Ljubljana - A meeting between the Health Ministry and hospital directors agreed on Friday to immediately increase the number of beds for Covid patients and staff working at Covid wards. The new maximum of beds in intensive care was set at 300 and at 1,200 for regular Covid beds. The ministry told the STA the situation at hospitals was at capacity.

The meeting also agreed to suspend some preventive programmes to redirect the staff from there to Covid wards, while private doctors working in the public healthcare system at regional level will be urged to send their staff to Covid hospitals.

There are 648 regular Covid beds available in hospitals today, 60 more than two days ago, while there are 200 beds in intensive care, 22 more than on Wednesday.

Bed capacities will be reviewed twice a week to adjust them evenly across the country, the ministry said.

The latest available data shows the number of patients hospitalised with Covid rose by 26 to 761 today from yesterday, with 177 of them being in intensive care, up eight.