Bars, restaurants and sports facilities will close in most Slovenian statistical regions on Saturday as part of tightened coronavirus measures, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek told the press on Thursday.
While the government decree on the ban will enter into force on Friday, the Economy Ministry explained for the STA that the measure will be enforced as of Saturday, since the National Institute for Public Health needed to first publish updated official data on the epidemiological situation in the individual regions.
The bars and indoor sports facilities ban will apply for all regions designated red, which means all regions in the county bar a few in the west, south-west and north-east which are presently in the orange stage in terms of the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 residents.
The hospitality ban excludes bars and restaurant at facilities that also provide accommodation, but services will be limited to guests staying there.
Take-away and delivery will be allowed everywhere, the ban applies only to service on location.
Hairdressers will still be allowed to provide services, but the number of clients allowed at a time is one per room.
In orange regions, bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open from 6am to 10:30pm.
Fitness centres and indoor sports facilities will stay open in these regions as well, but visitor numbers will be limited to one person per 20 square metres. The same restriction will apply for hairdressing and beauty salons.
Počivalšek said he was aware of the impact the restrictions would have on business and announced another stimulus package would be adopted if necessary.
The extension of the tourism vouchers scheme into 2021 has already been announced.