Ljubljana related
STA, 9 May 2020 - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll has increased to 101 after another patient died on Friday as four more tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the national case count so far to 1,454, data released by the government today show.
More than 1,176 tests for Sars-CoV-2 were conducted yesterday, putting the overall number of tests so far carried out to 63,571.
Three more patients were discharged from hospitals yesterday, leaving only 43 patients with Covid-19 in Slovenian hospitals. Ten are in intensive care, after two more were moved to regular wards.
STA, 9 May 2020 - Gathering on Slovenia's beaches and at other public places on the coast remains banned, with the exception of individual sports activities, said Slovenian seaside mayors on Friday, ahead of what is likely to be a sunny weekend, coming a few days after the government extended the ban on gatherings.
Apart from the mayors of Slovenia's Istra region, the Koper Police Department and Health Inspectorate have joined the calls for complying with the ban, saying that any sun-bathing, socialising or loitering on the beaches is not allowed.
Citizens may bathe or swim though, but any time spent on the beach prior or after these activities must be kept short. Physical distancing should be maintained as well.
Patrol officers and representatives of the coastal civil protection unit will be on the lookout this weekend for any violators who might be tempted to hang out outside and enjoy the beach life.
Warmer temperatures and sunny skies are expected to attract more visitors to the seaside, with the police urging tolerant and responsible behaviour.
In the past few days, the government has lifted quite a few lockdown restrictions, including giving a go-ahead for reopening restaurants and certain shops, however preventive measures still apply there. Moreover, gatherings in public spaces are still off-limits.
STA, 8 May 2020 - Thousands of protesters on bicycles took to the streets of Ljubljana, Marbor, Celje, Koper and elsewhere to peacefully protest against the government limiting civil liberties during the coronavirus epidemic, while the ban on public assembly is still in place. The Ljubljana rally was by far the biggest, bringing together some 5,500 by police count.
Run under the slogan You Won't Take Our Freedom, the protests were a joint effort of various civil initiatives, which had however called on protesters to respect all the measures to protect public health.
The protesters gathered opposite the National Assembly in Ljubljana's Republic Square, which was cordoned off so that the protesters - some media reports put the figure at 10,000 - could not approach the Parliament House.
They later took a ride past several state institutions in the city, and were cheered by locals clapping their hands from nearby windows.
The police said the Parliament House was cordoned off for safety. The police used megaphones to warn the protesters to respect the rules and that video surveillance was used. They also monitored the area from a helicopter.
Some protesters carried banners critical of the government and of President Borut Pahor, most their bicycle bells and some used cow bells.
Support was also expressed for Agency for Commodity Reserves employee Ivan Gale, who has recently publicly spoken about the pressure on the agency during the purchase of personal protective equipment.
Ploskali pred @ukclj in @RTV_Slovenija. Več kot nas bo, prej bomo na cilju. pic.twitter.com/esOry0RryQ
— Jedrt Jež Furlan (@JedrtJF) May 8, 2020
Zvonenje, ploskanje in občasno usklajeno vzklikanje vzdolž Slovenske ceste. Na skirojih in kolesih, pod budnim helikoptrskim nadzorom / @vecer pic.twitter.com/L3F9KlRYV0
— Žana Vertačnik (@ZanaVertacnik) May 8, 2020
Trg SVOBODE pic.twitter.com/Dn2nRRfSD5
— marko brumen (@multikultivator) May 8, 2020
Lepo je to videt. @policija_si ???? pic.twitter.com/rhAnrfwS9Y
— Matej Špehar (@MatejSpehar) May 8, 2020
ene par folka pa je. https://t.co/8GypwxodVD
— jaKa Močnik (@jkmcnk) May 8, 2020
The protesters mostly wore face masks, and shouts "criminals" could be heard. T-shirts with a Wake Up slogan were being sold in nearby Slovenska Street.
The protesters' anti-government sentiment seemed quite clear. "I came here to celebrate Victory Day and I hope we'll also celebrate another victory ... when we topple the government," one protester told the STA's reporter.
Another one said he was sick of the situation in Slovenia, where he believes "a silent coup d'etat is taking place".
Some were more positive, with one saying he wanted to show support for a more positive approach to the situation. "I'm not against, but for better politics, for better conditions, life."
Another protester said he protested against corruption and the leading media outlets, which he accused of bias and questioned the gap between a low Covid-19 death rate and the fact that everything is in lockdown.
Some politicians could also be seen there, including opposition Left head Luka Mesec, whose party was the only one to explicitly support the protest.
Other opposition parties had said the place for politicians to resolve problems was parliament. Trade unionist Branimir Štrukelj was also at the protest.
Much fewer people gathered in Maribor, Koper, Celje, as well as other, smaller towns across the country. Several hundred protesters gathered in Maribor for a protest very similar to the one in Ljubljana.
In Koper, several dozen carried banners saying Government Should Resign, and Criminals to Prison, Freedom to the Nation. The informal anthem of the Primorska region, a WWII anti-Fascist song, could also be heard.
Already last Friday, some 3,500 protesters took to the streets of Ljubljana in a similar protest. The 1 May protest came after a protest series started with protests at home and on balconies.
Meanwhile over 100 signatories of the Forum for Democracy, among them many established university teachers and researchers, also support the protests.
In a public letter they said that "if the people's rule is at stake, the people should claim it back".
The letter noted that their fears from a similar February letter that the Democrat (SDS)-led coalition would take Slovenia toward authoritarianism were coming true.
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 Aleksander Sandi. You can see more of his work here.
Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll hits hundred
Roughly half of seats on trains will be off limit
Šarec denies accusations over PPE, lashes back
All medical, dental services resuming, yet under some restrictions
Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll hits hundred
STA, 8 May 2020 - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll has risen to a hundred after one more patient died on Thursday. The total number of coronavirus cases so far confirmed hit 1,450 after one more infection was officially reported.
This is the second day in a row that only one new infection was detected out of more than a thousand tests conducted daily. On Thursday 1,049 were carried out, slightly fewer than the day before.
Fresh data from the government also show a continued decrease in the number of patients hospitalised with the novel disease. Five more were discharged on Thursday, and 47 remain in hospital, including 12 in intensive care, one fewer than the day before.
But the head of the Health Ministry's advisory task force, Bojana Beović, warns there are probably "hidden pockets" of persons infected with coronavirus in Slovenia, and that the disease could spread again from there.
This is why she advocates a gradual easing of restrictive measures, whose effects can be seen in 11-13 days.
The low number of newly detected infections is the consequence of the measures that are still in place, she said.
According to her, this is a trial period, which will show whether state-imposed restrictions are needed or not.
If the curve remains flat, gatherings of people will be allowed again, and shopping malls will reopen. Dental services are also planned to be relaunched.
The idea is to contain the epidemic to the extent that lock-down would be introduced only in areas with an outbreak and not nation-wide, Beović said.
Since it is not clear whether a person who had Covid-19 is protected from the disease, gaining herd immunity this way might not be an option. Moreover, if 70% of the people fell ill, many would die, so instead of 100 causalities Slovenia could be looking at 2,100, she warned.
She said that if all preventive measures were respected, the epidemic might subside during the summer months, when people spend more time outdoors, but another wave was expected in autumn.
Roughly half of seats on trains will be off limit
STA, 8 May 2020 - Presenting the new coronavirus-adapted regime ahead of the relaunch of passenger railway transport next week, national operator Slovenske železnice announced on Friday that seats in coaches would be marked so as to secure adequate distance among passengers.
Passenger transport director Darja Kocjan said that entry points and seats appropriate for use will be marked, with the plan being to only occupy half of the seats.
"We've provided disinfectants, entry is only allowed with a face mask. We advise that the disinfectant also be used before exiting the train," Kocjan said.
Slovenske železnice plans to restart passenger transport on Monday with about a third of their trains. The number will be increased on 18 Many and by June the railways hope to be back to a schedule similar to that before 16 March when public transport was put on hold in the country.
"New ticket prices also enter into force on Monday, which will be kinder to the passengers," Kocjan moreover announced, also explaining that the validity of season and monthly tickets issued before the crisis would be extended to make up for the lost period.
SŽ-Infrastruktura director Matjaž Kranjc added that waiting rooms at stations would remained closed, with access only provided to ticket counters. Toilets will be closed at all smaller train stations, while they will be open on the trains.
Šarec denies accusations over PPE, lashes back
STA, 8 May 2020 - In his first reaction to the serious accusations against him in the government report on the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), the former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec denied the charge that he did nothing to replenish virtually empty stocks and failed to act to prevent an imminent health crisis.
In a televised interview with TV Slovenija last night, Šarec defended himself against the accusation that he did not order Health Ministry to take action to secure the needed equipment until two days before handing over to his successor Janez Janša in mid-March.
He said the reason was that PPE purchases had been in the purview of health institutions, which were making orders. Lashing back, he said that putting the Agency for Commodity Reserves in charge of PPE procurement was a departure from previous practice and that Health Ministry was in charge of action during an epidemic.
He said that the Health Ministry under his government joined the EU bulk-buy of protective masks, which fell through due to a scam though. "It's thus not accurate at all to say that we weren't dealing with that," said Šarec.
He went on to note that an interdepartmental coronavirus taskforce was appointed in January and that the civil protection had been involved throughout and so did the secretariat of the National Security Council task the Agency for Commodity Reserves to replenish the stocks released.
Challenged about whether he felt responsible for the state of PPE stocks when he handed over to Janša, Šarec said the equipment had been ordered and that they had been in contact with the Chinese ambassador as China had offered help.
However, the question he said needed to be asked "is why everything was then handed over to the Agency [for Commodity Reserves] and why the law was not followed".
He repeated that his health minister had acted responsibly and that his government declared the epidemic, imposed border controls and closed schools and nurseries.
He disagreed it was a blunder on the part of the opposition that the coalition had beaten the opposition by filing for a parliamentary inquiry into PPE procurement, blaming it on the coalition's fear and an attempt "to protect themselves" and to prevent investigation of "corrupt actions".
Asked about his support for Friday's bicycle protests and his retweeting a tweet by Damir Črnčec, his aide as PM, with a clip showing him "training" on the bicycle in the square in front parliament that is the site of the protests, Šarec rejected the suggestion his LMŠ party was using the protests for promotion.
"It's the civil society's campaign and it should stay that way, there's no place for us politicians there to show ourselves. We must fight each in our own ground, civil society on bicycles, politicians in parliament, but our common goal is that this corrupt government shouldn't stay on much longer."
Šarec also told TV Slovenija last night, as he tried to defend himself from the accusations in the PPE report, that the fact that Janša and his family had been skiing in Italy on 28 February proved Janša himself had not really been aware of the threat of coronavirus.
One of the accusations levelled against the Šarec government in the PPE report is that those who went to Italy to ski were not quarantined upon return to Slovenia.
Janša took to Twitter today saying he had explained long ago that the photo of his family skiing in Italy he posted on Twitter on 28 February 2020 was taken a year ago.
He accused Šarec of lying saying that "he is trying to hide his own responsibility for the deaths in the epidemic with lies". Šarec responded by posting Janša's 28 February tweet with the mentioned photo, and again accused him of laying.
Šarec moreover posted a demand he received from the Matoz Law Firm on behalf of Janša to immediately withdraw the statement about Janša's skiing in Italy, or else he would be taken to court.
Janša posted the photo with a statement "the best rally today" in reference to a protest held in front of the offices of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and the Modern Centre Party (SMC) on the same day. The protest was meant to persuade the two parties not to join the emerging government coalition with Janša's Democrats (SDS).
All medical, dental services resuming, yet under some restrictions
STA, 8 May 2020 - At its correspondence session on Friday, the government issued a decree relaunching all medical and dental service yet under special conditions, which are set in another decree on temporary measures in healthcare to contain the Covid-19 epidemic. Both decrees will enter into force on Saturday.
As the epidemic was declared in mid-March, all non-urgent medical services were suspended and dental surgeries closed, expect for a few emergency units around Slovenia.
The government partly relaxed some non-urgent treatments and services already last month.
Under the decrees issued today, all services at all levels - primary, secondary and tertiary levels - can resume.
However, they can be provided only to patients "with a negative epidemiological anamnesis and with no signs of a respiratory infection".
In treating all the other patients, medical services providers must follow all the recommendations and guidelines for medical services during the coronavirus epidemic, the Government Communication Office said in today's release.
STA, 8 May 2020 - The Financial Administration has paid a second monthly basic allowance to self-employed, farmers and religious workers who lost their income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, transferring at total of EUR 27.5 million to more than 37,500 claimants on Friday.
The basic income was paid to those who submitted a statement by 30 April that the epidemic prevented them from doing business or severely affected its scope. The allowance amounts to EUR 350 for March and EUR 700 for April.
The list of 37,516 beneficiaries was published on the website of the Financial Administration.
Related: How to Claim "Corona Aid" as an SP in Slovenia - Fast, Easy & Online
In late April, the administration transferred EUR 11.2 million to just over 32,000 claimants. They were eligible if they suffered a loss of income of at least 25% in March compared to February, or a 50% drop in April or May compared to February.
The eligibility was expanded under amendments to the coronavirus stimulus package that entered into force last Saturday to those whose revenue this year has dropped more than 10% compared with 2019. If they did not do business throughout 2019 or 2020, monthly income will be taken into account.
The eligible self-employed, farmers and religious workers are also exempt paying from social contributions.
Also exempt from social charges under the first stimulus package are companies affected by the epidemic.
From the time the epidemic was declared on 13 March and by the end of March, employers paid over EUR 90 million less in contributions, a cost covered by the state.
Such aid is available to companies that have put their workers on furlough because of a lack of work, as well as those that have remained in business despite the epidemic.
The state is paying salaries and social contributions for workers on furlough or those prevented from coming to work by a force majeure.
The companies whose staff continue to work are eligible for an exemption to social charges, if they pay a monthly crisis bonus of EUR 200 to each employee whose last monthly pay did not exceed more than threefold the monthly minimum wage.
STA, 7 May 2020 - Details are emerging of a package of state aid the Slovenian tourism sector will get to survive what is expected to be a deep slump. Aside from an extension of existing measures that all companies are eligible for, tourism companies will get an extra loan facility and a short-time work scheme.
A short-term work scheme, best known by its German name Kurzarbeit (Wikipedia), will be put in place as part of the third stimulus package, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek told the press on Thursday.
Existing schemes such as state financing of temporary layoffs, which expire at the end of May, will be extended for tourism companies by between four and eight months to facilitate a gradual reopening of the sector.
A lending facility providing liquidity loans of EUR 5,000-40,000 for small and medium-sized companies will be put in place and grants of EUR 16 million total will be available to cover the running costs of restaurants and accommodation services.
"The state will help tourism because it is an industry hit by coronavirus in the most drastic way," said Počivalšek, adding that the industry needed "measures that will facilitate not just survival but also restructuring and the development of new products."
"We want to preserve jobs in tourism, retain high-quality staff and help smaller providers survive," he said. The situation is expected to improve next year, but Počivalšek stressed that some estimate tourism may need up to five years to recover.
While outdoor areas of bars reopened this week and restaurants have been serving take-away food for several weeks now, the bulk of the hospitality sector remains shut down as hotels, spas, campsites and tour operators await the government's decision to reopen.
A document circulated on social media in recent days suggested accommodation providers with up to 30 beds could reopen on 12 May along with restaurants, bars and campsites, followed by tour operators, larger hotels, wellness centres and pools on 1 June.
Počivalšek said these dates were merely indicative. "They still need to be examined. Some are more likely, others less so."
Another major unknown are instructions for precautionary measures that providers will have to follow. Počivalšek said they were being finalised and would be presented shortly.
All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here
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
Only one new coronavirus infection, no new deaths
Four more border checkpoints open for commuters
Sports making comeback, great deal of improvisation still involved
Bar tables no longer limited to members of same household
Poll: People in favour of restrictions easing, still cautious
Western region warns about Covid-19 impact, minority affected too
Only one new coronavirus infection, no new deaths
STA, 7 May 2020 - The coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia keeps flattening out, with only one new case confirmed on Wednesday out of 1,055 tests conducted, bringing the national case count to 1,449. No new deaths have been reported.
Fresh data from the government show that one more Covid-19 patient was discharged from hospital yesterday, leaving only 52 hospitalised with the novel disease.
Only 13 remained in intensive care units, one fewer than the day before.
Covid-19 has so far claimed 99 lives in Slovenia. Almost 80% of the casualties are care home residents, the newspaper Dnevnik has reported.
Data obtained by the paper from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), show that 78 care home residents with Covid-19 have died as of 4 May. Ten of them died in hospital and 68 in the home.
The institute only provided cumulative data, while unofficial data obtained by Dnevnik from those reported by the NIJZ to civil protection teams, show that by 4 May a total of 425 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in 17 old-age facilities, 320 of them were residents and 105 staff.
In six homes infections have been confirmed only in staff.
The figures mean that 22% of the total of confirmed cases in the country as of Monday (1,445) were elderly care home residents, along with the staff the proportion is almost 30%.
Four more border checkpoints open for commuters
STA, 7 May 2020 - The government has decided to open several new border checkpoints with Italy and the railroad crossing in Šentilj, on the border with Austria. The decision was made at a correspondence session on Thursday so as to make it easier to help jump-start the economy on both sides of the border as the coronavirus crisis eases.
Under the decision, people commuting across the border, whose with fields on the other side and those with immediate family members on the other side of the border will be able to cross to and from Italy at border crossings Predel, Erjavčeva Street in Nova Gorica and Neblo.
Moreover, the government decided to reopen the railway checkpoint in Šentilj, north of Maribor, as Slovenia is about to restart public transport in Monday.
A number of border crossings have been closed since mid-March, when Slovenia declared Covid-19 epidemic. At the moment, people are able to cross the border with Italy at Vrtojba, Fernetiči, Škofije, Rateče, Robič and Krvavi Potok, with the latter two open only during the day.
On the border with Austria, the check points Trate, Radelj, Svečina, Kuzma, Gederovci, Šentilj, Gornja Radgona, Karavanke, Vič, Holmec and Ljubelj are open, with the latter two operating only during the day.
Only three crossings are open on the border with Hungary, the shortest border Slovenia shares with a neighbouring country: Pince, Dolga Vas and Hodoš.
Crossing into Croatia is possible through the checkpoints in Sečovlje, Dragonja, Sočerga, Podgorje, Starod, Jelšane, Babno Polje, Petrina, Vinica, Metlika, Slovenska Vas, Obrežje, Rigonce, Orešje, Bistrica ob Sotli, Imeno, Rogatec, Dobovec, Gruškovje, Zavrč, Ormož, Središče ob Dravi, Gibina and Petišovci.
However, only people with special permits, allowed to work on fields on the other side of the border, commuters and those with immediate family members may cross the border without having to go into quarantine. All other passengers are required to self-isolate for a week.
A special regimen is in place for transit transport.
Sports making comeback, great deal of improvisation still involved
STA, 7 May 2020 - While the detailed practice protocols for many sports, for instance swimming and in particular team sports, are still pending, Slovenian athletes are returning to training en masse after the government on Wednesday permitted controlled practice sessions and individual competitions without spectators.
Although it is not yet clear when football competitions will resume, the return to ball training is being hailed across the board among Slovenian football clubs, even if some are still struggling with the improvisation necessary to secure proper protection.
Some are having to do without foreign players and coaches who are stranded abroad or in compulsory quarantine, one example being Sežana's coach Mauro Camoranesi, who has problems getting back from Argentina.
"We're working hard on somehow getting him a flight from South America, but we probably won't be able to count on him for a while longer. The fitness coach will run the practice sessions until his return - for a while he will also have to do without six players who remain quarantined. The boys will practice in groups of four," the club said.
A similar approach will multiple groups has also been adopted by other clubs, which say they are determined to observe the protective measures.
"We opted for even sticker measures than proposed by the Public Health Institute. We briefed the players on the details in a video conference, secured disinfectants, we will take the players' temperature before practice, they will get their own accessories to take home with them, they will not be allowed to touch the ball with their hands or heads. Health comes first," the management of the Ljubljana club Bravo said.
Some athletes already returned to training a while ago, with the Track and Field Association for instance drawing up guidelines as soon a the government lifted the ban on certain individual sports for recreational purposes in mid-April.
Slovenia's triple jump record holder Marija Šestak told the STA that a lot of improvisation had been involved as well, with fitness gear for instance being moved outdoors.
She however warned that serious training had not been possible for more than a month, "which is why an immediate return to competitions should not be expected, not least because of excessive risk of injury".
The government decree also allows for training in contact sports, provided there is no change in training partners, and in sports with two-members teams, which is great news for the 470 class sailing duo Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol that will be aiming at top spots at the Tokyo Olympics.
Many issue however remain open, for instance swimming pool regimes, the joint use of indoor halls and in particular of equipment, for instance in gymnastics.
"Disinfecting the floor and the goals after each training is still much easier than for instance cleaning gymnastic apparatus. We're waiting for instructions by producers on how to go about disinfection, how alcohol impacts the equipment ... We don't want to ruin it," explained Andrej Kastelic of the city-owned sports facility operator Šport Ljubljana, most of whose 100-plus facilities remain closed for now.
Bar tables no longer limited to members of same household
STA, 7 May 2020 - The National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) has made changes to its guidelines for bars and restaurants, which have been allowed to serve guests outside since Monday. The rules no longer stipulate that only members of the same household may sit at the same table, however guests at the same table must now sit 1.5 metres apart.
The rule that only members of the same household may sit at the same table had caused dismay among bar proprietors, who said it was impossible for them to know whether the guests are indeed from the same household.
Now, people who are not from the same household may sit at the same table, but they must keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres. The same distance is advised in general for all guests and serving staff.
Bars and restaurants are also advised to limit the number of people sitting at the same table.
While the update is likely to appease bar owners to a certain extent, some of the rules they have criticised in recent days remain in place.
The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS), which represents thousands of proprietors, has criticised the requirement that cutlery must be wrapped in plastic or a paper towel.
Another major target of criticism is the requirement that restrooms must be disinfected every hour. Bar owners say they should have discretion to disinfect the premises as needed.
Poll: People in favour of restrictions easing, still cautious
STA, 7 May 2020 - The public's concern about the coronavirus has dropped under 60% for the first time since the middle of March, when the epidemic was declared. The uneasiness about the threat of the virus culminated at 86% in the week after the epidemic was declared and dropped to 57% this week, the latest survey by Valicon shows.
The decline is faster than in the previous weeks, which Valicon says might be attributed to a significant easing of restrictions this week and to the encouraging results of the nationwide Covid-19 testing, released this week.
Almost 90% of those polled support this week's reopening of bars and relaunch of many other services, but are still prudent in using them.
A fifth of all respondents had been eagerly awaiting the relaunch of services such as bars, hairdresser's or churches, and have already used at least one such service.
Still, 39% are reserved; while in favour of lifting the services restrictions, they intend to wait at least until next week before using any.
Almost a third are in favour of the easing but believe it is being done without a proper plan, whereas 3% are against it altogether.
Asked to describe their feelings as more services are becoming available, most of those polled (31%) cited caution, followed by approval (21%) and joy (14%).
Eight percent said they felt uncertain and 2% afraid, while 11% said they were indifferent.
Almost four in ten believe the restrictions still in place to contain the virus are too harsh, which is the same at two weeks ago but 6 percentage points more than last week.
The rise could be, according to Valicon, a result of people using some of the services again available and of the nationwide testing, which showed the virus is much less spread than some have thought.
Market research agency Valicon carried out the latest instalment of its special coronavirus survey among 502 adults between 5 and 7 May.
Western region warns about Covid-19 impact, minority affected too
STA, 7 May 2020 - Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavič has warned about the extreme economic as well as social ramifications of the Covid-19 epidemic for the western Goriška region, caused mostly due to restricted links between Slovenia and Italy. Warnings about the crisis taking a toll on the Slovenian minority in Italy have emerged as well.
"Due to Goriška's dependency on the Italian market, suppliers and consumers, who have experienced a significant drop in their spending power, the region's companies will be faced with the worst crisis in the past three decades.
"The local authorities predict that a lot of companies will go bust, leading to a spike in unemployment. Other companies will have to search for new markets, suppliers, business partners and consumers. We're looking at a high unemployment rate and social struggles," said Miklavič following Wednesday's visit of the Italian Ambassador to Slovenia Carlo Campanile to the town of Nova Gorica.
Tourism and casino business have been hit the most among the economic sectors, including restaurants, accommodation facilities and shops. Given the region's excessive reliance on the gambling business, Goriška is teetering on the precipice of an economic crash, he added.
The mayor would like to see some changes in that respect in the future, such as creating new jobs in entrepreneurship, most notably in high-tech companies providing jobs for the young.
Slovenia's leading gaming company HIT has estimated that its gross realisation between January and April has already dropped by as much as 35% compared to the same period in 2019. The figure keeps increasing with every month the company's casinos stay closed.
The majority of Hit staff works in the region, 1,300 out of a total of 1,700 employed, with only some 100 currently not being on furlough. The casinos have been closed since mid-March. Rumour has it that the company is to slash its workforce by some 400 and even go as far as to close down one of its casinos permanently.
Miklavič has called on the government to prioritise providing aid to the region, including in development investments and tax reliefs, to mitigate the fallout, reduce dependency on the Italian market and support new businesses.
Apart from economic repercussion, restrictions on the border with Italy have also have had a strong social impact.
Bojan Brezigar, a former editor-in-chief of the minority newspaper Primorski Dnevnik, told the STA on Thursday that it was unacceptable that the border with Italy was more hermetically sealed than that with Austria or Croatia during the coronavirus pandemic.
Brezigar said that the Slovenian minority in Italy was upset by Slovenia's attitude regarding the matter as well as by the attitude of some mayors of regions bordering on Italy.
"We are saddened by Slovenia's attitude regarding the border as well as that by its institutions and mayors of towns near the border, including Koper, Sežana and others. The border was open, a fact that meant a great success for us," he said, adding that the strong community there, including the locals who used to cross the border daily or at least regularly, has now been without the option for two months.
He believes that the government has thus shown its true colours about the issue. Brezigar has reiterated that the minority means mostly a budget problem for Slovenia and not a development issue.
The minority representative and former lead editor of the daily, published in the Slovenian language in Italy's Trieste, deems the situation an issue of responsibility and political sensitivity, urging the government to take into account the troubled situation of the minority.
He pointed to the erection of a fence between Nova Gorica and Gorizia, the border towns which have been cooperating closely, highlighting that the Gorizia area was considered one of the Italian regions hit the least by the virus.
Slovenia reintroduced border checks on the border with Italy on 11 March due to the coronavirus outbreak. Only seven entry points have been set up to enable crossings that are warranted. Upon entering Slovenia, all persons need to be quarantined for a week. Public transport between the two countries has been suspended as well.
STA, 6 May 2020 - A government report on PPE purchases, released on Wednesday, says all procurement was executed in line with protocol and amid difficult circumstances that were aggravated by the failure of former PM Marjan Šarec to react sooner. The report says all the ordered ventilators had expert backing.
Announced by PM Janez Janša after the 24 April whistleblower accusations about heavy political meddling, the report provides insight over 80-plus pages into the stock of personal protective equipment before the epidemic and the current situation, stressing the PPE available on 16 March did not suffice for even a single day of the assessed needs at the time.
Accusing Šarec of omission of duties that could qualify as misfeasance in office, the report says "the most contentious decision was not to order quarantine for potentially infected individuals returning from Italy as a hotspot, and that the border with Italy was not closed in time or controlled with health checks".
It says that the little equipment that had been ordered under Šarec had been ordered at higher average prices than under the current Janez Janša government, even though the latter had to buy at one point irrespective of the prices.
While the World Health Organisation already warned on 3 March that PPE prices and supply times were rising drastically, the Šarec government did not call on the Health Ministry to start buying until 11 March, the reports says.
Šarec responded by tweeting: "Manipulative, misleading and unworthy of the paper it is printed on. Nothing about corruption and war profiteering."
Končno smo dočakali poročilo vlade o nakupih zaščitnih sredstev. Pričakovano, v stilu "mi smo super, odlični, če je pa karkoli spornega, je kriv MŠ". Manipulativno, zavajajoče in nevredno papirja na katerem bo natisnjeno. Nič o korupciji in vojnem dobičkarstvu.
— Marjan Šarec (@sarecmarjan) May 6, 2020
Meanwhile, elaborating on the procurement procedures, the reports says that procurement was centralised under the Commodities and Reserves Agency on 14 March, one day after the Janša government took over.
Given the agency's lack of staff and experience with such situations as well as Covid-19 cases there, the government formed on 24 March an inter-ministerial taskforce to receive, examine and evaluate bids for PPE supply. The group received 2,069 e-mails until 14 April, examining 1,081 of them.
Another coordination group was formed by the Economy Ministry on 25 March, but its members are said to have only "forwarded proposals to the Commodity Reserves Agency and coordinated activities for a quick supply of protective equipment".
"All final decisions were taken by the Commodity Reserves Agency," the report says, while explaining that the agency's deputy head Ivan Gale - who later spoke publicly about pressure by a number of influential individuals, in particular Economy Ministry Zdravko Počivalšek - had also been part of the coordination group.
Zooming into the period of the media-scrutinised orders of over 300 ventilators, the report says that the agency "signed between 16 and 24 March 21 contracts with PPE suppliers and 4 contracts with ventilator suppliers, with the Economy Ministry not being involved in negotiations and the signing of individual contracts".
"In this period the Economy Ministry got more actively involved only in the purchase of ventilators, urgently needed by hospitals to save lives," the report says, while adding the ministry did not have any decision-making powers here and that its approval needed for each contract only checked compliance with a five-year state programme for commodity reserves.
As for the choice of ventilators ordered in this period, the report says the numbers had been based on assessed potential future needs at the time and provides charts with ventilator offers, including expected supply times, and orders.
The much discussed 220 Siriusmed R30 ventilators ordered on 18 March through Geneplanet for EUR 8 million are listed among ventilators approved by experts. The reports says they got the "approval of Dr. Podbregar from the Celje General Hospital", while "the remaining three bids were approved by Dr. Noč, Dr. Gradišek and Dr. Knafelj from UKC Ljubljana".
Meanwhile, the report defends the decision to use intermediaries in the PPE purchases, saying the state could not afford to shoulder the high risks that were involved and have indeed been experienced in many countries.
It argues in favour of some much criticised domestically produced masks, including a batch made from material normally used for kitchen towels, and their high prices, saying each producer got the nod from UKC Ljubljana and that it was misleading to compare production costs at the time to current prices.
As for future steps, the report says that sufficient supplies for the short term have been secured by 10 April. The Commodity Reserves Agency, whose centralised procurement of PPE will end on 1 June, now has more space to negotiate on prices.
The government is proposing that the Court of Audit review the agency's activities in the first four months of the year and also look at all the purchases, renting and maintenance of ventilators in all Slovenian hospitals in the past five years.
It announced it would secure EUR 1 million for the start of ventilator production in Slovenia and another million for the production of FFP2 and FFP3 masks.
All our stories on the PPE scandal in Slovenia are here
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 Aleksander Sandi. You can see more of their work here.
One more Covid-19 death, three new infections reported
Antibody study shows one in thirty Slovenians exposed to coronavirus
Public transport to be relaunched on Monday
Spa resorts gradually reopening, most for rehab services
One more Covid-19 death, three new infections reported
STA, 6 May 2020 - Slovenia's official coronavirus case count has risen to 1,448 and the death toll to 99 as three more people tested positive and one patient died on Tuesday, fresh government data show.
The three new cases come from 1,449 tests conducted yesterday, which is slightly more than the day before.
Three more patients were discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, which leaves only 53 hospital patients with Covid-19. Of them, 14 needed intensive care treatment, three fewer than the day before.
Antibody study shows one in thirty Slovenians exposed to coronavirus
STA, 6 May 2020 - A nationwide antibody study has found that one in thirty Slovenians has probably been exposed to the novel coronavirus. This means that about 2-4% of the population may have gained some sort of immunity to Covid-19, show the results of the study released on Wednesday.
Among 1,368 persons tested, 41 or 3.1% had antibodies in their blood samples and two tested positive for Covid-19, according to Mario Poljak, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, which led the study.
Given that the sample was representative of the entire population, researchers can say with 95% certainty that 2-4% of the population had had an immune response to Covid-19.
But Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, cautioned that this did not necessarily mean those people are immune to Covid-19, nor how durable their immunity may be.
A back-of-the-envelope calculation based on the figures would appear to indicate that the Covid-19 death rate is low, around the same as for the seasonal influenza, but the authors of the study warned that this cannot be concluded from the study.
As Petrovec noted, the study was designed to gauge the population's immune response, not to measure the death rate. As such, it can only provide answers to questions that it set out to answer.
Poljak noted that the implicit death rate in Slovenia is around the same level as in comparable European countries, but he said benchmarking was made difficult by differences in how individual countries record causes of death.
While similar studies have been conducted in other countries, Poljak said this was the first study in the world to measure the immunity of a representative sample of the population and the first to test for both Covid-19 (with nasal swabs) and immune response (blood sample).
What is more, the participants will be remotely monitored every two weeks for six months and tested again at the end of October, which will give public health authorities crucial data before a possible second wave of the epidemic.
Some countries, including France and the US, have discovered based on a re-examination of old swab samples that they had had coronavirus cases significantly before the first cases were confirmed.
Asked whether that may be the case in Slovenia, Poljak said that this was indeed possible. The institute stores samples for a long time and could theoretically go back and re-test some of the samples.
The researchers warned, however, that such a study would not be representative since samples are usually taken only from patients with particularly severe forms of a disease.
Slovenia's official coronavirus case count rose by three to 1,448 by Tuesday and 99 deaths were reported.
Public transport to be relaunched on Monday
STA, 6 May 2020 - Public transport in Slovenia will be relaunched on Monday, 11 May, after being suspended because of the coronavirus epidemic on 16 March, the Infrastructure Ministry said on Wednesday. Details regarding the safety measures that will apply are yet to be agreed on and should be presented to the public by the end of the week.
Public passenger transport was temporarily suspended by the government in mid-March in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. Subsequently, municipalities enabled free parking on public parking lots until this week.
The government had earlier indicated that public transport could be restarted on 11 May, and the ministry confirmed this today.
But it said it was still in talks with public transport providers on the safety measures that will need to be taken. The ministry expects them to be finalised soon and presented to the public by the end of the week.
National railway operator Slovenske Železince is also preparing to relaunch passenger transport and is expected to present the new regime for train travel on Friday.
As soon as the virus was detected in Slovenia, public transport providers introduced restrictions. Bus companies for example allowed passengers to get on the bus only at the rear door.
Spa resorts gradually reopening, most for rehab services
STA, 6 May 2020 - Almost two months after being forced to shut down due to the coronavirus epidemic, spa resorts across Slovenia are tentatively reopening for business. Several have resumed medical rehabilitation services, and some also resumed wellness services and reopened bar terraces.
The Terme Zreče spa at the foot of the Pohorje hills in the north-east of the country resumed out-patient physiotherapy services on Wednesday, as some other specialist surgeries are gradually reopening as well.
"Partial resumption of health services is a major challenge, with days and weeks ahead that will be out of the ordinary both in terms of ensuring safe handling of patients and in terms of revenue and streamlining," said Unitur, the company running the spa.
The terraces of cafes and restaurants at Terme Zreče and the Rogla ski resort remain closed for the time being. Depending on the weather, they are planning to reopen them in the second half of May.
Zdravilišče Laško, the spa south of Celje, is providing urgent rehabilitation services as a continuation of hospital treatment for neurological, neurosurgical and trauma patients.
From tomorrow they will also resume outpatient physiotherapy services, initially only for patients on priority referrals whose rehab was interrupted by the epidemic in March. "It's mostly patients referred to us after injuries and surgeries," spa operator Thermana has told the STA.
"Our team, which includes an external infectious disease expert and our safety-at-work official, is making sure that all the requirements and recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health are being followed carefully."
The cafe terrace of Thermana Park hotel will welcome guests back on Friday and the spa's wellness centre resumed its operations on Tuesday, albeit on an adjusted schedule.
Terme Krka, the spa company of the drug maker Krka, suspended all services in mid-March with the exception of nursing care at the Šmarješke Toplice spa in the south-east of the country.
They started resuming specialist and physiotherapy treatment at Šmarješke Toplice in the east and Talaso Strunjan at the seaside on 20 April, and a week later at the spa Dolenjske Toplice, which had been under renovation.
The spa operator also reopened its tennis courts and golf course at Otočec near the Croatian border. "Our first golfers were impressed by the course following major maintenance work ahead of the season," said Terme Krka.
The company's three wellness centres have reopened this week for certain beauty services such as nail and face care and hairdressing services and massage. So have outdoor bars and restaurants. "All other services will be resumed when the authorities in charge issue suitable guidance and permits."
Tourism company Sava Turizem, which runs a number of hotels and spa resorts in the lakeside town Bled, on the coast and in the north-east of the country, will wait a bit longer before reopening. It expects to resume outpatient medical services in the second half of May, while Kavarna Park cafe in Bled will open on Saturday.
Almost 11,000 jobs lost in Slovenia in April
Slovenia's annual retail sales down 15% in March
Brussels projects 7% GDP drop for Slovenia this year, 6.7% recovery in 2021
Almost 11,000 jobs lost in Slovenia in April
STA, 6 May 2020 - The coronavirus crisis is taking a heavy toll on Slovenia's job market with data from the Employment Service showing that 10,793 people were added to the unemployment register in April alone, pushing the total up by 19.9% year-on-year to 88,648.
Since Slovenia declared coronavirus epidemic in mid-March, the number of people registered as unemployed rose by 13,622.
In April alone, the unemployed total rose by 13.9% over March, as 14,419 people were put out of work, 84% more than the month before and over 190% more than in the same month a year ago.
Apart from 6,209 who saw their fixed-term job contracts expire (more than double the month before), 5,616 were made redundant in April, a surge of 130% compared with March and almost 750% more year-on-year. Most of those were employed in the hospitality sector, followed by manufacturing and retail.
A further 481 of those who were added to the unemployment register were first-time job seekers (up 12% from March) and 164 lost jobs as their companies went bankrupt (up 61%).
Out of 3,626 who were removed from the unemployment register, 2,373 found a job or became self-employed. That is 61% fewer than in March and almost 60% fewer than in April 2019.
The most pronounced increase in unemployment was registered by the Kranj unit of the Employment Service, at more than 22% month-on-month and over 37% year-on-year.
Employers reported 4,336 vacancies in April, 41% fewer than in March and 60% fewer than the same month a year ago. Most job openings were for welders, builders and lorry drivers.
The last available data for the registered unemployment rate are for February, that is before the epidemic, standing at 7.9%, down 0.3 of percentage points from January and down half a point compared with February 2019.
Slovenia's annual retail sales down 15% in March
STA, 6 May 2020 - The EU's retail sector was severely affected by Covid-19 lockdown measures in March at monthly and annual levels, Eurostat latest figures show. Slovenia's posted an annual drop of 15.1%, the second steepest fall in the entire EU, behind France (-16%). This compares to the EU's average drop of 8.2% and the eurozone's 9.2%.
Hungary's retail sector meanwhile posted the highest annual rise, that of 3.5%, followed by Romania at 3.1%.
At the monthly level, the eurozone's retail sector saw its sales drop by 11.2%, while the drop at the EU level was slightly less pronounced, at 10.4%.
The drop in Slovenia was above average, at 13.5%.
Sales of non-food items and fuels posted the steepest drops; non-food items were down 23.1% in the eurozone and 20.8% in the EU, and fuels 21.3% and 19.3%, respectively.
Brussels projects 7% GDP drop for Slovenia this year, 6.7% recovery in 2021
STA, 6 May 2020 - In its first economic forecast following the imposition of measures in EU member states to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission has projected that Slovenia's gross domestic product (GDP) will drop by 7% this year compared to 2019, while a 6.7% recovery is expected in 2021.
This is a significant correction compared to the Commission's forecast in February, in which Slovenia was expected to record a 2.7% growth of GDP this and next year.
The spring forecast for 2020 and 2021 for Slovenia is nevertheless somewhat better than for the entire eurozone on average, which stands at -7.7% for this year and +6.3% for next year.
The European Commission notes that economic growth in Slovenia had already been slowing in the second half of 2019, when investment spending started to hit the brakes. "As a small open economy, Slovenia is particularly vulnerable to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic."
The forecast adds that the country's economy is projected to shrink significantly in 2020, but the stimulus package announced by the authorities is expected to partly cushion loss of jobs and household incomes and pave the way to a strong rebound in 2021.
"Public finances are expected to go into significant deficit in 2020, due to the loss of revenues and the sizeable measures to support the economy, and to improve in 2021 together with the recovering economy."
The Commission notes that Slovenia entered the coronavirus crisis in a relatively strong position, but supply disruptions and containment measures are expected to produce strong negative effects, especially in the first half of 2020.
The export of services, particularly transport and tourism, is expected to be exceptionally weak this year, and new investment decisions in the private sector are likely to be largely postponed towards 2021.
Slovenia's economic activity is meanwhile expected to grow by about 6.7% in 2021, but this means that GDP would not fully recover its 2019 level by the end of next year.
The government measures are expected to dampen the impact on the labour market, but nevertheless, the unemployment rate is expected to increase from last year's 4.5% to 7%. The rate is expected to decrease again to around 5% in 2021.
Annual inflation is projected to fall to 0.5% this year due to low energy prices and weak demand, before rising to 1.2% in 2021.
This year, the general government balance is forecast to deteriorate to a deficit of around 7.2% of GDP due to the projected decline in economic activity and the Covid-19 measures.
In 2021, under the assumption of no-policy-change and that the anti-epidemic measures will only have a temporary effect in 2020, the general government deficit is expected to decrease to around 2% of GDP.
Slovenia's debt-to-GDP ratio is forecast to increase significantly to around 83.7% of GDP in 2020, and to start declining again in 2021.
