At an extraordinary press conference, Prime Minister Janez Janša announced the government’s latest decisions regarding emergency measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It seems that similar restrictions on movement are going to be implemented as in the spring, but they will depend on the level of infection of statistical regions.
He announced, at least until the autumn holidays, classes for all students of primary schools (from the fifth to the ninth grade) and high schools will move online.
The validity of tourist vouchers that remain unused will be extended to next year, Prime Minister said.
The government has adopted additional restrictions on movement for seven statistical regions, where the use of masks will become mandatory outdoors, a restriction on gathering of up to ten people will be introduced, and sports activities will be restricted. Restrictions on movement between regions will also apply, with same exceptions as in the spring, when there was restrictions on movement between municipalities. The regions that will be subject to stricter measures are Gorenjska, central Slovenia, Carinthia, Zasavje, Posavje, Savinjska and south-eastern Slovenia.
(Photo: gov.si)
At today’s session, which began at 5 pm in Brdo pri Kranju, the government decided and adopted new measures from the third phase of the orange package. After the government session, Prime Minister Janez Janša made a statement for the media in Ljubljana.
“As mentioned, the government has discussed the current situation regarding the fairly rapid spread of coronavirus in recent days and weeks, assessed the situation and took appropriate measures,” said Prime Minister Janez Jansa, adding that we are currently between the orange and red phases. The number of infections is increasing, as is the number of patients. “According to the plan prepared some time ago, we are taking measures that we believe will, if respected, to a large extent curbed the spread of infections,” stressed Prime Minister Janša.
“Currently in Slovenia, within 12 statistical regions, we have seven regions that are red, meaning they are exceeding the number of infections in fortnight, which means that we have more than 140 infected per 100,000 population in an individual region in the last 14 days,” he said. Prime Minister added that remaining five regions are still in orange or yellow. “The government of the Republic of Slovenia has decided to implement some measures for the entire country, and some selectively depending on the situation in individual regions,” said Prime Minister.
The measures, which were adopted today and will be published in the Official Gazette tomorrow, and will come into force on Friday and some on Monday, are aimed at activating additional reserves in the Slovenian healthcare system for the entire country. “In part, the measures to ensure this were presented today, some will be clarified tomorrow,” Prime Minister said, adding that the country-wide measure restricts in person work in schools. “From Monday onwards, classes in primary schools from 5th grade onwards, will move online, the same applies to high schools. Colleges and universities are already recommended to carry out activities online if possible, “stressed Prime Minister. He went on to say that this week will be followed by a regularly planned so-called “potato” holidays and based on that week, a decision whether distance learning needs to be extended, possibly relaxed or further tightened, will be made depending on the situation at the time. “We reckon, however, that this 14-day break will allow the situation to stabilize, or the trends to at least partially reverse,” Prime Minister added.
“Among the measures that will apply to everyone is the possibility of extending the validity of tourist vouchers to next year, within the law that is currently being discussed and will be adopted by Parliament tomorrow. The fifth anti-corona package will add the possibility of extending the validity of tourist vouchers after assessing the situation, which we will make in view of the restrictions already in force and which will enter into force in the coming days, so that those who have not yet used tourist vouchers will not be afraid that the vouchers will expire and that there will be no possibility for them to use them, “said Prime Minister Janez Janša.
According to Prime Minister Janez Janša, the following will apply to the seven red regions from Friday onwards, after the measures are published in the Official Gazette tomorrow:
- temporary ban on all events and gatherings of more than 10 people,
- restriction of certain service activities
- restriction of certain sports activities
- restriction on movement between regions, which will apply to regions that are coloured red. In these regions people will also be required to wear protective masks everywhere, including outdoors, with some exceptions.
“We are aware that this temporary partial restriction of movement or certain measures applicable to some statistical regions cannot in itself be sufficiently precise, because some statistical regions are quite large and the problem are mainly individual outbreaks, even in the regions, which are statistically fine. There are some municipalities which, if the indicator was taken into account only for them, would exceed the limit and be coloured red. In short, I urge and ask the mayors of these municipalities to, within their competences for municipal premises and facilities, take similar restrictive measures as are applied to the red regions, but only for their municipality, “said Prime Minister, adding that in this way we can avoid the subsequent aggravations and measures we knew from the spring when we had to restrict movement at the level of all municipalities in the country, which was a rather sharp and drastic measure. “This can be avoided by joining forces within the competencies of the government and within the competencies of the local level,” stressed Prime Minister Janez Janša.
He went on to appeal to anyone who has not yet downloaded the Risk Contact Alert app to do so. “In the past months from May onwards, I have repeatedly warned that we will avoid measures from the spring in the autumn if we implement an application that will be used by most or all of us who have so-called smartphones. But so far this has not yet been done and the application does not have as great of an effect as it could if more people use it, despite the efforts of those who have prepared it and those who are trying to popularize it,” Prime Minister said.
He added that based on the today’s assessments, he can say that in recent weeks the vast majority of citizens have adhered to the prescribed restrictions, recommendations of the profession, and recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health, “but in this situation where the virus is widespread, no not only in our country, but also around us, practically all European countries are in red, this is not enough. I thank the majority that took these measures seriously, and I appeal to the irresponsible minority to do so in the future as their past actions greatly contributed to the current situation where measures need to be tightened.
“The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has prepared plans and measures in case the situation worsens. Measures have also been prepared for the red phase, including the declaration of an epidemic, but we would like to avoid this because we know that it will come at a price and a financial cushion that was available in the spring and summer part of the epidemic, in the future will not available to such an extent, “said Prime Minister, adding that responsible behaviour is of the upmost importance. “From the next ten days, two weeks, it will depend on whether we control the virus without paying a higher price than in the spring, or whether it turns out that we are not capable of that,” said Prime Minister Janez Janša. “Slovenians have proven many times that it is able to stand together when it really comes down to it, and I urge everyone to do the same this time. “
