Slovenian health authorities on Sunday reported only 292 new coronavirus infections and three fatalities, noting that all epidemiological statistics were improving but the government warned that caution was still necessary and that anti-epidemic measures had to be complied with.

Asked if mandatory mask wearing would soon be abolished, as happened in the USA a few days ago, where a vast majority of the adult population has been vaccinated, leading infectious diseases specialist Mateja Logar ruled out that possibility.

“We will consider it only when the vaccination rate and general epidemiological situation is as it is in the USA, but the situation here is quite different,” said Logar when asked by reporters if the mass vaccination campaign would succeed.

According to the latest statistics, 553,819 Slovenians have so far received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is more than one quarter of the entire population.

“Unfortunately, in addition to those who do not want to get vaccinated, there are also groups that strongly oppose mask wearing, which is why it is little likely the US government measure could be applied in a similar way in Slovenia,” said Logar, who heads the government’s COVID-19 response team.

The number of hospitalised patients in Slovenia has dropped to 408 and the weekly average of infections in a single day has dropped to 449. After it drops to below 300, Slovenia will enter the next stage allowing further relaxation of epidemiological restrictions, including making the wearing of face masks indoors and maintaining basic hygiene measures no longer mandatory.