If the COVID-19 vaccination rate does not increase, with current epidemiological trends, Slovenia will experience a healthcare disaster this autumn, public health official Milan Krek warned on Wednesday.

Krek, who heads the Slovenian Public Health Institute, told the public broadcaster the country could enter a critical stage of the epidemic already by the end of the month.

If the attitude to vaccination does not change, up to 2,000 people could end up hospitalised in November, which is why it is necessary to vaccinate as many people as possible as the current rate of 40.7 percent is insufficient to stop the spread of the more aggressive Delta variant, Krek said.

In the last 24 hours, 385 new coronavirus infections and three fatalities have been confirmed.

The 385 new cases is the highest number of infections in a single day since 25 May.

The number of hospitalisations has increased as well, to 57, and the 14-day incidence is now 121.4.

According to government data, 40.7 percent of the total population has been vaccinated, including 49 percent of adults and 62 percent of people over 50.