STA, 25 August 2021 - Slovenia is likely to get a new Covid traffic light system next week with tiers of restrictions defined based on the number of cases in hospital rather than the number of new positive cases, senior health officials said on Wednesday.
Health Minister Janez Poklukar said the focus would by on the occupancy of hospital beds in general and intensive care beds in particular. The final details are being ironed out in talks with health experts, he said.
Mateja Logar, the head of the Health Ministry's Covid-19 advisory group, said the final proposal was to be adopted at a meeting on Monday.
Given that more than 40% of the population has been vaccinated, the overall number of new cases is not that important anymore.
"We also know that the main limiting factor in Slovenia is the number of hospital beds, which is why the traffic light will be adjusted to that, something many other European countries are likely to do as well," she told the STA.
The previous traffic light system, which is currently not in use, had hospitalisations and the seven-day average of new daily cases as the main criteria for tiers of restrictions.
Another reason why hospital occupancy should be the primary criterion, according to Logar, is the current system of Covid certificates, which are a prerequisite for staff in several sectors and for activities such as cultural events and indoor dining.
"It's important that people realise this system is not about restrictions, it is designed to keep industries open when they would be closed long ago in similar conditions last year."
If the epidemiological situation continues to deteriorate, the advisory group will propose an expansion of the use of Covid certificates and increased frequency of testing for those who are now required to test on a weekly basis.
