Some 1,034 test were performed on Sunday, of which 75 were positive, which is 7.25 per cent. Some 107 persons are hospitalised, 21 persons require intensive care, of whom ten are on respirators. One patient died.

As the first of the decisions adopted by the Government at its correspondence session on Friday, Government spokesman Jelko Kacin mentioned EUR 2.6 million that was paid as an emergency support instrument (ESI). The European Commission will dedicate these funds to the producers of promising vaccines against COVID-19 with whom it will conclude agreements within the instrument of preliminary public procurement.

The Government also adopted the ordinance on mandatory installation of hand sanitisers in multi-dwelling buildings, i.e. at the entrances to buildings and elevators.

At the proposal of the National Institute of Public Health, the Government also somewhat relaxed the ordinance governing the use of masks at all levels of the education system. Primary school pupils and secondary school students are no longer obliged to wear masks when they are in their home classrooms and (as before) during organised sports activities. The use of masks remains mandatory during school transport, when entering school premises, in hallways, in toilets, when going to and from the cafeteria or gym, and when pupils or students move from one classroom to another. In their direct work with children, the staff in kindergartens and teachers teaching the fourth grade and higher are exempt from wearing masks if they can maintain social distancing of two metres. The lecturers at faculties are also not obliged to wear masks if they lecture behind a protective barrier.

According to Lejko Zupanc, several patients with COVID-19 were recorded at the Department of Vascular Diseases of Ljubljana University Medical Centre and several staff members at the relevant department tested positive, which is why no new patients will be admitted to the department this week.

The virus was confirmed in a patient at the Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Allergy in recent days and no new infections were detected by additional testing.

In cooperation with both departments, the service for preventing and managing hospital-acquired infections is examining all contacts and ordering measures and conditions for further safe work. A similar situation can occur in all departments and Lejko Zupanc calls on all employees to monitor their own health and department heads to think in advance about possible solutions.

The Ljubljana University Medical Centre is currently at the upper limits of planned epidemiological capacities. The work of the Department of Infectious Diseases is gradually transferring to Dr Peter Držaj Hospital in Šiška for other patients as planned, enabling the Department to obtain 19 additional beds in the regular ward for COVID-19 patients and ten in the intensive care unit.