 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday as the country continues to be on the downward slope of the Omicron-driven wave. Another 19 fatalities among 19-Covid patients were reported.

Week-on-week decline in Covid cases continues since more than 16,500 cases were logged a week ago. Both the seven-day average of daily cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 people thus dropped - the former by some 640 to 9,220 and the latter by nearly 100 to 8,143.

The National Institute of Public Health estimates there are now 171,691 active cases in Slovenia, down by 2,000 on the previous day.

Some 3,250 PCR tests and almost 124,100 rapid antigen tests were performed yesterday.

Figures released by the government show 530 patients are hospitalised with Covid as their main condition as of this morning, including 121 in intensive care. This is down by 18 and four, respectively, from yesterday. In all, 1,038 patients now in hospitals have tested positive for coronavirus.

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STA, 9 February 2022 - Prime Minister Janez Janša self-tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. He posted a photo of a positive test result on Twitter, saying he had all the symptoms typical of Covid-19, although mild.

Janša said that his family had successfully avoided coronavirus for two years until Tuesday, when his two sons had self-tested positive, while his test had been negative.

Dve leti smo se uspešno izogibali #koronavirus. Včeraj pri samotestiranju pozitivna oba fanta, moj test negativen. Danes žal tudi moj +. Pa vsi klasični simptomi. Zaenkrat milejši. Naj tako ostane. pic.twitter.com/4c2lEn1oHZ

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) February 9, 2022

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STA, 7 February 2022 - Slovenia recorded an excess mortality rate of 15% last year, when the Covid-19 epidemic was in full swing, the Statistics Office said on Monday. The worst month of 2021 was November, when 49% more people died than the average for the same period in 2015-2019.

The excess mortality rate represents the excess of the number of deaths over the average number of deaths in previous years during the same period, the Statistics Office explained.

According to provisional data, a total of 23,177 people died in Slovenia in 2021, which is 2,589 more than in 2019 - before the outbreak of the coronavirus, but 839 (3%) fewer than in 2020.

The year before last was when the Covid-19 epidemic was at its worse in Slovenia, as the excess mortality rate was even higher than last year at almost 19%, with a total of 24,016 deaths recorded in 2020.

However, very high excess mortality was also recorded in November 2021, at almost 50%, followed by January and December 2021, at 28%.

In December last year, 2,287 people died in Slovenia, which is 951 fewer than in December 2020 and 419 more than in the same month in 2019. On average, 74 people died per day in December 2021.

A total of 1507 people aged 75 or over died in December last year, which accounts for 66% of the total number of deaths in that month. Compared to the average number of deaths in the same age group in 2015-2019, this number was 27% higher.

More on births and deaths in Slovenia in 2021 here

STA, 4 February 2022 - A total of 11,668 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday, down in weekly comparison, as 3,808 PCR and 103,514 rapid antigen tests were examined, reported the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), which has estimated that there are now 194,969 active cases in the country.

While the seven-day average of new daily cases was down by 730 to 14,381, the 14-day case notification rate was up by 90 to 9,251, show the latest figures by the NIJZ.

The estimated number of active cases in the country was up by 1,883 compared to the day before.

A new rule was introduced on 1 February under which rapid tests are automatically added to the tally without being double-checked with the more precise PCR tests.

A total of 418 patients are hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition at regular wards and another 113 at intensive care units.

In all, 963 infected patients are in hospitals, and 22 more Covid-19 patients died on Thursday, government data show.

Mathematical models point to a decline in the Covid-19 epidemic, but the virus could still surprise us, Nuška Čakš Jager, deputy chief epidemiologist with the NIJZ, said at today's press conference.

In Slovenia, the highest rates of coronavirus infections are currently reported in the 5-14 and 35-40 age groups. The number of infections is also rising slightly in the over-75 age group, Čakš Jager added.

Despite a slight increase in the number of infections in nursing homes, most people recover without symptoms. More and more infections are also being reported in schools, especially in the 6-14 and 15-18 age groups, and among pre-school staff.

Čakš Jager also presented data showing that significantly fewer deaths have been recorded in nursing homes compared to the previous waves of the epidemic, which the NIJZ attributes to vaccination.

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STA, 1 February 2022 - Validity of Covid-19 vaccination certificates for adults is limited to 270 days from Tuesday in line with EU recommendations, but can be extended with booster jabs. Also from today, a rapid test will be valid as proof of infection, but only in Slovenia.

For the fully vaccinated their certificates will be valid for 270 days since the last prescribed full vaccination, which in most cases means from the second shot. On getting an mRNA booster (Pfizer or Moderna), the certificate's validity will be unlimited.

For the recovered who had their first jab within 180 days after getting infected (or within 240 days after recovery by 14 September 2021) the certificate will be valid for 270 days since that inoculation. A booster will extend the validity indefinitely.

The certificate is also valid for 270 days for those who got the single-shot J&J Janssen jab followed by the AstraZeneca jab.

Even those who got vaccinated twice before getting sick and recovering from Covid-19 will have their certificates valid for only 270 days after the vaccination or for 180 days after the positive result of their PCR test.

The same will apply for those who got their first shot before getting over the disease and had their second shot after recovery.

Meanwhile, those who have received two shots after recovering from Covid-19 will under certain conditions have their certificate valid indefinitely.

This has caused some criticism, especially as experts say it does not appear to have an effect on a person's immunity in what order they received their jab, prior or after the infection.

"These are the rules of the game set by the EU and they may be slower to change than we'd wish them to," Janez Tomažič, an infectious disease expert has commented recently.

Also from today the period in which a re-infection is recognised is being shortened from at least 90 days since the first positive PCR test result to at least 45 days when a re-infection can be confirmed.

As a temporary measure Slovenia is adding a positive rapid antigen test as proof of infection that on recovery will be entered into Slovenia's Covid rapid test certificate. The latter will only be valid in Slovenia.

The validity of Covid certificates is being limited for travel within EU, but member states regulate certificates for access to public places, businesses or services themselves.

STA, 31 January 2022 - Slovenia is further restricting the use of PCR tests as of Tuesday with a new testing protocol under which rapid antigen tests will be enough to confirm a coronavirus infection. The certificate of recovery obtained in this way will only be valid in Slovenia for now, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said, indicating changes in this area as well.

By acknowledging rapid antigen test results as enough to confirm an infection, Slovenia is following the example of a dozen other European countries, the minister told a Covid press briefing on Monday, noting that Germany and Austria were also considering taking this step to help lift some of the burden off the laboratories analysing PCR samples.

PCR tests for travelling purposes will continue to be conducted as a payable service.

According to the minister, people who test negative in a rapid test despite signs of infection will need to self-isolate for 72 hours. If the symptoms persist, the person will take another rapid test and if the test is negative, they will visit a doctor in case of any problems.

If the test is positive, the infection is confirmed and the person receives the Slovenian digital Covid certificate.

The decision on who will still need to do a PCR test will be made by a GP. Vulnerable groups, such as patients with chronic disease, pregnant women, people with a weak immune system and children who are at risk of developing severe symptoms, will still be referred to PCR testing, Poklukar said.

The new Slovenian digital certificate will for the time being be used only in Slovenia but given some announcements and the fact that half of EU countries are switching to this new testing protocol, rapid antigen tests will probably soon be accepted as a valid mode to confirm a Covid infection Europe-wide, the minister said.

"We are counting on most of these (Slovenian) certificates to be in the future issued as European certificates of recovery," he said.

The minister also noted that the new testing protocol was temporary and in place while the number of daily infections is high.

General practitioners have welcomed the new testing protocol, noting that they currently dealt with significantly more Covid patients, which meant that patients with other diseases had restricted access to doctors.

In line with the new protocol, people with mild Covid symptoms will have access to diagnostics without the help of their doctors as most of the infected actually do not need a doctor, said Irena Vatovec, director of the Postojna Community Health Centre.

Paediatrician Denis Baš added that paediatricians too supported the changes under which children with mild or no symptoms can get their infections confirmed with a rapid test and stay at home, while children who are more at risk such as children with cancer, transplants, weak immune system, heart defects and babies under six months will continue to be referred to a PCR test by their doctor after consultation.

STA, 29 January 2022 - The share of primary school children who are distance learners because they refuse to comply with Covid restrictions in schools is declining. However, there are at least dozen cases where parents decided to sue schools over the enforced pandemic rules.

The share is now 0.84%, meaning 1,625 students, down from 3.61% last November, when self-testing was introduced in schools. The figure has been steadily falling since then, the Education Ministry has said.

In line with the guidelines issued by the education authority last November, students' knowledge can only be assessed at school during distance learning.

"If a pupil is not graded, they will sit examinations in accordance with relevant regulations. Pupils may take part in school assessments only if they meet the conditions laid down in the decree," the ministry has told STA, referring to the government decree putting in place Covid restrictions in schools.

A number of parents who do not want their children to self-test in classrooms three days a week are suing primary schools since they believe their constitutional rights are being infringed.

The ministry has been so far notified of twelve such cases. "The lawsuits are filed at the Administrative Court and so far all the proposed interim injunctions that have already been decided by the court have been rejected. In three cases, the suits have also already been dismissed," it said.

In all the cases, the State Attorney's Office has taken over the legal representation, which made it much easier for the schools involved to deal with the legal proceedings.

Some schools in Ljubljana have refused this option as their lawyer has been provided or paid for by the school's founder, the Ljubljana municipality, the ministry added.

STA, 27 January 2022 - Slovenia has confirmed its first case of the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the national lab chief told reporters on Thursday, noting it was not yet clear whether the new strain was more contagious than the original one.

Tjaša Žohar Čretnik, the head of the National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH), said the BA.2 subvariant was confirmed in a person from Podravje, in the north-east of the country.

The official said that as yet unofficial data suggests two further cases of BA.2 had been confirmed by the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine.

The BA.1 has been the prevailing lineage in the current Omicron-driven wave of coronavirus. The new variant replaced Delta in a matter of weeks and now it is present in 95% of the samples which test positive in PCR testing.

Žohar Čretnik said there was not yet conclusive data on the difference in virulence between the two subvariants of Omicron.

"We're obviously concerned as each new variant entails a risk that needs to be evaluated as we go along, and of course we don't want a sixth wave of the epidemic that would be even worse than the fifth," she said.

The UK Health Security Agency detected more than 400 cases of the new subvariant in the first ten days of January, noting that the fresh strain had also been detected in about 40 other countries, including India, Denmark and Sweden where most of the new cases are of this subvariant.

The highly infectious Omicron variant has been driving up new cases in Slovenia with more than 14,000 recorded on Wednesday after an all-time high of close to 17,500 the day before.

Despite regular testing, infections are increasingly making their way into non-Covid hospital wards. Under a new protocol, infected patients will no longer need to be moved to Covid wards but can be isolated in their rooms.

Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of the UKC Ljubljana Department of Infectious Diseases, told reporters those patients were still being taken to get treatment and diagnostic procedures which involves disinfection and airing of premises while all staff needs to wear full personal protective equipment.

Hospitals will have the discretion to organise themselves the best way they can. Along with an increasing demand for more Covid beds, another major problem is increasing staff absenteeism due to infections, quarantine, childcare and burnout.

Robert Carotta, the coordinator for Covid hospital beds, said the Covid bed capacity would be increased depending on the situation.

Of the 583 patients treated at non-ICU units of Covid wards 58% are being treated for Covid as their prime condition, which compares to 80% of such patients in early January.

The government's Covid spokesperson Maja Bratuša announced that due to the changed situation data would be released on which patients are being treated for Covid and which are at hospitals with Covid but treated for other conditions.

Due to the difficult situation hospitals are already cancelling elective treatments.

STA, 26 January 2022 - Health Minister Janez Poklukar has warned that Slovenia is yet to see the Omicron-driven wave of coronavirus outbreak hit its plateau, arguing the risk is still too great for any easing of restrictions.

Speaking to reporters as the country logged a record of almost 17,500 new coronavirus cases for the previous day, the minister said the risk would remain high until the curves of infections and hospital admissions started turning down.

The epidemic is still in expansion and this week alone 33% more patients have been hospitalised and there were 85% more fatalities than the week before, said the minister as he called on the Brežice general hospital during the government visit to the eastern region.

"We would like to reach the peak as soon a possible and as soon as we do it'll be easier to breathe and talk of how to proceed," he said.

Although the Omicron variant does not appear to cause so many hospitalisations, the caseload of infections is four-fold what it was with the Delta variant.

"Even if instead of 4% hospitalisation rate that we saw with Delta the hospitalisation rate is now 1%, with 30,000 positive tests a day it means 300 admissions," he said, adding it was too early to say what the impact of Omicron to intensive units will be.

A total of 670 patients with Covid-19 were hospitalised this morning, including 127 in intensive care. Including Tuesday's 14 fatalities, Covid-19 has claimed 6,268 lives in Slovenia, according to data released by the Health Ministry.

Poklukar noted that Slovenia had adapted testing and quarantine rules, hospital and lab organisation to Omicron, indicating talks are under way to follow suit of some other countries which have opted to issue QR codes for rapid tests as well to alleviate the burden on PCR testing facilities.

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