Slovenia has reported 122 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours after 4.5% of tests taken proved positive and in the meantime, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has moved Slovenia from the red to the orange zone due to the improved situation, the government said on Friday.

There are 165 hospitalized Covid patients in Slovenia, seven less than yesterday, while four patients died over the past 24 hours, Slovenia’s health ministry reported on Friday.

The seven-day average of new daily cases has fallen to 178 while the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population has fallen to 146 which means that Slovenia meets  the criteria to be put into the orange phase of the epidemic, based on ECDC criteria,  the county’s public health institute said.

“We are coming close to the point when the epidemic will be halted,” Slovenia’s Prime Minister Janez Jansa tweeted, commenting on the latest data related to the contagion and the number of people who have been vaccinated which has now reached 753,000 people with 24.9% of the population receiving both doses of a vaccine and more than 47.2% of the population over the age of 50 have been inoculated.

In addition to those vaccinated people, also those who have recovered have to be taken into account too which then provides room for optimism, Janša added.

According to Slovenian media, the government announced that current coronavirus restrictions will no longer be in force as of June 15.