News roundup - Monday, 9 August

IPCC report met with calls for action in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Climate expert Lučka Kajfež Bogataj and environmental NGO Focus underscored the need to take action on climate change now, as they commented on the latest, worrying report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Taj Zavodnik of Focus said the report also shows Slovenia is warming twice as fast as the global average, so the projected climate change is the more worrying for Slovenia. Kajfež Bogataj highlighted getting rid of fossil fuels and adaptation to climate change as two major tasks faced by Slovenia.

Slovenia's goods exports in June up 21% year-on-year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia exported EUR 3.3 billion in goods in June, which is 21% more year-on-year, while imports were up by 30.6% to EUR 3.4 billion, the Statistics Office said, noting the figures were also up on the pre-Covid levels in June 2019. In June 2021, a deficit in trade was recorded for a third month in a row, standing at EUR 100 million, with exports covering imports at a rate of 97.5%. In the first half of the year, exports were up by 18.9% compared to the same period last year, to stand at EUR 19.2 billion, while imports were up by 24.9%, to stand at EUR 19 billion.

Growth in Covid infections continues

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 46 new coronavirus cases for Sunday in 668 PCR tests as the week-on-week rise in infections continued. The 7-day average of new cases rose by two to 118 and the cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents increased by one to 68, show figures released by the National Institute of Public Health. There are now an estimated 1,480 active cases in the country, a daily rise of 26.

Vaccination also available at Ljubljana airport

BRNIK - Vaccination against Covid-19 three times a week is available at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport from today, with no prior registration needed. Those who want to get vaccinated at the airport can do so on Monday (9am-noon), Wednesday (11am-2pm) and Friday (5pm and 8pm) with Jannsen's vaccine. Vaccination free of charge is available to all passengers and other members of the public. Slovenian citizens need their health insurance card and an ID, while foreign citizens need to produce their EU health insurance card and an ID.

Slovenia introducing digital PLFs for air and sea passengers

LJUBLJANA - All passengers arriving in Slovenia by plane or ship will need to fill out a Digital Passenger Locator Form (dPLF) before entering the country starting from 16 August, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced. The form makes it easier to track contacts in cases where passengers are exposed to a communicable disease during their journey. The form is available at https://app.euplf.eu

SDS continues to top Mediana poll, SD drawing nearer

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) continue to top the party rankings in the Mediana poll conducted for the newspaper Delo, getting 17.1% of support from the respondents. The SDS is followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) at 12.7% and the Left at 8.6%. Fewer than half of the respondents assessed the government's work positively, while President Borut Pahor returned to the top of popularity ranking after five months.

World's fourth best basketball team greeted in Slovenia

BRNIK - The Slovenian men's basketball team returned to the homeland on Sunday afternoon after winning the 4th place at the latest Summer Olympics. They were greeted at Ljubljana airport by some 500 fans and senior sport officials, who expressed gratitude for the unbelievable result for the team that made its Olympic debut in Tokyo. The team's superstar Luka Dončić, who is expected to sign a new, five-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks in Ljubljana on Tuesday, said that the initial disappointment with the team missing out on a medal had waned off, announcing the pursuit of new feats.

Seven-member Slovenian Summer Paralympics team unveiled

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian team for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, which will take place in Tokyo from 24 August to 5 September, was presented to the public, featuring seven athletes in seven sports. The event took place in front of a Lidl shop in Ljubljana where a countdown clock for the Paralympics was installed last year. Today, the athletes and guests symbolically watered a Japanese cherry tree, while Japanese Ambassador to Slovenia Hiromichi Matsushima wished the athletes all the best at the games.