The first case of infection with the South African strain of coronavirus has been confirmed in Slovenia, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said in Ljubljana on Friday.

The patient is a doctor from Maribor who stayed in Namibia last week with several other persons from Slovenia and returned to work this past Monday.

Two other persons who were with him in Africa are also infected, likely with the same variant, and several persons who have been in contact with him have been quarantined, Poklukar said, adding that for now there was no need for special measures because of this case.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry on Friday once again advised citizens against risky travel abroad, Slovenian media said, adding that the high number of infections in western Slovenia was due to the British strain which spread from Italy.