At today’s press conference, Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke about the general assessment of the situation after the last few days, when we announced and adopted some additional measures to limit the coronavirus. »Our assessment is that we can do it, and this is mainly because we are now treating the virus as it is. So as a danger that is symmetrical and not a choice according to any criteria other than the criteria of the virus,« the Prime Minister said in the introduction.
He said that, as partly predicted, the numbers are rising and will rise for some time to come, so at this point it is also far too early to assess whether the general measures we have taken, such as mandatory wearing masks everywhere or restricting movement at night, significantly or sufficiently contributed to limit the spread of the virus. »In any case, some additional measures need to be taken. We have a week ahead of us to stop the spread of the virus among us. This week will be extremely important to curb the spread of the epidemic,« said Prime Minister Janša.
The measures envisaged in the plan adopted earlier this month will take effect on Saturday. On that day, they will be elaborated in more detail in the ordinances to be passed tomorrow. These measures are:
– closure of catering establishments, permitted food delivery,
– closure of hotel facilities, with the exception of business delegations, diplomatic and professional sports teams,
– closure of shopping centers, exception of food trade, construction and technical material, animal feed and agricultural supplies.
»Kindergartens will also be closed next week because the number of infections among childcare workers has increased dramatically, but there will be exceptions where parents work and are unable to provide care on their own. At this point, I urge all kindergarten teachers to wear masks, and I ask the mayors to organize care in kindergartens, depending on the situation in individual municipalities and places, where this is necessary because parents cannot provide it themselves,« stressed the Prime Minister. He also appealed to the mayors, who proved themselves in the spring wave of the epidemic, that even now, when the epidemic has been declared and the Civil Protection Action Plan has been activated, they are taking measures within their competences that they consider necessary and targeted in local environments and, through a precise approach, make it possible to curb the spread of the virus.
»Dormitories will also be closed, with the exception of where high school and university students have no other options. Public passenger transport will also be switched to Plan B, which is provided for the case of holidays when there is no school, which means that one third of the capacity is available,« said Prime Minister Janez Janša.
»In terms of details, we all remember the regime as it was in the spring. The decrees that will come into force will summarize the regulations that were in place at the time of the spring wave of the epidemic, so this is nothing new, nothing unknown. The exceptions will be defined as when we already had certain experience, so that the number of contacts was as limited as possible, and at the same time all necessary things went smoothly,« continued Janez Janša.
“At this point, I am asking business people that where production will continue and where services will be needed, work should be done from home wherever possible. However, where this is not possible, especially in industry, everyone should strictly follow all preventive measures to prevent the spread of the virus; ” stressed Janez Janša.
»We have not yet made a final decision on the measure that was implemented in the spring, ie the possibility of restricting movement to municipalities, with the same regime and exceptions as in the spring,” stressed Prime Minister Janša and continued that the activation of this measure will be decided in the coming days, »when we will have additional numbers and we will see whether the measure is necessary at this stage«.
»We are also checking the possibilities of mass testing or the purchase of rapid tests for all risk groups and in the coming weeks also for the entire population. This is one of the measures envisaged in some other countries,« said Prime Minister Janša. He added that they are talking to colleagues across Europe about the effectiveness of this measure and that even after today’s debate at the government session, it is clear that »we will examine these possibilities«.
»Regarding testing, the waiting period is a big problem,« stressed Prime Minister Janša. According to him, the health care system needs to be further reorganized in order to shorten this period and to give priority to those who have symptoms and those who are urgently needed in the workplace during this time.
»The measures that will be enforced with tomorrow’s decrees will mostly come into force on Saturday, they will be valid for a week. Next Thursday or Friday, the government will make and adopt a new assessment and decide whether to extend them, whether to cancel them, or to mitigate them,« the prime minister said.
The Prime Minister also called for the download of the Stay Healthy app and reminded that the measures could be more lenient if everyone had this app loaded with smartphones. He added that the government reiterated today that we are in a difficult situation, »but in this situation we are doing everything we can to ensure that no one is left without emergency medical care, not only because of COVID, but also for other reasons«.
»We are also in agreement with some other EU members for mutual assistance if we need it. For now, we can do it ourselves, but no reserve is superfluous,« said the Prime Minister. He added that today, in a one-hour conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, where they very carefully assessed the measures in both countries regarding the containment of COVID, the German side offered assistance in critical medical equipment if needed.
»I thank the doctors and nurses and all the medical staff. At this point, we are all obliged to offer exceptional support and gratitude to all those who are struggling with the virus. We can express our greatest support by respecting the measures and doing everything to make their work bearable and as easy as possible,« said the Prime Minister.
At the end, Janez Janša also said that guidelines for the sixth anti-crown package for eliminating and mitigating the consequences of the epidemic had been being prepared for several days. »Once the guidelines are available, a legal package will be prepared for discussion in the National Assembly as soon as possible,« added Prime Minister Janez Janša.