Ljubljana - A total of 2,365 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Slovenia on Saturday, which is a slight increase week-on-week, with the positivity rate standing at 44.3%, the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) announced. Hospitalisations at intensive care units reached a new record and 21 people died of Covid-19 yesterday.

The 7-day average of new cases was up by seven to 3,148, and the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population increased by 34 to 2,003.

The NIJZ estimates there are now 42,240 active cases in the country, up by more than 700 from yesterday's figure.

The government meanwhile reported that 990 people are currently treated in hospitals for Covid-19, nine more than yesterday, while 227 persons required intensive care, up by two on a daily basis. Another 21 Covid patients died yesterday.

The number of patients in intensive care units reached a new record since the start of the epidemic in March 2020.

The youngest Covid patient in intensive care is 28 years old, while the youngest one treated in a regular Covid unit is 20.

As reported by the N1 web portal, the Health Ministry and managements of Covid hospitals agreed at a meeting on Saturday evening to increase the capacity of intensive care units by 10 beds.

As the ministry's coordinator for Covid beds Robert Carotta told the portal, as of Monday or Tuesday hospitals will make available their maximum capacities of a total of 1,200 beds, including 280 ICU beds.

"We hope that this will suffice. 1,200 beds are expected to be enough for managing the epidemic, according to the current projections," Carotta said, adding that the peak of epidemic in terms of hospital bed occupancy was expected on 24 November.