This is the second day in a row that only one new infection was detected out of more than a thousand tests conducted daily. On Thursday 1,049 were carried out, slightly fewer than the day before.

Fresh data from the government also show a continued decrease in the number of patients hospitalised with the novel disease. Five more were discharged on Thursday, and 47 remain in hospital, including 12 in intensive care, one fewer than the day before.

But the head of the Health Ministry's advisory task force, Bojana Beović, warns there are probably "hidden pockets" of persons infected with coronavirus in Slovenia, and that the disease could spread again from there.

This is why she advocates a gradual easing of restrictive measures, whose effects can be seen in 11-13 days.

The low number of newly detected infections is the consequence of the measures that are still in place, she said.

According to her, this is a trial period, which will show whether state-imposed restrictions are needed or not.

If the curve remains flat, gatherings of people will be allowed again, and shopping malls will reopen. Dental services are also planned to be relaunched.

The idea is to contain the epidemic to the extent that lock-down would be introduced only in areas with an outbreak and not nation-wide, Beović said.

Since it is not clear whether a person who had Covid-19 is protected from the disease, gaining herd immunity this way might not be an option. Moreover, if 70% of the people fell ill, many would die, so instead of 100 causalities Slovenia could be looking at 2,100, she warned.

She said that if all preventive measures were respected, the epidemic might subside during the summer months, when people spend more time outdoors, but another wave was expected in autumn.