Romana Martinčič: Vaccination will curb the epidemic
According to Maja Bratuša, 3,537 PCR tests and 39,436 rapid antigen tests were conducted yesterday. PCR tests confirmed 718 new infections. The seven-day average of confirmed cases was 737, yesterday it was 785.
Today, 184 patients are hospitalised at the Ljubljana University Medical Centre, of whom 49 are intensive care patients. The number of patients who need hospital treatment remains high at 649. Five people died in hospitals yesterday.
The director of the Trbovlje General Hospital, Dr Romana Martinčič, said that there was an increased number of infected people in the Trbovlje Care Home and that pressure on hospitals was still very high; however, additional pressure on hospitals was not expected. She also emphasised that only vaccination would ultimately curb the epidemic.
According to the state secretary at the MDDSZ, Cveto Uršič, care homes have been the biggest victims of the epidemic. At the peak of the epidemic, there were more than 1,150 confirmed cases and more than 430 infected employees among the residents of care homes in one week alone. Thanks to testing, vaccination and awareness-raising of all competent institutions, the number of confirmed cases in the spring months decreased significantly compared to the number of confirmed cases at the end of last year. Thus, in the week of 5–11 April, there were 9 infected residents and 19 infected employees. He thanked the management of care homes, their employees and residents for deciding to get vaccinated.
A total of 47 residents and 26 employees were infected last week; most of them at the Trbovlje Care Home, followed by the Domžale Care Home and the Fužine Care Home.
He stressed that care homes, adhering to all measures, remain open to visitors. The state secretary also called on all employees and residents of care homes to get vaccinated if they have not already done so.