Šempeter pri Gorici/Novo Mesto - While Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced that a new shipment of Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Slovenia next week to largely cover the healthcare sector, a Health Ministry official has called for as massive vaccination as possible to make sure that the state starts normally functioning again.

Visiting the hospital in Šempeter pri Gorici on Thursday afternoon, Janša told the press the new shipment would focus on the most exposed healthcare workers.

He expects that employees in critical infrastructure will be able to get vaccinated in the second half of January.

Health Ministry State Secretary Alenka Forte meanwhile visited the Novo Mesto general hospital on Friday to call for massive vaccination, adding that the highest possible vaccination rate should first be achieved among health workers.

Forte said that "the stronger we are in this vaccination campaign, the more successful we will be in defeating this crisis".

The state secretary noted that in addition to the vaccination, "which must take off and in which 60-70% vaccination rate needs to be achieved in the entire Slovenian population", people must not forget about preventive measures.