As of next week, all shops and service businesses in Slovenia with premises sized 400 square meters or less will be allowed to reopen, with the mandatory testing of employees at least once a week, Economy Minister Zdravko Pocivalsek said on Friday.

The government also announced that all elementary schools would reopen for pupils in grades one to three (ages 7-10). Some schools had already been reopened in regions which showed a drop in coronavirus cases.

“I’m pleased that after intense debates in the cabinet we have decided to open kindergartens and lower levels of elementary schools, which is the first step towards life returning to normal. Now we should also ease restrictions for businesses and try, by complying with measures, to further improve the epidemiological situation,” Pocivalsek told reporters in Ljubljana.

He said that all ski resorts would also be allowed to reopen, provided that they regularly test their staff.

Only 959 new infections have been registered in the past 24 hours in Slovenia, and the number of daily Covid-related deaths has dropped to 14, indicating that the pandemic seems to be easing.

“That allows a gradual relaxing of restrictions, provided that the positive trend continues,” said government spokeswoman Maja Bratusa.

“After a long black phase, Slovenia had entered the red phase of the epidemic – but in in order to reach the yellow phase, the number of new infections and hospitalisations should drop to below 1,000 per day which is not the case yet,” she added.

The so-called yellow phase would allow in-person classes for all elementary school levels and high school seniors, as well as in-person exams and seminars at universities – but only for groups of up to ten people.