The man is believed to have had multiple underlying conditions and been very ill prior to the infection. He had been infected in Metlika, where several residents of a nursing home contracted the disease from a doctor who became infected in Italy.

The doctor had been at work for three days before he became symptomatic, during which time he had been in contact with several nursing home residents and staff.

Seven residents and five staff have tested positive for coronavirus and Metlika and several more in the region, making Metlika one of the biggest hotspots of the disease in Slovenia.

Due to the fast growth in positive cases, only patients in need of hospital treatment will be admitted to hospitals, others will remain in home care and receive appropriate instructions.

Public has come to a standstill, as Slovenia's health officials appealed on the population to keep their social contacts to the minimum to curb the ever faster spread of coronavirus.