Slovenia confirmed 11,680 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, roughly the same number as on Friday, and 25 people died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, as epidemiologists warned that the situation remained serious even though the fifth wave of the epidemic was subsiding.

The number of infections among elderly people is on the rise, as a result of which the number of hospitalisations is expected to increase, Nuska Caks Jager of the National Public Health Institute told a press conference.

She noted that the 14-day incidence rate in Slovenia was considerably above the EU average because of the below-average vaccination rate.

The current number of active cases in the country is estimated at 197,304, which is 2,335 more than on Friday, while the 14-day incidence rate has increased by 110 to 9,361 per 100,000 population.

The number of hospitalised COVID patients has decreased from 779 to 746, of whom 133 require intensive care. With the 25 deaths registered in the last 24 hours, the total COVID death toll has risen to 5,959.