The Slovenian government has declared an official end to many of its coronavirus limits, becoming the first European country to do so, after authorities confirmed less than seven new coronavirus cases each day for the past two weeks.
Speaking to parliament Thursday, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said Slovenia has the best epidemiological picture in Europe and referred to the coronavirus outbreak as an epidemic.
The country of two million people, which borders Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, has reported 1,464 coronavirus cases and 103 deaths.
The government says people now arriving in Slovenia from other European Union countries will no longer be required to go into a quarantine. People arriving from non-EU countries, with some exceptions, will still have to go into 14-day quarantine.
The government says social distancing measures will stay in place, and masks are still required in indoor public locations.
But they expect some schools, and most businesses, including bars and restaurants open by next week, though public gatherings of over 50 people remain banned.
Financial aid to citizens and firms hit by the coronavirus will expire at the end of May.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic in March.
