Number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises again

A total of 17 patients were treated in intensive care yesterday and one person died of Covid-19. Three people were discharged from hospital, putting the number of those discharged so far at 244.

Four of the six new positive cases were recorded at the Ljutomer care home, where 57 people were tested yesterday. One resident recovered.

The director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek, said at today's press conference that the newly infected came from hotspots and not from general population, so the data on infections were encouraging.

He said this allowed for the gradual easing of restrictive measures that was under way but warned that if the situation deteriorated, restrictions would need to be reintroduced immediately.

"We must get used to living in a way that we don't spread infections ... If we follow instructions, the virus cannot spread among people and we can function normally," he said.

Krek said decisions on any further easing of restrictive measures would be made in about two weeks, when the effects of the current easing of restrictions will show.

He warned that the epidemic was not over yet and that the first wave of infections in an epidemic was typically followed by a second wave, which was expected in the autumn at the latest.

So far, 1,445 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia, 637 men and 808 women. 98 people died of Covid-19.

A total of 57,474 tests have been conducted so far.