The Slovenian government on Thursday declared the end of the coronavirus epidemic that had been officially declared there on March 12. Although social distancing measures and bans on public gathering will remain in place, the move will allow easing of border restrictions for EU nationals, as well as provide legal grounds to end the emergency law on subsidies for crisis-hit businesses into June this year.
“The current epidemiological situation enables the easing of some of the restrictions introduced to curb the spreading of the Covid-19 virus but the restrictions will not be lifted in their entirety,” the government said after a session on Thursday evening declaring an end to the epidemic and defining the future regime of entry into and transit through Slovenia.
As of Thursday, Slovenia had 1,464 confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus, including 103 deaths. The country appears to have successfully flattened the curve of the spread, as its daily new case count has been in single digits for two weeks now.
Still, the local media described the decision as surprising considering that on Thursday Jansa had told the parliament that the epidemic would be declared over and all restrictions lifted at the end of May.
They note that no other European country had declared an end to the epidemic and that some Slovenian experts consider the epidemic medically not over.
Under the government’s decision, persons who enter the country and have residence in Slovenia or have permanent or temporary residence in some other EU country and have not stayed outside the EU for more than 14 days, are only given at the border a leaflet with warnings on epidemiological measures against the spreading of the coronavirus, except if they themselves state that they have Covid-19 or exhibit clear symptoms of the disease.
Slovenian state radio said that the government’s decision does not refer to measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene or wearing face masks indoors. The ban on large public gatherings is still in force as well.
The same source reported on Friday morning that the government had rushed into declaring the epidemic over as otherwise its emergency law on subsidies for the business sector and households would have to be prolonged until the end of June, which would require a few more billion euros of additional aid.
Under the government’s latest decision, Slovenians wishing to travel to Croatia will be able to do so more freely because they will not have to self-isolate for seven days upon their return as was the case until now.
Jansa said in the parliament on Thursday that Slovenia had been the most successful EU country in terms of dealing with the epidemic, that the epidemiological situation was very favourable considering the very low number of new Covid-19 cases and that the government would now start dealing with economic problems and post-epidemic recovery to avoid economic depression.
