At today’s correspondence session, the government adopted a restriction on socialising of more than six people and a ban on movement at night, between 9 pm and 6 am.
Some from the opposition, and especially left-wing activists, have already described this as the establishment of a police state. In a short interview for the magazine Demokracija, Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, explained that this is not a curfew under the Police Tasks and Powers Act. According to him, the measures will last for fourteen days.
Mr. Minister, the opposition and left-wing activists are commenting on the restrictions on movement at night saying that a totalitarian police state is being established.
All measures are carried out on the basis of the opinion of the (medical) expert group and are in accordance with the Infectious Diseases Act. So this is not a curfew under the Police Tasks and Powers Act, but under the Infectious Diseases Act.
How long will the measures last, especially the restriction on the night movement?
The measures are monitored and changed by the government on a weekly basis. It will be the same with this decree. I reckon that, given the epidemiological situation in the country, the measure will be in force for at least fourteen days.
Do you have information on whether any other European country has taken such measures?
The Netherlands, Belgium and France are the most recognisable countries with similar measures, and Serbia has already successfully reduced the number of COVID-19 infections in the country with such measures.