In the last 24 hours, Slovenia has registered 10,288 new cases of infection with coronavirus, the country's authorities reported on Thursday.

The situation is difficult but under control, according to the authorities’ assessments.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar told local media that the healthcare system was under great strain and that the country was braced for the peak of the Omicron wave in the first week of February.

It is estimated that during that peak, roughly 200 COVID patients will need to be treated in intensive care units.

Currently, there are nearly 91,000 active cases of COVID-19 infection in Slovenia, and of them, 580 are hospitalised patients, including 147 in intensive care units.

In the last 24 hours, the disease has taken seven more lives, bringing the death toll to 5,732 in Slovenia.