Today, Slovenia’s public life has come to a halt. In order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government has closed all educational units and all stores that don’t sell food. The stores that will stay open will only be able to accept a limited number of customers at a given time.
20.33 Tonight, the French President Emmanuel Macron said in his televised address, that France was establishing a quarantine, in order to fight the novel coronavirus. The measure will take effect on Tuesday at noon. According to foreign news agencies, he also cancelled the second round of local elections, which were supposed to take place on Sunday. »We are at war,« the French president also said in his speech, according to the German news agency dpa. He told the citizens that they should not leave their homes and threatened them with penalties in the event of violations, according to the French news agency AFP. The French will now only be able to leave home if they are shopping, going to see a doctor, or going to work.
20.14 Today, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada is closing its borders for all foreigners, with the exception of Americans, due to the new coronavirus. Trudeau urged all citizens to stay at home. Prime Minister’s wife Sophie has contracted the novel coronavirus and is in isolation at home with Trudeau, in whom the infection was not confirmed.
20.11 At today’s videoconference of Ministers of Interior and Ministers of Health of the European Union, Slovenian Minister of Health Tomaž Gantar called on the European Commission to set an upper limit for the prices of protective and healthcare equipment at the EU level. Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs suggested to the commission that it coordinate the controlled crossings of passengers and cargo, following the model of Slovenian humanitarian convoys.
20.07 Today, in light of the pandemic of the new coronavirus, the Russian government decided to ban all foreign nationals from entering the country until May 1st. The measure will take effect on March 18th at midnight, local time, Russian news agency Tass reports. Russia has already closed its land border with Norway, Poland and China.
20.02 The government adopted a temporary restriction on the carrying out of roadworthiness tests and other procedures relating to the registration of motor vehicles and work in tachograph workshops, to help limit the spread of the new coronavirus. The restrictions are valid until April 16th, and the validity of traffic permits, including motor vehicle insurance, is extended until then.
19.36 Today, the Italian government confirmed a bundle of measures worth 25 billion euros, to help curb the economic damage from the epidemic of the new coronavirus. It also intends to provide its domestic banking system with a strong financial injection, generating 340 billion euros in cash flows.
19. 22 Parents and guardians of the children took the measure of learning from home very seriously, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. As they have written in a press release, this pleases them, as they are certain that the educational process will continue smoothly even in the situation of emergency that the country is currently in.
19.18 Following the ban on direct sale of goods and services, the measures introduced, were further clarified at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology this afternoon. Among other things, they made it clear that only home delivery to the customers is allowed in distance selling. Drugstores have to close their doors, but markets can remain open.
19.01 In Italy, 349 new deaths have been confirmed today, due to the coronavirus 19, which has claimed 2158 casualties in the neighbouring country so far. The death toll from covid-19 has doubled since Thursday, when more than a thousand deaths were first recorded in Italy, French news agency AFP reported. According to Italian civil protection, there are 27,980 people infected with the new coronavirus in Italy, which is about 3,000 cases more than on Sunday, according to the German news agency dpa. Four days ago, Italy reported that 15,113 people were infected. Among all the Italian provinces, the highest number of deaths and infections was recorded in the north, which is the centre of the virus.
18.48 In the wake of limiting the new coronavirus, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on fellow citizens today, to limit contact with each other, avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other similar places, and cancel any unnecessary trips.
18.41 These days, life in the capital is heavily subordinated to preventing the spread of the new coronavirus. For children from socially disadvantaged families, some of whom were left without the only warm meal in their day because of the closing of schools, and for the elderly who are expected to stay at home, a delivery of food to their homes has been organized, said the Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL). The food will be delivered daily by volunteers, the drivers of Public Transport in Ljubljana (LPP). By noon, there were 100 volunteers, MOL wrote. For school and kindergarten children, the need for a meal should be reported to the school or kindergarten they attend. Elderly people in need of food and delivery should contact Ljubljana’s unit of Slovenian Red Cross, at the telephone number 040 788 698 every day between 8 AM and 4 PM.
18.28 The association of drugs and addiction related NGOs and the association of those who work in the field of homelessness and socially vulnerable groups, urged the Municipality of Ljubljana to intensively participate in the homelessness and addiction programmes during the coronavirus epidemic. This is a vulnerable group of people who do not have the possibility to stay in quarantine at home.
18.24 Even though Gorenjska is currently among the regions with the lowest number of confirmed infections with the new coronavirus, the municipalities have responded decisively, adopting the measures to prevent the spread of infections. On the first day of implementation of many national measures, they have a lot of work to do in coordinating assistance for citizens in need of child care, emergency transport, or care. Gorenjska is one of the regions with the lowest number of confirmed coronavirus infections. According to the latest data, only 15 cases were confirmed in the region until 10 o’clock today. Nevertheless, a meeting of municipal civil protection staff was held in Kranj on Saturday, where the regional commander gave precise instructions to the commanders of the municipal staff and mayors in the event of more coronavirus infections.
18.20 Leadership of the North American NBA Basketball League and its players have reached a temporary agreement to suspend doping testings, during the state of emergency due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus, according to numerous US media.
18.11 Following the example of many European countries, Spain has also decided to close its borders today. According to the Minister of the Interior Fernando Grance-Marlaska, control at all border crossings will start at midnight tonight. Border control will be conducted concurrently with the 15-day state of emergency declared on Sunday.
17.57 Belarus president Aleksander Lukašenko has called on his fellow citizens today, to overcome the pandemic of the new coronavirus by working on farms and driving tractors. The former director of an agricultural cooperative, who likes to emphasize his connection to land and villagers, also believes that the virus should not cause panic.
17.55 French car manufacturer Renault will halt production for all its factories in France, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, the company said today. It is not yet clear what will happen with the other Renault’s factories across Europe – for example: Revoz in Novo mesto is still assembling the cars.
17.43 The number of infections and deaths caused by the new coronavirus is already higher elsewhere in the world, than in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. Head of the organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has not mentioned the latest figures at the press conference in Geneva. He did advise all countries to test anyone suspected of being infected.
17.40 Today, Switzerland and Finland have joined the group of countries that have declared a state of emergency in their bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. In Switzerland, the government banned all public and private gatherings. In Finland, schools will close, visits to nursing homes and other institutions will be prohibited.
17.36 Prime Minister Janez Janša scheduled a meeting of the National Security Council for Tuesday. As he wrote on Twitter, President of the Republic Borut Pahor, Speaker of the National Assembly Igor Zorčič, President of the National Council Alojz Kovšca, presidents of the opposition parties and the representatives of the minorities will also be invited to the meeting.
17.25 The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) published recommendations on physical activity at the time of the spread of the new coronavirus, which were prepared by the Faculty of Sport at the University of Ljubljana. Group sports should only be played by members of the same household, and families with children are advised to take trips to the woods or the nearest hill. As stated by NIJZ, being fit and properly physically active significantly reduces the risk of viral infection and reduces the anxiety that can be caused by (self) isolation to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
17.06 In accordance with the instructions of the Government, all regular dental clinics are being temporarily suspended at the Community Health Center Ljubljana. They have also set up an entry point for treatment of patients with emergencies. For patients without suspected infection with the new coronavirus, it will be available on Kotnikova street, and for patients with confirmed or suspected infection, it will be available on Metelkova.
17.00 Psychologists Majda Jus Ašič believes that the slogan Stay at home (Ostani doma), which many parents are children are forced to test now that the new coronavirus is spreading, can be a good opportunity to strengthen family ties and create unforgettable memories. She advises parents to talk to their children, without having to avoid the topic of coronavirus.
16.52 There are no gold reserves in the catering industry, for paying contributions, taxes and salaries for the period when the industry does not generate turnover, Blaž Cvar, chairman of the catering and tourism section of the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (OZS) warns. Both the OZS, as well as the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber of Slovenia (TGZS) hope that the country will help the catering and tourism business.
16.51 Today, for the first time since its creation in 1959, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has taken extraordinary action due to the coronavirus pandemic. They chose to do so in light of the decision of the French government and the Council of Europe in the fight against coronavirus.
16.48 President of the European Parliament David Sassoli called for enhanced cooperation between the EU governments and institutions in the wake of the new coronavirus. In a press release, he agreed with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, that Member States should not act one-sidedly.
16.41 At Notranjska region, where 11 cases of the new coronavirus infection have been confirmed so far, most of the people have readily accepted the restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease. According to the Mayor of Postojna Igor Marentič, the streets and roads are becoming emptier by the minute, and there are more and more volunteers willing to help others.
16.34 In the North Primorska region, where three cases of the new coronavirus have been reported so far, many measures are being taken to combat the epidemic. The municipality of Nova Gorica has, among other things, organized childcare at home, with the help of principles of kindergartens and schools. According to the Municipality, there are currently 10 children who need childcare. The situation in the Ajdovska region is similar. According to the National Institue of Public Health, three people have been diagnosed with the covid-19 disease in the area of North Primorska region by 10 AM today, two in Goriška and one in Tolminska region.
16.16 In Posavje, where a new case of the infection was discovered during a check-up at the Brežice hospital last week, they have introduced similar measures as elsewehere in the country. Municipalities of Posavje call on the citizens to follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Public Health. They urge the citizens to stay at home.
16.13 In the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Slovenian citizens to not travel abroad, but to stay at home. They advise all Slovenian travellers who are currently abroad to find out how they can return back home, to check the airlines and conditions at the borders. They are also advised to keep up with the changes on a regular basis.
16.11 According to the National Institute of Public Health, based on the data recorded by today until 10 AM, 38 people that are infected with the coronavirus come from the Savinjska region. In Celje and elsewhere, people are preparing for the coming days, where more and more people are likely to become ill.
16.10 The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology is establishing solutions for the self-employed people, affected by the epidemic of the new coronavirus, as part of the proposed law on the intervention measure for partial reimbursement of wages, which has already made its way to the National Assembly. The amendments will likely suggest a possible postponement of payments of social contributions for the individual entrepreneurs with no employees.
16.06 In Lombardy, which has been hit hardest by the epidemic of the new coronavirus, the first signs of a slowdown in the number of infections are showing, the President of this northern Italian region Attilio Fontana, said today. According to foreign press agencies, the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has warned that the situation in Italy as a whole is deteriorating. In the densely populated Italian region, where the financial capital of Milan is also located, 1218 have died of the coronavirus so far, out of the total of 1809 deaths recorded across Italy. As many as 205 of the 368 people that died in Italy from Saturday to Sunday, are from Lombardy.
16.03 Due to the situation with the new coronavirus, the Municipality of Izola has set up crisis headquarters today, aimed at faster communication between municipal institutions, Mayor Danilo Markočič explained at a press conference this afternoon. At the Izola Health Centre, a special protocol for the treatment of respiratory infection will enter into force on Tuesday.
15.59 Slovenian Red Cross (RKS) volunteers that are helping curb the coronavirus epidemic, are equipped with appropriate protective equipment, RKS Secretary-General Cvetka Tomin assured. Commenting on some media reports that some of the volunteers became infected while working, she told the STA that two had indeed become infected, but before starting to volunteer.
15.55 In times of self-isolation, social relations have shifted to new technologies and keeping a greater distance, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Contacts are largely maintained through communication on social networks, where various campaigns are also taking place to make spending time at home easier and more peaceful. Among other things, Facebook users are sharing hugs through their posts and photos. Several groups and sites have been created to encourage people to stay home. In these groups, people also post activities that they do at home, such as cooking, exercising, reading, cleaning the apartment, while others are helping their children with their school work, or are inventing various games. Some have set up a “home office,” while others have set up some kind of training ground with obstacles to overcome in play and for physical activity, with barriers being the things they find at home.
15.51 Even though Gorenjska is currently among the regions with the lowest number of confirmed infections with the new coronavirus, the municipalities have responded decisively, adopting the measures to prevent the spread of infections. On the first day of implementation of many national measures, they have a lot of work to do in coordinating assistance for citizens in need of child care, emergency transport, or care.
15.20 In Slovenska Bistrica, where two cases of the new coronavirus infection have been reported so far, both people in the Health Centre, as well as at the Municipality, continue to prepare for strict measures to prevent the spread of the infection. Starting Tuesday, an information office will be available over the phone for patients with no other form of help available.
15.13 The International Cycling Association (UCI) has suspended all competitions it is usually responsible for, the headquarters said. At the same time, they pointed out that there is no guarantee that the postponed races will be completed at the end of this season. UCI has stopped all races from happening, until at least April 3rd for the time being, and has frozen all the racing scores after March 3rd.
15.04 In the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Slovenian citizens to not travel abroad, but to stay at home. They advise all Slovenian travellers who are currently abroad to find out how they can return back home, to check the airlines and conditions at the borders. They are also advised to keep up with the changes on a regular basis.
14.49 The Port of Koper has been running all their operations smoothly so far, the company told STA today. They do not want to reveal the effects of the coronavirus epidemic on the volume of transhipment yet. It is currently very difficult to assess the actual impact of coronavirus on revenue, Intereuropa also agreed.
14.45 By 2 PM, 235 coronavirus infections were confirmed in Slovenia. 6712 tests have been carried out, the government announced on its website. Slovenia woke up into different circumstances today, as all public life has been stopped. The competent authorities are preparing further measures and the National Security Council will also meet soon.
14.41 The Chamber of Clinical Psychologists of Slovenia points out that fear and anxiety, depression and boredom, anger and irritability and stigmatization of people are all expected during the isolation due to the new coronavirus. They advise that people create a daily routine and follow it, because predictability is one of the most reassuring things.
14.40 In the Netherlands, long limes formed in front of marijuana stores on Sunday afternoon, with authorities ordering their closure due to the new coronavirus. The virus also caused the closure of the famous Red Light District in Amsterdam.
14.38 The stores of the Institute for Commodity Reserves have enough food and other items to supply the population for several months, the Minister of Economy Zdravko Počivalšek and the director of the Institute Anton Zakrajšek assured. The stock of protective masks and respirators present a greater challenge. An additional 1.5 million masks are expected to arrive by Wednesday.
14.25 By 2 PM, 253 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in Slovenia.
14.24 Among the most exposed Municipalities in the Celje region, is Šmarje pri Jelšah. On Friday, the official number of those infected with the new coronavirus rose to 26, and since then, according to the Mayor Matija Čakš, there have been no new official numbers. The municipality estimates that more than a hundred have been infected, and an infection is suspected at the retirement home.
14.23 The former Northern Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who will seek re-election at the early parliamentary elections on April 12th, has called for a postponement of the election today, because of the new coronavirus. He called on party leaders to hold a meeting to postpone the election, according to the French news agency AFP.
14.18 Today, Croatia has published the guidelines for companies and truck drivers who transport goods to their customers in Croatia. The businesses, whose supply is transported by suppliers from other countries, are required to report shipping information to the Croatian services and provide space for quarantine. Drivers who will return to their countries after delivering the goods, do not need to be quarantined.
14.09 Members of the Council of the Speaker of the National Assembly agreed that the National Assembly would only meet at the extraordinary sessions in March and April. Matters scheduled for consideration at the ordinary March and April meetings, will thus be discussed by the members at the ordinary session scheduled for May. The National Assembly will meet for an extraordinary session on Wednesday.
14.02 The government has submitted a bill on the temporary measures relating to the judicial, administrative and other public-law cases for the control of the new coronavirus, which envisages the possibility of one-month suspension of imprisonment and early release of a convicted person no more than six months before their sentence expires. It proposes an urgent procedure.
13.50 Due to the measures to help limit the spread of the new coronavirus, the stores are already changing their opening hours. The companies Hofer, Lidl, Spar and Tuš have announced that they will be implementing a shorter work schedule on Tuesday. Hofer is also preparing for controlled entry into stores, to limit the number of customers who are in the store at once. Since Tuesday, all 87 of Hofer’s stores in Slovenia will be open from 8:30 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Saturday, and from 3:30 AM to noon on Sundays. These opening hours are valid until further notice.
13.44 Following the closure of the non-essential goods stores across Slovenia due to the spread of the new coronavirus, traders are inviting customers to their online stores. Cash payment is mostly disabled, as is the option of personal online order pickup.
13.41 Despite calls for people to stay at home in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus unless they have urgent tasks, Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency has noticed that the number of motorcyclists on the roads has increased with the warmer days. They are repeating their call for people to stay home, and advise caution for those who need to travel.
13.40 The selection of trees that will be cut down, the issuing of decisions for works in the forest and the necessary work will be done to a limited extent during the coronavirus epidemic, the Slovenian Forest Service has said. At the same time, they urge the owners to regularly inspect their forests for signs of a spruce bark beetle attack, as nature will not rest in the coming weeks.
13.33 Governments around the world need to coordinate to provide substantial financial assistance to the economy to cope with the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva had said. She also noted that emerging markets that are facing massive cash outflows will also need help. “As the virus spreads, the need for coordinated and synchronized global fiscal stimulus is increasing hour by hour,” Georgieva wrote on her blog, the French press agency AFP reports.
13.19 In Iran, 129 people have died of the covid-19 disease, caused by the new coronavirus, in the last day alone. This is the highest number of deaths in one day that country, according to the French news agency AFP. A total of 853 people have already died because of the coronavirus disease in Iran. In the last 24 hours, 1053 new cases of infection have been confirmed, bringing the total number of infections to 14,991.
13.13 In an effort to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, Hungary announced the closure of all its borders today. All public events and gatherings will also be banned, and cultural and other institutions will be closed.
13.11 The Velenje Municipality has not had a confirmed infection with the new coronavirus yet, but they have taken a number of measures, as elsewhere in the country. Emergency childcare is being provided with the help of volunteers. Public transport has been halted, but the public kitchen continues to operate, the Deputy Mayor Peter Dermol said in a statement today.
13.10 In an effort to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, the government has issued a decree banning air travel in Slovenia. The ban will take effect at midnight and will apply to intra-EU air traffic until the end of March 30th, and to flights from or to non-EU countries until cancellation. The ban only applies to passenger transport.
13.05 After last week’s call by the OZS for the protection of the self-employed who will be affected by the spread of the new coronavirus, a petition has now circulated online. It is an appeal to the government to help the self-employed by suspending the payments of the compulsory social security contributions, thus helping those who have lost their work. More than 6000 people have signed the petition so far.
13.03 Nearly a thousand new cases of the new coronavirus infections have been recorded in Spain in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 8744, the Spanish Ministry of Health said today. Nine more people have died in the last day, bringing the total to 297. The number of new infections and deaths is lower than it was over the weekend. Saturday and Sunday saw 2000 new infections and around 100 new deaths, according to French news agency AFP. The region that is most affected in Spain remains the Madrid region with 4,665 cases.
13.00 In Podravje, which is one of the areas with the lowest number of the coronavirus infections, local services are primarily concerned with the organization of volunteers for emergency assistance to individuals and supplies of protective equipment. There is already a lack of protective equipment in Maribor. “The biggest problem are the protective masks,” said the municipality spokesman Matej Zupanič. In the Podravska region, 18 cases of the new coronavirus infections were confirmed by Sunday morning, and eight people are currently being treated at the University Medical Centre (UKC) Maribor. According to a representative of the administration, Janez Lencl, the situation in the hospital is manageable for now, as no major problems are currently recorded.
12.44 In an effort to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, the Turkish Ministry of the Interior has ordered the closure of bars, discos and nightclubs across the country today. How long the ban will last, has not be announced yet.
12.19 With every crisis, people are willing to help, and because of the halt of public life, according to Primož Jamšek from the Slovenian Philanthropy, the interest in volunteering is even greater. In his estimation, this would require national guidance for everyone that is interested. “Volunteering is a big responsibility, so it is not suitable for everyone,” he added.
12.16 Russia is taking additional steps to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. Among other things, it has set up a task force to combat the pandemic, and closed the border with Belarus. It also announced the establishment of a financial fund, worth around 3.6 billion euros to help the economy. In Russia, 63 cases of infections have been reported so far.
12.14 President of the European Council Charles Michel has convened an extraordinary video conference for Tuesday, to discuss the response to the pandemic of the new coronavirus. The key is to curb the spread, provide enough medical equipment, encourage research and limit the economic damage, he noted on Twitter. This will be the second emergency videoconference of the leaders, who also discussed the coronavirus measures last Tuesday. At the time, they promised to do everything they could to help the European economy. After the videoconference, Union leaders announced that a coronavirus response fund has been set up to support the health sector, SMEs and labor market measures. They are expected to boost investments of around 37 billion euros.
12.12 Janez Cigler, Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities assured that in the upcoming period, the pensions and other social transfers will surely be paid. However, a new emergency law is being drafted, that would automatically extend the expiring social rights from March until April 30th. The Minister said in a press statement that they are considering supplementing the draft law on the emergency measure of partial reimbursement of the salary compensation, which the parliament is expected to consider on Wednesday at an extraordinary session.
12.11 In Metlika, where 25 new coronavirus infections were detected by Sunday, while 46 are infected in the entire region, public life was virtually stopped. The situation is similar in other municipalities of the south-east Slovenia, which have adopted similar measures. Public life has also halted in the Municipality of Novo mesto.
12.07 At a time when public life has is shut down due to the measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia, the Slovenian Film Centre presents a selection of Slovenian films that can be watched for free, and the Slovenian Book Agency has launched an online campaign. RTV Slovenia has adapted the program due to the new circumstances, and some institutions are offering their content online. According to the Slovenian Film Centre (SFC), Slovenian filmmakers in cooperation with SFC, the Slovenian film database and Filmoteka, an institute for the spread of film culture, they are offering a selection of Slovenian films for viewing for free, until further notice. They will be adding new titles every Monday and Thursday, and the films will be available for seven days. Any news will be announced via the Slovenian Film Database, SFC and on social networks.
12.04 The Italian-American car manufacturer Fiat Chrysler will halt production in most of its factories in Europe, due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus, until March 27th. Six factories will be closed in Italy, and one in Serbia and Poland, the company said today.
11.59 In Koroška region, 72 swabs have been taken so far at the entry point for those who suspect to be infected with the coronavirus, at the Slovenj Gradec Community Health Centre; one of the swabs was positive. Municipalities of the Koroška region are using social media and websites to inform their citizens of the measures taken so far, and the emergency contact numbers. Firefighters are asking people to be extra cautious.
11.45 Until further notice, the press and radio room at the National Assembly, as well as all the meetings of the National Assembly and its working bodies will be closed for journalists. They will not be able to watch the discussions from the balcony of the large hall or any of the meeting rooms. Journalists will only be allowed to enter the lobby of the small parliamentary hall, where a temporary press centre will be set up, the National Assembly said.
10.44 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has warned today, that Italy is entering its most risky weeks. He called on the European Union to respond to the pandemic of the new coronavirus in a coordinated manner.
11.42 Janez Cigler, Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities assured that in the upcoming period, the pensions and other social transfers will surely be paid. However, a new emergency law is being drafted, that would automatically extend the expiring social rights from March until April 30th.
10.33 Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Food has prepared some recommendations on how to handle food we but at the store during the coronavirus epidemic. Above all, they pointed out the need to maintain a high level of hygiene.
10.31 Five new cases of the new coronavirus infection have been detected in Zagreb, one in Karlovac and one in Rijeka, meaning that there are now 56 covid-19 patients in Croatia, the Croatian Civil Protection Staff confirmed at a regular news conference today. They added that there are just under 9,000 people in self-isolation.
10.10 Italy’s most famous virologist Roberto Burioni, who was one of the first scientists to point out the dangers of the new coronavirus in Italy, but was initially ignored, now calls on Europe to not make the same mistake. He called for joint action by the members of the European Union. »Do not underestimate the danger. Italy has, for one week. Some people said it was just the flu, and one doctor even said that it would disappear in a week,« he said in a conversation with the German news agency dpa.
10.08 Protective equipment used to prevent the spread of, and infection with the new coronavirus are hazardous waste, the company Surovina warns. Companies and individuals are therefore asked to collect protective masks, protective clothing, gloves, and other such equipment separately. Citizens should dispose of this waste at waste collection centers in their area, and businesses should dispose of it to those companies in Slovenia that accept hazardous waste.
10.03 Bank of Japan has taken a series of monetary measures today, aimed at boosting the economy in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic. It left the interest rate unchanged. The Bank will double the volume of exchange-trade funds (ETFs) and real estate Investment trusts (J-REIT). The limit for the ETF will now be 12,000 billion yen (100.6 billion euros), and for the J-REIT, it will be 180 billion yen (1.5 billion euros), according to the French news agency AFP.
It also announced lending operations to help cover corporate debt and raise its annual corporate bond repurchase limit by 1,000 billion, to 4200 billion yen (35.2 billion euros). It left the key interest rate unchanged at minus 0.1 percent and the sovereign bond limit at 80,000 billion yen.
9.46 The situation with the coronavirus in France is “very worrying” and “deteriorating very rapidly,” the French authorities have said today. According to the latest information, there were 5423 confirmed cases of infection, and 127 people died. “The number of cases doubles every three days,” the head of the French Institute of Public Health, Jerome Salomon, told the AFP. “I would like our citizens to realize that some patients are in intensive care – and there are hundreds of them,” he emphasized.
9.39 In the first two months of the new year, with the epidemic of the novel coronavirus, China has seen a sharp decline in some economic indicators. The industrial production fell by almost 14 percent; retail trade fell by more than a fifth, and investment in fixed assets by almost a quarter, the German news agency dpa reports.
9.26 In the days when many companies around Slovenia are paying their workers their February wages, the banks are asking their customers not to go to the ATMs or the bank for withdrawals. NLB, the largest bank in Slovenia, pointed out that most banking transactions can be done from home.
9.25 During the epidemic, the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia discourages the citizens from any and all activities in the mountains, especially in the highlands, where there is a greater possibility of injuries. Medical personnel and civilian protection are operating at the capacity limit during this time, so mountain accidents can put additional strain on them, the Association warned. They urge people to stay at home whenever possible.
9.23 Starting today, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange will offer its services through remote access. As they wrote on their website, they plan to operate in their normal capacities in the coming weeks, taking the measures by the competent authorities and other capital market stakeholders into account.
9.20 A state of emergency has been declared in the Australian state of Victoria and the territory around the Australian capital Canberra. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called for the cancellation of events with more than 500 participants to prevent the spread of the virus.
9.17 London’s European Olympic boxing qualifications will continue without spectators, organizers said. The first two days went on as usual, Slovenian Nik Nikolov Veber lost the first round on Saturday after a tight 2: 3 decision and the same happened to Vida Veber, who lost to Ukraine’s Julia Ciplakova, on Sunday.
9.15 After last Friday’s opening race for the new Formula 1 World Cup was cancelled because one of the McLaren team members was infected, the British team has said that the patient was recovering. Tem chief Zak Brown has confirmed that the person infected with the new coronavirus no longer has any symptoms, and the rest of the quarantined team is in a good mood.
9.00 Today at 8 AM, Germany closed its borders with Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland, in an effort to limit the spreading of the new coronavirus. As the Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer explained, only the people who have a compelling reason to travel will be allowed to cross the border, Derman media report. Border controls were reintroduced for an indefinite period of time.
8.55 So far, 127 people have died in France, because of the new coronavirus, and the total number of people infected is 5423. The French authorities have already taken strict measures to limit the spread of the virus.
8.30 At today’s videoconference, EU Finance Ministers will discuss strategies to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated economic policy response to the new coronavirus pandemic. Slovenia will be represented by the new Minister of Finance Andrej Šircelj.
8.27 The US National Institute of Health is funding a coronavirus vaccine test, which will begin with 45 volunteers today, in the US state of Washington. More than 3,000 infections and more than 60 deaths have been officially listed in the US so far, but the President Donald Trump guarantees that everything will be okay. The vaccine that was developed by Modena will be tested in Seattle. It will take at least 18 months for the vaccinations of the general public to begin. Initially, this is only about checking the side effects of the vaccine.
8.25 Slovenia has woken up to a halted public life today. To prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the government has closed all educational units and non-essential stores, while the stores that remain open will only be able to accept a certain number of people at once. Any organized form of childcare is forbidden. Further measures are expected, following today’s meetings.
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