On Sunday, 909 tests were conducted and 39 new cases were confirmed, which is a 4.29% positivity rate. 79 patients are hospitalised, and 17 need intensive care. Two patients died.
Kacin highlighted data on homes for the elderly and other residential facilities. By far the highest number of positive cases was recorded in the Training, Work and Care Centre (CUDV) in Črna na Koroškem, where 43 residents and 15 employees tested positive for Covid-19. The situation is similar in the Danica Vogrinec Retirement Home in Maribor with 42 positive cases among the residents and 23 positive cases among the employees and in the Pegaz Home for the Elderly in Rogaška Slatina, where 25 residents and 6 employees tested positive. In the Koroška Home for the Elderly, where deaths were already recorded last week, currently the situation is stable with still 7 positive cases among the residents (of whom 3 are hospitalised) and 4 cases among the employees.
Minister Hojs stressed that the European Commission had prepared proposals for a common European response to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Its first proposal is a scheme of four warning colours: green, red, orange (to date Slovenia has used yellow instead of orange) and grey; however, Slovenia has not yet decided whether to use the grey colour classification. Grey countries are supposed to be countries with insufficient information available on Covid-19 infections and testing. The second proposal submitted by the Commission is a considerable increase in the limit values for classifying countries; this proposal was also adopted by Slovenia. The 14-day incidence rate applying to green countries is now 25 cases per 100,000 people, while for red countries the incidence rate is 50 cases. With regard to these two proposals, the Government adopted two ordinances on Saturday and Sunday.
The first ordinance orders a 10-day quarantine upon entry into Slovenia, which will, however, not be required if the person crossing the border submits proof of a negative Covid-19 test not older than 48 hours. It is expected that the number of quarantine orders could significantly drop, which would disburden the Ministry of Health.
On the other hand, individuals in the country who have been ordered to quarantine for having been in contact with persons who tested positive for Covid-19 cannot be released from the quarantine restriction on the basis of a negative test. The tests must be conducted by an organisation in an EU Member State, a Schengen Area country or in Slovenia that has been recognised as appropriate and credible for testing.
The second ordinance adopted on Sunday, 27 September, has introduced changed lists of green, orange and red countries. The changes will enter into force tomorrow. The following European countries have remained on the green list: Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, Liechtenstein and Poland. The green list of countries also includes a few third countries, among them Serbia. People entering Slovenia from these countries are not required to quarantine or undergo a Covid-19 test.
On the red list there are individual administrative units of Slovenia’s neighbouring countries and other European countries; in most cases the units include these countries’ capitals or administrative units with a worsened epidemiological situation. The red list also includes 114 third countries. People arriving from red-list countries must go into quarantine or be tested for Covid-19. A total of 14 exceptions still applies where no quarantine or negative test is required upon entry.
