Ljubljana - The recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule is being expanded to a number of activities today under a new regulation the government adopted on Saturday as numbers of coronavirus infections and hospitalisations are rising in the country. Masks are now mandatory in all indoor public spaces and outdoors when impossible to distance.

All those who come into contact with other persons or are involved in settings or activities where there is a direct risk of an outbreak must meet the PCT requirement.

This means staff in healthcare, public administration, education and training, social care, in-person retail and services, cultural activities, religious education or collective exercise of religious freedom.

The rule also applies to indoor sports, taxi services, common working stations, police, security, inspection services, traffic wardens and cabin lifts operators.

It moreover applies to inmates in resident facilities such as care homes, prisons, asylum centres and integration houses, or their visitors, including visitors of hospitalised patients, as well as athletes involved in contact sports in- and outdoors and cabin lift passengers.

However, it does mot apply in cases of emergency activities to provide care, public peace and order, medical assistance, rescue and disaster relief.

Exemptions also include children up to the age of 12, parents bringing young children to kindergarten or school, and customers of services and retail establishments.

For those who are not vaccinated or have not recovered from Covid, the testing requirement will also be met with rapid antigen tests or self-testing once a week.

Tests for those who cannot get vaccinated due to their health condition will be paid for by the state. Free self-testing kits are also available to older primary school children and secondary school students.

As for face masks, there are also some exemptions, including for children up to 7, pupils in the first five years of primary school or first two years of music school, pre-school teachers and pupils and students in dancing and certain music classes and physical education.

Masks will also not be mandatory when the PCT rule is being implemented in public spaces for members of the same household.

Presenting the new measures on Saturday, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said the rule would indeed take effect on Monday but it would be realistic to expect that it was fully implemented gradually, in the coming seven days.