Slovenia bans movement between municipalities for a week

The curfew and the ban on gatherings continue to apply

Slovenia has been tightening its coronavirus restrictions every couple of days. The latest limitations, aimed to curb the spread of Covid-19, concern the movement of people outside of their place of residence. This measure takes effect on Tuesday, 27 October, and will be valid at least for a week, as was announced by Prime Minister Janez Janša on his Twitter profile.

Restricting the movement of people even further

The Slovenian government seems to have a plan on how to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. A week ago, it restricted the movement of people between statistical regions, but this has proven insufficient to contain the spread of the virus, so the measure was tightened.

Thus, a rule restricting movement between municipalities will initially be in place for a week starting 27 October and will apply to the entire territory of Slovenia. This restriction, the government’s press office said will be lifted gradually, starting with the regions that first show signs of improvement.

The decree issued on Sunday establishes a temporary ban on travelling beyond the confines of one’s municipality of residence – where one has a temporary or permanent address. The exceptions to the rule apply to 13 situations, including work-related travel, travel for economic activities, health reasons, such as the purchase of medicines and taking care of dependent relatives, and these must be justified with a declaration.

The second restrictive measure existing in Slovenia is a curfew, which bans the movement of people between 9 pm and 6 am. This is not new for the country, however, as the measure has been in force since 20 October. Similarly, the decree prohibits all events, gatherings, weddings and religious ceremonies, as well as any gathering of more than six people apart from close family members or members of the same household.

Prime Minister Janša was quick to reassure that the Government is actively working to provide additional capacity at healthcare establishments, health resorts and hotels. "Let us do everything to minimise contact and to lift the restrictions as soon as possible. Let us protect lives, health and welfare", he concluded.