COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia


The COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia is part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus spread to Slovenia on 4 March 2020, when the first case was confirmed. It was an imported case transmitted by a tourist traveling from Morocco via Italy, which is the center of the SARS-CoV-2 in Europe. First days of the pandemic were challenging for Slovenia due to the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec in late January and the consequent formation of new government. First case was confirmed one day after Janez Janša was elected Prime Minister. During the transition period, the outbreak escalated. A joint meeting between the outgoing and incoming government was held on 10 March 2020. Outgoing caretaker government of Marjan Šarec was responsible for the crisis management until 14 March 2020. On May 15, 2020, Slovenia became the first European nation to declare the end of the COVID-19 epidemic within its territory.
Slovenia's handling of the coronavirus outbreak has been cited as a significant exception during the time Europe suffered a tremendous coronavirus crisis, and has earned praises for its effectiveness. Vox listed Slovenia, together with Jordan, Greece, Iceland and Vietnam as among the most effective in handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.

Timeline

Testing before infection

As of May 15, Slovenia declared that it is the first country in Europe where the epidemic was over. As a result, some government support measures, such as financial aid to citizens and firms hit by the coronavirus, expired at the end of May.

July 2020

In July, cases have begun to rise, and are no longer only coming from abroad. On July 3, 30 new cases were reported, the highest number since April 16, suggesting the possibility of a second wave. The labor committee approved a bill on intervention measures in preparation for the second wave, which provides the basis for an app for tracking infected people.

Crisis Management Staff

Staff was abolished on 24 March 2020. Duties were transferred on responsible ministries.

People

Government