Slovenia's government is not planning any new lockdowns yet, even though local experts say the fourth wave of the Covid pandemic is underway in the country. However, officials say the target of 70 percent of vaccinated population should be reached in the next month for the nation to avoid new pandemic restrictions.

“Forecasts indicate that we are not threatened with lockdown if we vaccinate 70 percent of the population or more, but it is important to achieve that by 1 October, when the epidemic will reach its climax,” Health Minister, Janez Poklukar, told local television channel POP-TV on Tuesday.

In more than eight months since the vaccination rollout started, 42.8 percent of Slovenia’s 2.1 million population have been vaccinated so far. Slovenians’ interest in getting vaccinated seems to be wearing off even though there are sufficient doses avilable. Epidemiologists are encouraging young people to get vaccinated in particular, as they account for most new cases involving the more contagious Delta strain.

The critical age cohort is 50-54 and half of this population is not inoculated while on the other hand two-thirds of hospital staff have received both shots of vaccination and almost 90 percent of doctors as well as the majority of people in retirement homes.

“The government will base its measures on the occupancy of hospital beds by Covid patients, as their numbers are increasing and the situation could become alarming, Slovenia’s media outlets have reported referring to epidemiologists close to the government,” Croatian state agency Hina said.

According to information from the public health institute, a year ago Slovenia had two larger hospitals open to Covid patients. At that stage, there were 24 Covid patients, two of whom had serious symptoms, whereas now there are almost 150 patients. The government estimates that there could be as many as 1,000 hospitalized Covid patients in the new wave of the epidemic.

Over the past 24 hours, 538 new cases have been reported, and one Covid-related death, the government said on Tuesday.

There are currently 5,347 active cases in the country and 146 patients in hospital care, including 31 in intensive care units.