COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia

The COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia was a part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first slovenian citizen to be infected was resulted positive on 3 March 2020,^[1] the infection was contracted during an internal flight in Italy. The first case in Slovenia was confirmed a day later;^[2] it was an imported case transmitted by a tourist traveling from Morocco via Italy. Italy was the center of the SARS-CoV-2 in Europe at the time.^[3]

The first few days of the pandemic were challenging for Slovenia due to the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec in late January and the formation of a new government. The first case in Slovenia was confirmed one day after Janez Janša was elected prime minister. During the transition period, the outbreak escalated. A joint meeting between the outgoing and incoming governments was held on 10 March 2020. Marjan Šarec's outgoing caretaker government was responsible for the crisis management until 14 March 2020.^{[citation needed]} On 15 May 2020, Slovenia became the first European nation to declare the end of the COVID-19 epidemic within its territory.^[4]

Slovenia's initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak was cited as a significant success when Europe faced the first wave of the pandemic, and earned praise for its effectiveness.^[5] In May 2020, Vox listed Slovenia, together with Jordan, Greece, Iceland and Vietnam as among the most effective in handling of the coronavirus outbreak.^[6]

However, the government neglected second wave warnings from experts and did not properly prepare the health care sector to cope with the second wave, which spread out of control for the administration, even after more than three months of lockdown,^[7] and in March 2021, Slovenia had the fourth highest death rate per capita in the world (according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University).

As of 10 May 2022, 1,221,467 people in Slovenia have been fully vaccinated (around 57.9% of the population).^[8]

As of 4 February 2023, 3,021,521 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Slovenia.^[9]