Ljubljana - Anther 640 people tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday to push the rolling 7-day average up by a further 17 to 944, as seven Covid-19 patients died, fresh government data show.

The latest cases mark an increase of almost quarter from the same day a week ago. They were confirmed from 3,461 PCR tests, for a positivity rate of 18.5%. 6,580 rapid antigen tests also were performed.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose by two to 499 after 29 patients were discharged yesterday. Intensive care cases dropped by two to 105.

In response to rising transmission rates, the government is meeting later today to tighten restrictions with the team of advisors proposing a circuit-breaker lockdown be imposed on 1 April.

Slovenia has reported 212,679 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with an estimated 12,311 still active infections, data from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) show.

The most recent NIJZ data on the death toll, released on Monday, show 4,258 had died within 28 days of testing positive by Sunday. Since then the government has reported 42 more deaths.

The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents rose to 584.

NIJZ data refreshed this morning show that a total of 229,553 people have received their first dose of a vaccine against Covid-19 and 112,087 have received two.