Ljubljana related
STA, 6 May - The US news portal Vox has put Slovenia alongside Greece, Iceland, Jordan and Vietnam as overlooked success stories when it comes to fighting coronavirus outbreaks.
In an article published on Tuesday, Vox notes that with nearly 1,500 confirmed coronavirus cases and 100 deaths as of May 5, Slovenia's "relatively small outbreak is impressive, considering Slovenia is a growing tourist destination that borders Italy, one of Europe's outbreak epicenters."
"Its success mainly stems from an aggressive early lockdown, quarantines of sick people, and generous government spending."
Vox notes that it took Slovenia about two weeks after the first confirmed case to close schools and businesses and freeze public transportation.
The government gave EUR 3 billion - 6% of GDP - to citizens and businesses to survive the shutdown.
Quarantines helped keep confirmed cases low, Vox says, noting that borders were shut down and mandatory quarantine ordered for those entering the country.
Now, the situation has improved to the extent that businesses have already begun opening up again, and citizens can travel outside their municipalities, with schools to start on May 18. However, major public events like concerts and soccer games, will still be suspended.
"What Slovenia has shown, then, is that aggressive government action and intervention can help keep people from spreading the disease. Even by the government's own numbers, it could do more testing, but for now, the current measures appear to be working."
All out stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here
COVID-19 & Slovenia, Afternoon 5 May: New Cases; Italian Border; Retailers, Event Organisers Worried
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 Xenia Guzej. You can see more of her work here.
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises again
Interior minister promises gradual reopening of checkpoints on Italian border
Retailers worried about dwindling sales
Event organisers urge aid and time frame for gathering ban
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises again
STA, 5 May 2020- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by six to 1,445 on Monday after no new cases were recorded on Saturday and Sunday, when fewer testes were conducted. Yesterday, 1,338 people were tested. The number of hospitalised persons stood at 56.
A total of 17 patients were treated in intensive care yesterday and one person died of Covid-19. Three people were discharged from hospital, putting the number of those discharged so far at 244.
Four of the six new positive cases were recorded at the Ljutomer care home, where 57 people were tested yesterday. One resident recovered.
The director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek, said at today's press conference that the newly infected came from hotspots and not from general population, so the data on infections were encouraging.
He said this allowed for the gradual easing of restrictive measures that was under way but warned that if the situation deteriorated, restrictions would need to be reintroduced immediately.
"We must get used to living in a way that we don't spread infections ... If we follow instructions, the virus cannot spread among people and we can function normally," he said.
Krek said decisions on any further easing of restrictive measures would be made in about two weeks, when the effects of the current easing of restrictions will show.
He warned that the epidemic was not over yet and that the first wave of infections in an epidemic was typically followed by a second wave, which was expected in the autumn at the latest.
So far, 1,445 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia, 637 men and 808 women. 98 people died of Covid-19.
A total of 57,474 tests have been conducted so far.
Interior minister promises gradual reopening of checkpoints on Italian border
STA, 4 May 2020 - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the communities along Slovenia's western border on Monday, announcing the reopening of two border check points with Italy and discussing the possibility of reopening several others.
In Nova Gorica, a town right on the border, he said that a check point in the city would reopen, and that another would reopen in Goriška Brda, the rural area north of Nova Gorica.
He indicated this would happen at the end of this week or early next week.
"The border with Italy, as we knew it before the epidemic, will not be the same for a long time. The new check point will have the same regime as the Vrtojba crossing," said Hojs, referring to one of the few border crossings with Italy that remained open during the epidemic and allowed entry only to healthy individuals.
The check point in Nova Gorica is to be controlled by police officers, while opening hours have not yet been defined, Hojs said, adding that the 6am to 11pm would be ideal.
He also expressed disappointment with the EU's response to the global pandemic and expressed hope that the EU would show greater solidarity "to mitigate economic consequences of this crisis".
Hojs also visited the town of Kobarid, where he discussed the potential opening of border check points in Robič and at Predel pass.
The reopening of crossings would simplify the lives of those who commute across the border and also might help the tourism season, Hojs hopes.
He also said that Prime Minister Janez Janša had held "certain talks" about border crossings opening with the President of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Massimilano Fedriga.
The minister's meeting with mayors from the region also discussed the relaxation of measures and their effect on the events the Soča Valley is famous for.
While the big annual festivals have been cancelled, organisers still hope to go through with smaller events in late summer. Hojs said that further relaxation of restrictions would depend on the number of Covid-19 infections two weeks after the May Day holidays.
Retailers worried about dwindling sales
STA, 5 May 2020 - The Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in the retail sector posting very worrying results, Chamber of Commerce (TZS) head Mariča Lah said. The sector as a whole could see a EUR 6-7 billion drop in sales this year, which represents over 20% of annual revenue.
"This could have far-reaching consequences," Lah said at Tuesday's government coronavirus briefing.
After an initial spike in sales in the early stages of the crisis, even groceries have posted a drop in overall sales during the lockdown, said Lah, estimating the decrease could exceed 15%.
"This cannot be offset by the end of the year even if the situation completely normalises."
Closed for a month and a half, non-grocery shops, those selling home appliances, furniture and construction material, have posted an even bigger drop.
With EU 15 billion in annual revenue, these shops account for around half of the retail sector's annual revenue.
The retailers thus welcome Monday's partial reopening of non-grocery shops below 400m2, but would also like non-grocery shops within shopping centres to reopen soon.
Lah said the chamber would like the government to follow Austria's example, where such shops are already open, and to narrow the required two metre distance among shoppers to one metre.
She believes small shops in large shopping areas are discriminated against in comparison with the same type of shops in city centres.
Nevertheless, she deems it important to follow the safety rules "even if they sometimes seen odd".
Rents are also a major burden on shops, accounting for a large portion of their costs, so Lah criticised the government measures in this respect.
She said that shops renting space from the state or municipality are exempt from paying rent under the second coronavirus stimulus package, while the state had failed to step in to help a private legal entity renting from another private legal entity.
The TZS had proposed that in this case the state subsidise the rent in the amount relative to the drop in a shop's revenue, but the proposal had not been included in the law.
Lah thus hopes it will be included in the third package of measures the government will draft to help businesses cope with the problems stemming from the epidemic.
The chamber's head also commented on the shoppers' rather reserved approach to shopping as non-grocery shops reopened, noting that footfall had been lacklustre.
She believes shopping habits are bound to change in the long-run while Slovenian shoppers are proverbially quite cautious with money.
Lah believes their thriftiness will also depend on the pace of economic recovery after the coronavirus crisis.
During the epidemic Slovenian shoppers resorted massively to online shopping, which was below the EU average before the crisis.
Lah noted that revenue from online shopping in Slovenia is still relatively low, but added that in order to be successful, retailers should developed both brick-and-mortar and online shopping.
Event organisers urge aid and time frame for gathering ban
STA, 5 May 2020 - With no events taking place since 7 March and none envisaged for an indefinite period, event organisers in Slovenia have urged authorities to adopt aid measures and provide a basic time frame for the ban on public gatherings so that planning can start for 2021.
The Association of Concert Organisers said that many countries had adopted measures to protect the music industry and in particular the organisers of concerts and other events.
Stressing that the survival of individuals and the sector as a whole is at stake, the Association of Concert Organisers said organisers had not been able to reschedule agreed events and were saddled with preparation costs of those that had to be cancelled.
With planning usually taking six to 12 months, they would like to see a time frame put on the gathering ban, so that preparations can get under way.
As for the aid measures, the association would like to be able to issue vouchers for cancelled events instead of refunds and have the state cover social contributions for the self-employed in the sector for the duration of the ban along with a basic monthly income of EUR 700.
The organisers would also like the state to cover the contributions of those staying on open-ended contracts during the ban as well as the unemployment benefit for those made temporarily redundant.
Another proposal involves a two-year rent freeze for venues owned by the state or municipalities and a 50% rent discount a period of 12 months after the ban on public events is lifted.
STA, 4 May 2020 - Cement factory Salonit Anhovo restarted production on Monday after a two-week suspension, heeding strict preventive measures to contain the Covid-19 spread. Shoe maker Alpina also pressed ahead at full steam today to meet the delivery deadlines after partly relaunching manufacturing in early April. Alpina shops reopened as well.
Salonit Anhovo used the break, imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, to carry out maintenance works. Necessary cement deliveries were not suspended during the past two weeks, the company, based in western Slovenia, has said.
The restrictions, which were introduced already in March, remain in place, laying down that the staff should wear protective gear and use hand sanitisers as well as maintain a physical distance. The company's crisis task force meanwhile makes sure that the measures are implemented and heeded.
"Construction sites in Italy are reopening; the Slovenian market recorded in April a 20% drop in realisation compared to the expected figures. The company believes that the demand for our cement will further increase on the domestic market since the construction sector is key for relaunching the economy," Salonit Anhovo chairman Julijan Fortunat has said.
Meanwhile, Alpina, famous for its winter sports footwear, has recorded a decrease in demand due to the coronavirus crisis as well as this year's mild winter.
The Žiri-based company's director Jernej Osterman told the STA that the demand for sports footgear plunged by 30-40% compared to last year. Sales of other shoe products have been virtually non-existent in the past month and a half due to shop closures.
In April, online sales surged only to bring in revenue that cannot even begin to compare to the company's average monthly figures, he said, adding that hiking shoes had been most popular since Slovenians had regained appreciation for walks amid the lockdown.
Alpina reopened 27 out of its 48 shops today, with roughly half of the shop personnel returning to work as well. Others remain on furlough.
Osterman does not expect an influx of shoppers, even though the shops have been closed for so long. Instead, he believes the crisis will have an impact on shopping habits by reducing consumption.
"Due to pessimism, the consequences for the economy could be even significantly bigger," he said, urging a more optimistic approach as well as purchasing domestic products and thus keeping Slovenia's economy afloat.
Alpina director also expressed hope that the expected third stimulus package would provide aid to companies in June and July as well, which would help further mitigate the economic fallout.
STA, 4 May 2020 - The Health Ministry has decided to rescind a EUR 8 million contract with company Geneplanet for the purchase of 220 ventilators Siriusmed R30. This was proposed by Geneplanet after the ventilators came under fire as being unsuitable for Covid-19 patients.
Geneplanet has already delivered 110 of these ventilators to the Commodity Reserves Agency. The ministry decided to keep 90 of them under the condition that additional equipment be delivered, which would make them suitable for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Twenty ventilators, which are still at the Commodity Reserves Agency storage will be returned, while the rest, 110, will not be delivered, the ministry has told the STA.
The decision was sent by Health Ministry Tomaž Gantar to the head of the Commodity Reserves Agency Tomi Rumpf upon recommendation of a medical expert group headed by infectious diseases specialist Bojana Beović.
Geneplanet has said it wanted to rescind the contract so as to clear its name following allegation of favourable treatment in the procurement of the ventilators.
Moreover, internal medicine specialist Rihard Knafelj, a member of an expert group tasked with going over the bids to the state for ventilators has told the Tarča current affairs show of public broadcaster TV Slovenija that the expert group assessed the Siriusmed R30 ventilators as the least suitable of those they gave their go-ahead for.
Meanwhile, Tomislav Mirkovič, an UKC Ljubljana doctor, who used to head the hospital's intensive care unit, said at today's government coronavirus briefing that experts were fairly united in the view that the Siriusmed R30 is suitable for use on Covid-19 patients provided a compressor and an air humidifier with heated pipes are supplied additionally.
Geneplanet said today that all of the ventilators delivered to Slovenia already have a built-in compressor and that the company offered to upgrade them with a humidifier and double-heated pipes.
It reiterated that the ventilator is being used in a number of countries, had all the necessary certifications and had been tested in real life. "For most Covid-19 patients the current version of ventilators is appropriate," the company also said.
Geneplanet also said that all of the ventilators delivered had been tested and that many are already in use at hospitals in Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje, Murska Sobota, Ptuj, Nova Gorica, Trbovlje, Slovenj Gradec, Izola and Brežice.
The company underlined that it had acted lawfully, with due diligence and in line with business practices in bidding to deliver the ventilators.
Meanwhile, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek is facing a vote of no confidence following allegations of wrongdoing in the procurement of ventilators.
Ivan Gale, deputy director of the Commodity Reserves Agency, alleged in Tarča a week ago that Počivalšek had instructed the agency to pay a 100% prepayment to Geneplanet in this deal.
Gale also told the newsportal 24ur.com today that Prime Minister Janez Janša's spouse, Urška Bačovnik Janša, who is a medical doctor, has also interfered in the procurement of equipment.
Gale forwarded to the newsportal an email showing that Bačovnik Janša had forwarded to Počivalšek in an email the contact of Miran Blatnik, the husband of Celje Hospital infection ward head Janja Blatnik and the director of Xan-Max, with which the agency signed a EUR 9.8 million contract on 21 March.
Publicly accessible data show that the contract was later rescinded. Bačovnik Janša tweeted in response, saying she believed that thousands of other people did the same. "My conscience and my dedication to the medical profession dictated that I did what I did," she tweeted, adding that only those used to getting commissions can see such motivations in her actions.
All our stories on the PPE scandal are here
STA, 4 May 2020 - With the tourism industry projected to remain shut down longer due to coronavirus than most other sectors, the Slovenian government is considering extending temporary emergency aid for tourism companies by a few months or even until the end of the year, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said on Monday.
"Tourism experienced the impact of the coronavirus crisis first and, partially due to the reliance on foreign guests, it will not be able to restart its operations until later," Počivalšek said before a newly established council for tourism, a government advisory body, convened to discuss the need for additional aid and health standards.
Specifically, the state financing of temporary layoffs, which expires at the end of May, could be extended by four months or even until the end of the year for the tourism business. Počivalšek said he would formally propose that to the government.
It would also make sense to set up a fund that would extend grants and favourable loans for the financing of current operations and investments since the industry needs to adjust to new standards.
While the current epidemiological situation is favourable and represents "an optimistic basis," Počivalšek noted that revenue in tourism was expected to contract anywhere between 25% and over 70% this year depending on the pace of the easing of measures.
Bar terraces opened today and restaurants have been allowed to serve food for take away and delivery for several weeks now. Počivalšek said "more significant steps" might follow in the second half of May or in June, for example the opening of small accommodation facilities.
Slovenia has also been in talks with Croatia on reopening the border for tourism. Počivalšek said the heads of both public health institutes would discuss protocols for border crossing this week.
The minister however warned that tourism would change permanently as a greater emphasis is placed on health. "I am confident that the tourism business and we as the competent ministry know which direction the measures should take so that we remain at the vanguard in this field."
Počivalšek noted that Slovenian tourism had already built its business model on niche experiences and active holidays, which he said would remain its foundation in the future.
The director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek, said after the session that an expert group would meet this week "to make sure that once the green light for opening is given, innkeepers, hotel owners and other workers in tourism are ready."
Gregor Jamnik, the head of the Slovenian Association of Hotels, said liquidity was essential now for hotel operators since the industry would take longer to recover and since the likely ongoing presence of the virus would require "an unprecedented change of conduct in hotels, bars and restaurants".
Podčetrtek Mayor Peter Misja, the head of the Slovenian Tourism Association, added that the standards that will be put in place should be workable. "Slovenia should not be more papal than the pope."
STA, 4 May 2020 - None of the 616 persons tested for coronavirus on Sunday was positive in what was the second consecutive day with no new confirmed infections in Slovenia. The number of all confirmed cases so far thus remains at 1,439. One more patient died of Covid-19, putting the total number of deaths at 97, government data show.
So far, 56,136 tests have been conducted in Slovenia and this Saturday was the first day since 4 March with no new infections.
The first coronavirus infection was confirmed in Slovenia on 4 March.
On Sunday, 58 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, including 20 in intensive care. Three persons were released from hospital yesterday.
STA, 4 May 2020 - The details concerning the purchase of a total of 316 ventilators for coronavirus patients continue to raise dust. Two doctors have stepped forward defending the choice, and the government and some media have questioned the credibility of a member of an expert group that had reservations about the purchase of 220 of these ventilators.
It was two doctors from the Celje general hospital who issued statements on Saturday in defence of the 220 Siriusmed R30 ventilators ordered on 18 March through Geneplanet for EUR 8 million even though an expert commission formed as part of the selection process had reportedly ranked them at the very bottom of the 13 ventilators picked among 92 as appropriate.
While a government report on PPE purchases during the coronavirus crisis is still pending, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and PM Janez Janša have defended what TV Slovenia said were the most expensive ventilators on the approved list. They argued lives had been at stake and that the speed of supply had been the decisive factor.
Accusations about alleged political ties and personal interests have meanwhile continued flying across the board, starting with reports hinting at potential ties between Geneplanet and the ruling Democrats (SDS).
While it has been confirmed that none of the three hospitals supplied with the Siriusmeds had used them on Covid-19 patients and that the head of the Celje hospital had served as state secretary under Počivalšek, the spotlight has shifted in recent days to internal medicine specialist Rihard Knafelj, one of the three members of an informal medical group that had evaluated offers for ventilators.
It was Knafelj who insisted for one of the two editions of TV Slovenija's Tarča current affairs shows - which featured Commodities Reserves Agency whistleblower Ivan Gale - that the Siriusmed ventilators were dangerous for use on Covid-19 patients.
While the UKC Ljubljana doctor, who specialises in artificial ventilation, initially came under fire for alleged ties to the Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ), he was later attacked heavily for several Facebook posts, including a reference to PM Janša as Adolf Janša and a joke that those trusting God do not need ventilators.
The Medical Chamber said today its ethics committee would examine the statements, for which Knafelj has already apologised. It also condemned death threats that he received.
Another prominent accusation against him is that he pushed for the purchase of other ventilators - a day after the deal with Geneplanet, Slovenia also ordered 46 Bellavista ventilators through Gorenje and 50 Nihon Kohden ventilators through Ram2, Dnevnik reported. These three had also been on the expert group's list of 13, along with Avea and Mindray ventilators, but at least the Mindrays were no longer available at that point, the paper added.
Publishing an email sent to officials by Knafelj on 19 March, the Siol.net new portal reported on Sunday that Knafelj had pushed for the purchase of several ventilators by other makers, including the Bellavista ventilators even though they had been designated as potentially lethal by US, Canadian as well as Slovenian authorities last November.
"We did not push for any of the 13. The three mentioned in Siol's article (Avea, Bellavista and Mindray) had been offered as being available for purchase immediately, and this is what gave rise to the question of why they had not been purchased given that they had been assessed positively," Knafelj told the STA on Sunday.
As for the Bellavistas, he said certain serial numbers had been recalled in November, but that their producer Vyaire Medical had committed to upgrading the device's software by the end of the 2019 and that its recommendations for use on Covid-19 patients were in line with the recommendations by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.
Meanwhile, Tomislav Mirkovič, another UKC Ljubljana doctor, who used to head the hospital's intensive care unit, said at today's government coronavirus briefing that experts were fairly united in the view that the Siriusmed R30 is suitable for use on Covid-19 patients provided a compressor and an air humidifier with heated pipes are supplied additionally.
This requirement had also been stated in its opinion by the expert commission, which Mirkovič said had done a good job. He added that according to his knowledge, the Celje hospital has this additional equipment.
Mirkovič moreover argued that the start of the epidemic had been a confusing time filled with panic there would not be enough ventilators. He explained the UKC Ljubljana hospital had also ordered 104 new ventilators on its own, 50 of them very good and 54 perhaps of a little lower quality.
Data published by UKC Ljubljana show that a deal was signed on 12 March on the purchase of 50 Hamilton C6 ventilators through Framed and two days later a deal on 54 Sternmed Vento 62 ventilators through Geneplanet. Three more Lowenstein Elisa ventilators were ordered through Ram2 in mid March.
By 24 April, 13 Sternmed Vento 62 ventilators and three Lowenstein Elisa ventilators had been delivered.
Four opposition parties file motion of no confidence in economy minister
STA, 4 May 2020 - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB)filed a motion of no confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek on Monday over his responsibility for what they see as opaque procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The move, which the LMŠ announced on 23 April, comes after a wave of accusations was levelled at Počivalšek and the government about purchasing procedures and the quality of equipment as well as about attempts to influence the Agency for Commodity Reserves to choose certain suppliers.
More than a week ago, Ivan Gale, the deputy head of the agency, came forward with accusations of strong political pressure and other potential irregularities in the procurement. The whistleblower also told the Tarča current affairs show that Počivalšek had personally intervened in favour of a ventilator contract with the company Geneplanet worth EUR 8 million.
Počivalšek denies any wrongdoing, describing the media reports on the topic as an orchestrated head hunt. He acknowledged things could have been done better, but said the situation at the start of the epidemic had been unprecedented.
He said that neither he nor his colleagues had lobbied or politically influenced decisions in any way, adding that the goal of the communication had been to speed up procedures and secure protective equipment for frontline staff at a time when it was needed the most.
Prime Minister Janez Janša said on Saturday that Počivalšek still enjoyed his trust and that a government report on the procurement would be sent to parliament this week.
Presenting the motion to the press, representatives of all four parties said the responsibility for the controversial procurement of protective equipment lied with the entire government, especially since the PM expressed support for Počivalšek, and that more measures were to follow.
LMŠ MP Robert Pavšič said a parliamentary inquiry into the procurement procedures would be launched in a few days.
He said the minister had been violating the law, which applied also in times of crisis, in conducting procurement procedures, which should have been conducted by the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices any way. "It's about a whole range of direct and indirect breaches of the law, but mostly avoidance and misleading, and apparent cronyism and corruption," he said.
LMŠ head Marjan Šarec added on the sidelines on today's meeting of the National Security Council that there was also no clear information on what the needs for protective equipment had actually been.
Some equipment was available at the start of the epidemic, including ventilators, and the UKC Ljubljana hospital for example had EUR 30 million available for purchasing more of it, he said. Other health institutes also had permission to purchase equipment, he added.
Šarec also said the Chinese ambassador had offered assistance. The state only needed a company to import the equipment, and this could have been the Agency for Commodity Reserves or state-owned companies, for example pharma company Krka, Šarec said.
Šarec said the goal was to get to the bottom of this. The economy minister is not the only one responsible, as orders were coming from the top, he said, noting that some e-mails had apparently been written by Janša's wife.
Deputy head of the SD deputy group, Bojana Muršič, said "this government, this coalition has created a parallel world for itself, and only dishonest practices are coming out of it". She said the SD condemned cronyism in the procurement of protective equipment, noting the procedures must be investigated.
"Every time Janez Janša is in power millions in provisions are paid out," said MP of the Left Miha Kordiš, pointing to the 1990s defence scandal and the 2008 Patria scandal.
Maša Kociper of the SAB warned that determining political responsibility in the parliamentary inquiry or the no confidence vote would not bring back the millions that were possibly lost in the deals.
The SAB had demanded parliamentary oversight of all public procurement during the epidemic and a special fund, which would be used to finance all epidemic-related costs, but its proposals were rejected, she noted.
In the motion of confidence the parties allege that Počivalšek is politically responsible for financial profiteering of individuals and companies in procurement of PPE and other medical supplies and for uneconomical spending of public funds.
Blaming him for "unethical, crony and corrupt collusion in favouring companies and individuals" to buy PPE from, they say that due to his "lying and misleading of the public and media" the minister has lost trust in his integrity and work.
They note conflicting and inconsistent statements by Minister Počivalšek and Defence Minister Matej Tonin and shifting of the responsibility for PPE procurement from one body to another.
They allege that by misleading the public that the state could only buy through Slovenian intermediaries, the Economy Ministry squandered favourable bids by the Chinese state company Sinofarm and the online giant Alibaba.
They cite data showing that the Agency for Commodity Reserves paid some suppliers up to 100% of the order's value in advance, even though Počivalšek ruled out any money being paid up front.
To vote out the minister, at least 46 out of 90 deputies of the National Assembly would need to vote in favour of the motion. The four opposition parties have 37 deputies between them, while Zmago Jelinčič, the leader of another opposition party, has announced the three deputies of his National Party (SNS) will not support the motion, which he said was "without any juice and completely void".
STA, 4 May 2020 - Quarantine restrictions will be eased further on Monday as stores under 400m2 reopen along with bar terraces, hair salons and beauty parlours. People will again be able to visit museums, libraries as of this week, and go to church. Moreover, professional athletes will be allowed to train again.
Despite the easing of restrictions, safety measures will still apply. In case of bars and restaurants, this means that tables will have to be arranged in a way to allow customers to keep one-metre distance. Guests will also have to wear masks or other protection to go to the toilet or enter any other closed rooms.
Owners will have to regularly disinfect and air their premises.
Some bar owners, especially on the coast, have decided not to reopen yet because they are dependant mostly on foreign guests, so opening their door in the current situation would mean they would be making a loss.
Stores under 400m2 will reopen, except for those in shopping malls which do not have their own entrance.
Hair and massage salons, and beauty parlours will welcome one customer at a time, and the customers will have to wear a face mask. Those working in the salons and beauty parlours will have to wear a face mask, visor and gloves.
In churches, believers will also have to wear protective masks or other protection and keep a 1.5-metre distance if they do not live in the same household.
The services of making or repairing textile products, footwear and leather products will also be available again, along with key cutting, photography, watchmaking and photocopying services. Seamstresses and jewellers will also open their door again.
Top athletes competing in individual and team sports will be allowed to train again but only individually.
Also opening this week are museums, libraries and galleries, which received the government's permission to reopen before the May Day holidays but said they need more time to prepare for the reopening.
General libraries will reopen today, while most galleries and museums will open their door again on Tuesday. Some bookshops are already open.
This is the latest round of easing of restrictions for businesses since 19 April, when takeaway restaurants, DIY stores, car showrooms, car washes, stores selling bicycles, technical goods and furniture stores, dry cleaners, some repair shops, and insurance agents started working again.
The government imposed a temporary ban on most retail establishments in mid-March.
All our stories on covid-19 and Slovenia are here
STA, 4 May 2020 - None of the 616 persons tested for coronavirus on Sunday was positive in what was the second consecutive day with no new confirmed infections in Slovenia. The number of all confirmed cases so far thus remains at 1,439. One more patient died of Covid-19, putting the total number of deaths at 97, government data show.
So far, 56,136 tests have been conducted in Slovenia and this Saturday was the first day since 4 March with no new infections.
The first coronavirus infection was confirmed in Slovenia on 4 March.
On Sunday, 58 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, including 20 in intensive care. Three persons were released from hospital yesterday.
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’sSaška Grušovnik. You can see more of her work here.
No new coronavirus infection for the first time in two months
No New Cases; Less Demand for Bread, Meat
No new coronavirus infection for the first time in two months
STA, 3 May 2020 - No new infection was recorded in Slovenia on Saturday for the first time in two months, government data show. After 500 additional tests, the total number of infections confirmed so far thus remains at 1,439. Two people died of Covid-19 yesterday, putting the death toll at 96. Fifty-nine Covid-19 patients were in hospital yesterday.
The first coronavirus infection was confirmed in Slovenia on 4 March. The number of infections grew in the next few days and in the weeks that followed dozens of new infections were recorded every day. In the past week, between 5 and 11 new infections were recorded every day.
Saturday is the first day since 4 March when no new infection was recorded.
The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has also been decreasing, standing at around 60 in the last three weeks. On Saturday, their number stood at 59, one fewer than the day before. 21 patients remain in intensive care.
In Slovenia, 55,520 tests have been conducted so far, confirming 1,439 infections.
Weaker demand for bread and meat due to Covid-19 epidemic
STA, 3 May 2020 - In the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, demand for meat as well as fresh bread and pastries has decreased in Slovenia. The country's food industries saw a spike in demand in March after the epidemic was declared, with people hoarding supplies, but in April the situation saw a downturn in the consumption.
The closure of schools, kindergartens and restaurants, introduced to stem the Covid-19 spread, has led to repercussions for the meat industry since those institutions and venues are its main buyers.
Some workers had to be temporarily laid off or they have taken a leave from work amid cutting down on production.
Peter Polanič, the chairman of food group Panvita, told the STA that the company had to step up its production in March, only to then reduce it in April.
Purchases by public institutions account for roughly 3% of Panvita sales, which is not insignificant when transformed into figures, said Polanič, adding that he expected additional fallout due to a weaker tourist season and less public events.
The group, which includes Panvita Mesnine, the leading firm in the group's meat division, expects to resume normal work schedules next week since the season of picnics is about to start, according to Polanič.
Meanwhile, poultry group Perutnina Ptuj has been dealing with decreased demand as well, with the exception of prepared meats and ready meals.
Pivka Delamaris, one of the main brands of poultry group Pivka Perutninarstvo, has been experiencing issues with meat exports, most notably to Italy, Austria and Croatia.
The impact of the epidemic has hit the bread industry as well, with the deliveries by the country's largest bread and pasta maker Žito cut by half compared to the same period last year.
Žito is supplying its products to public institutions and restaurants - a major share of its sales, nearly 20%, has been hence cancelled in the wake of the lockdown.
Moreover, the sales of fresh bread products have been slashed by 30%. Daily purchases of bread are currently considered a thing of the past, with people frequenting Žito shops only once per week or every ten days.
The company has partly adapted its operations to the extreme circumstances by launching some of its most popular products in a packaged form which keeps them fresh longer and providing home deliveries via its online shop. In May, Žito will also make frozen bread available.
Due to decreased demand, the company has been rationalising production as well as dealing with labour surplus by striving to avoid any layoffs. However, some workers have been put on furlough for the time being and the number of hired staff has been reduced.
Meanwhile, baking group Don Don has told the STA that it has been delivering less bread and pastries as well - down by some 35% - due to introducing additional preventive measures in production and a drop in demand.
Don Don clients are mostly grocery shops, however lockdown measures resulting in teleworking and remote learning have affected the company's sales of sandwiches as well as sweet and savoury pastries. The company has meanwhile responded to the changed circumstances by launching part baked bread.
A part of the workforce have been furloughed, while some employees have been made redundant since the company has estimated that a drop in sales will continue for at least six more months.
STA, 3 May 2020 - A three-member team from Grosuplje has developed a device for disinfecting cash using ultraviolet light. The device called Cash Cleaner is said to be the only in the world to disinfect up to 100 banknotes a minute.
"Our lives are slowly returning to normal, but we'll have to be more careful after the pandemic," says Žan Brezec, a member of the team, adding that some countries, including China, South Korea, Hungary and the US, were already disinfecting money or keeping it in quarantine.
Cash Cleaner was developed during the lockdown. "Developing it during the lockdown was quite a challenge. We had to change the construction and design of functional parts several times to adjust it to the locally accessible materials and production processes," said Brezec.
After a lot of team work, testing, trouble shooting and improvisation, the device, using the same UV technology that is used for disinfecting hospitals, labs and clinics, was developed using own funds in just over a month.
Brezec said that several Slovenian banks were interested in the device and that one of them would start testing it in the coming days. But he would not disclose the name of the bank.
"At the moment we can make one device a day but if orders increased we could optimise our production and make up to 100 devices a month," Brezec told the STA.
The team says only three similar devices were currently on the market. One was designed in South Korea during the 2012 MERS epidemic but it uses a different technology, whose efficiency is not backed by sufficient scientific research, according to the team.
In China, they have UV devices, but each banknote is not treated individually and the process is time-consuming, and the third solution was developed in Turkey but its realisation is expected only in 2023, Brezec said.
"Our solution is ... the only device that exposes each side of a banknote to UVC rays for a specific period of time, meaning that each banknote is disinfected in less than a second and ready to be used."
You can learn more about the Cash Cleaner here
