Ljubljana - The newspaper Dnevnik is critical in its commentary on Saturday of the strategy put forward by the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) to cope with the coronavirus in autumn and winter. It suggests the strategy should be more restrictive to protect the vulnerable groups.

At first glance the recommendations are transparent, easily understandable and sustainable. But a closer look reveals discrepancies, the paper says under the headline Free to be Free.

Chief epidemiologist Mario Fafangel said students are a group with many social connections and can spread the virus among all generations fast. Yet, no obligatory masks are foreseen at schools and universities any stage.

One does not have to be clairvoyant to know what will happen. In the German state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania students have already returned to school without any restrictive measures. And within a fortnight 14 schools already had to switch to hybrid teaching because so many teachers got sick.

NIJZ's strategy plans on keeping the public life open even if the country arrives at a breaking point. The guidelines also do not entail a temporary lockdown or obligatory masking, not even in healthcare.

"Even those with a positive test will be deciding by themselves whether to wear a mask or not. A general masking rule would only become 'necessary'."

The paper says that such measures will not protect the vulnerable groups, as claimed by Fafangel.