The government spokesperson Jelko Kacin stressed that this decision did not mean that Slovenia has dismissed the possibility of removing Croatia from the list of safe countries in the future. Mr Kacin assured that Slovenia would carefully follow the developments, calling on Slovenian citizens to avoid crowds and consistently use face masks in enclosed spaces. He also urged young people not to organise similar parties.

The number of infected people is falling in Croatia

The deputy head of the Communicable Disease Centre at the National Institute of Public Health, Nuška Čakš Jager, presented the epidemiological situation in Slovenia and the world, pointing out that the number of infected people in Croatia is falling. As she explained, the number has been rising because the 14-day incidence captured days when the number of cases was extremely high. There will still be a slight upward trend but the measures planned by Croatia should ensure that the number of infected people  continues to fall. Ms Čakš Jager added that they were continuously in touch with Croatia. Croatia is making every effort to improve the situation in the country, concluded Ms Čakš Jager.

Despite the European Commission’s recommendations, Slovenia will define the epidemiological threshold for itself

Mr Kacin explained that the European Commission proposed to raise the threshold to 16 infections per 100,000 people as the qualifying criterion for the list of safe countries. Slovenia set the limit at 10 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants and the Slovenian epidemiological service will continue to apply it. The final decision adopted by the Government is based on the expert position and other facts and analyses. The Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, said that regardless of the European Commission’s recommendations, Slovenia reserved the right to decide on epidemiological thresholds and the opening or closing of its borders, adding that Slovenia will continue to keep its own red, yellow and green lists.

Should Croatia be put on the yellow list, Slovenian citizens and persons with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia would not be quarantined upon their return to Slovenia, while the said change imposes a 14-day quarantine on Croatian citizens entering Slovenia, with some exceptions, reiterated Minister Hojs. The situation would be reassessed at the end of the week or early next week at the latest, concluded Minister Hojs.