Lockdown restrictions tightened as most movement restricted to home municipality
Ljubljana, 29 March - Slovenians will be confined to their home municipality for most daily activities under a government decree that significantly tightens lockdown restrictions as of Monday in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. Those who go out will have to wear face masks.
Ljubljana, Kongresni trg.
Prazne ulice prestolnice v času popoldanske prometne konice.
V prizadevanjih za zajezitev širjenja novega koronavirusa se vse bolj omejuje javno življenje.
Foto: Nebojša Tejić/STA
While strict lockdown rules have been in place since 20 March, the government decided on Sunday to step up the restrictions in the aftermath of reports of people continuing to visit popular weekend destinations despite being advised to stay home.
For most daily activities, Slovenians will thus be confined to their home municipalities except to go to work, to do farm work, provide assistance to persons in need of care, and access emergency services, pharmacies, diplomatic missions and judicial authorities.
Within their municipality people will still be allowed to go to shops and access services that are provided despite the sweeping lockdown, and if such services are not available in their municipality they will be allowed to go to the nearest place where they are available.
For most people public parks have been the only nature they have been able to enjoy during the lockdown and the new decree stipulates that people may only access parks within their own municipality. Mayors may introduce additional restrictions.
But for those who do venture out, face masks, even ones made at home, or equivalents such as scarves that cover the mouth and nose will be mandatory along with protective gloves.