The Director of the University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Aleš Rozman, and the Government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin, shed light on the current epidemiological situation in Slovenia – a record-breaking 356 positive cases were recorded yesterday.
On Tuesday, 7 October, 3,998 tests were carried out, of which 8.9 per cent were positive. 122 patients are in hospital, with 22 in intensive units and nine needing artificial respiration. None of the patients died.
Slovenia reached a 14-day incidence rate of 116.02 cases per 100,000 people. This indicator is the highest in the Koroška region where it stands at 219 cases, followed by the Zasavje region with 149 cases and Central Slovenia with 117 cases.
The Government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin, stated that the incidence rate in other European countries, which is “led” by Spain with 319 cases, the Czech Republic with 312 cases, France with 247 cases, the Netherlands with 243 cases and Belgium with 221 cases per 100,000 people. Countries where the said indicator is below 50 cases include Finland and Norway (with 28 cases each), German with 34 cases and Greece with 44 cases.
The incidence rate in our neighbouring countries varies. Hungary with 130 cases and Austria with 113 cases rank higher than Slovenia (the data is two days old), while Croatia with 69 cases and Italy with 45 cases per 100,000 people rank lower.
The Director of the University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Aleš Rozman, pointed out that approximately 130 regular beds for COVID-19 patients and 30 for patients in intensive care are currently occupied. He emphasised that we had exceeded 70 per cent of capacities prepared for the situation of the normal spread of the virus some time ago. Therefore, hospitals have been preparing to provide additional capacity. If the virus spread curve does not begin to turn, we, in Rozman’s opinion, will need 200 regular beds in 14 days and 300 regular beds in a month. To this end, he called on the management of retirement homes to establish red zones, since it will not be possible to place infected people from social care institutions in hospitals.
Rozman also confirmed that the directors of all hospitals in the country met the Minister of Health, Tomaž Gantar, on Tuesday afternoon. They agreed on a central review hospital occupancy and coordinated referral of new patients to suitable hospitals. They determined an additional location for COVID-19 patients, i.e. the Topolšica Hospital, although a more detailed analysis of its capacity is ongoing. A legal basis in accordance with which it will be possible to transfer staff from one hospital to another is in preparation.
Kacin and Rozman pointed out that sources of infections remain to be parties and private gatherings on catering premises, even after their official closing time. For this reason, both spokesmen appealed for the consistent consideration of self-protection measures and responsible behaviour. Mask‐wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing, avoiding commercial centres whenever possible – all these measures are minimum forms of solidarity that each of us can show with society and particularly to vulnerable population groups who live among us, emphasised the Government spokesperson, also calling on prompt use of the #OstaniZdrav application that can alert us to risky contacts and motivate us to behave more self-protectively.