On 12 March 2020 Slovenia declared the epidemic due to the increasing number of cases of coronavirus infection. The expert opinion of the National Institute of Public Health served as the basis for declaring the epidemic. Different restrictive and preventive measures have been gradually taken.
Borders have been closed, shops have been closed (except for food and beverages), all public events and happenings have been cancelled and forbidden, people were asked to stay at home and observe all the necessary preventive measures such as the washing of hands, social distancing, wearing masks.
In order to flatten the curve, Slovenia has decided to massively test people on the COVID-19. Since March 12 we have done 39.330 tests, which confirmed 1304 cases of COVID 19. Number of hospitalised people (and people on intensive care) due to COVID-19 has been falling since April 13, we are noticing also a drop of daily positive tests on COVID-19. On April 16 we have done 1193 tests, 36 came out positive, on that day we have 95 people hospitalised and 28 people in intensive care.
In order to control the situation and to mitigate the consequences for the economy and the population in the long term, the government has adopted a two-stage system consisting of immediate intervention measures that can be implemented in the short term and strategic measures to help the population and economy.
To control the situation and mitigate the consequences for the economy and the population in the long term, a two-stage system was adopted
An advisory group has been established to assist ministries in the preparation of the first legislative package focused on the provision of rapid financial assistance to citizens to prevent and mitigate the consequences of the epidemic.
The package consists of measures aimed to preserve jobs (co-financing wage compensations, providing for the rewarding of persons employed and activated in critical sectors during the epidemic, sick pay and additional funds for already subsidised employments), to improve the social situation of people (the status of employees who are unable to work due to force majeure, unemployment benefit from the first day of unemployment, waiving the payment of fees for public services that are not provided, solidarity bonus for pensioners), to provide emergency assistance to self-employed persons (emergency assistance, basic monthly income amounting to 70% of net minimum wage, writing off contributions while maintaining rights, suspending the prepayment of income tax), to keep businesses in operation (all contributions for pension insurance of employees who work to be covered by the state), to improve the liquidity of businesses and provide assistance to scientific research projects aimed at fighting the epidemic (purchasing claims against Slovenian companies, suspending the prepayment of corporate income tax and the payment of self-employment income tax, reducing deadlines for payments to private suppliers in the public sector, redirecting unused ESF funds), the reduction of meeting fees and wages and exemption from paying fees for distribution services, to provide aid to agriculture (providing financial aid, reducing or writing off contributions for pension and invalidity insurance, reducing the cadastral income tax for 2020, providing compensations for the mooring fee for fishing vessels amounting to 40% of the full compensation, reducing the water charge by 40% for aquaculture producers), and measures related to public procurement (amending limit values, allowing municipalities to make independent decisions on public procurement).
The Slovenian government is now already considering easing of the restrictive measures and allowing some outdoor sports.