Slovenia orders quarantine for most people entering country
LJUBLJANA, April 3 (Reuters) - Slovenia will introduce a mandatory 14-day quarantine for most people entering the country from Saturday in an attempt to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The quarantine applies to both Slovenian citizens and foreign nationals, the government said on Friday. It does not, however, apply to people who have to travel for work, those involved in cargo traffic or who are passing through Slovenia on their way to another country without staying overnight.
Slovenia, which borders Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, has confirmed 934 coronavirus cases, with 20 deaths. A week ago it introduced mandatory quarantines for people travelling from coronavirus hotspots, such as Spain.
From Saturday, all who will come from abroad will have to stay at their homes or in a hotel used for quarantines for the 14-day period while relatives or volunteers will provide them with necessities. The penalty for those flouting the decree will be 400 euros ($430), the government said.
Since the middle of March, Slovenia has closed all schools, bars, restaurants, hotels, sports centres, cultural institutions and shops, apart from food and drug stores. It has also shut down all public transport.
($1 = 0.9271 euros) (Reporting By Marja Novak; Editing by Pravin Char)
