In the last 24 hours 203 new coronavirus infections have been confirmed in Slovenia, after 3,391 tests, which is a record number of cases in a day since the start of the pandemic, the government said on Wednesday.

The previously highest number of new cases in a day was recorded last Thursday, 192.

Currently 86 patients are hospitalised for COVID-19, including 16 in intensive care, said the Health Ministry. The number of active cases is 1,736.

Since the start of the epidemic, Slovenia has reported 5,690 coronavirus cases and 150 deaths from COVID-19.

An analysis by the Jozef Stefan scientific institute shows that the coronavirus reproduction rate in Slovenia is 1.3, which means that ten carriers can infect 13 people, which worries epidemiologists.

If the reproduction rate does not drop, the daily number of new cases could rise to 250 by the middle of next week, scientists warn.

Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Tuesday that despite the high number of new cases, new restrictions were not necessary and that declaring an epidemic again was not being planned.