World Meteorological Organization to Set Up its Office in Croatia
ZAGREB, 11 March 2021 - The establishment of the office in charge of implementing projects of the UN agency called the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was welcomed on Thursday by the ruling majority and the Opposition in the national parliament.
The future WMO office for projects will be opened in the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) in Zagreb.
The Croatian government will set aside HRK 340,000 from the state budget for that purpose.
The office will coordinate projects for southeast Europe worth billions of kuna, said Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parliamentarian Marko Pavić today.
Domagoj Prica of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) commended the performance of the national DHMZ weather service.
The office of this specialised United Nations agency for weather and climate as well as for operational hydrology will help promote Croatia as a centre of excellence in this sector.
The WMO is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization, the roots of which were planted at the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
Croatia Summer 2021: Most Challenging Tourist Season Yet?
March 11, 2021 - Will Croatia summer 2021 be the most challenging tourist season yet? Croatian travel experts weigh in on how the season will work this year.
Index.hr reports that Croatia is facing one of the most challenging tourist seasons ever. This became especially clear after the head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, said that there would be other travel conditions for people who were not vaccinated, such as quarantine or testing, which exists now.
The number of vaccinated tourists will be minimal because there is a shortage of vaccines in Croatia's key markets. Simultaneously, the oldest citizens have priority, and they generally do not travel as much as the younger population.
Martina Nimac Kalcina, president of the Family Tourism Association, told Index that Croatia is acting poorly if it does not have a timely plan for all travelers who will have to be tested when entering and leaving Croatia.
"By mid-April at the latest, which is two months before the start of the real season, everything should be organized. So, how will the entry into Croatia look? How and where will tourists be tested? Owners of family accommodation should have all this information in April to inform their guests in time. Every effort must be made to transfer this information abroad in a quality manner through promotion and to the owners of accommodation facilities. If all this is poorly organized, then we will have a bad season because some countries, which are our competitors, will organize it very well," Nimac Kalcina told Index.
The ease of entering and leaving the country, testing, and its price will play a crucial role in which destination the guest will choose for their holiday.
"We have been saying for months that we have to prepare very well. This means unifying test prices, that guests who are ready to be tested know the prices, that they know where they can be tested, that testing is easily available to them. We have long been asking for as many testing points as possible to be organized at airports, stations, ports, and other locations, such as hotels or other city-owned facilities where guests leaving the destination would be tested. We continue to insist that the prices of tests be as low as possible because guests will certainly compare the price of testing with other countries that are competitive with us. And the third thing is that if they have to pay them, these prices will be unified because they are very different and in Croatia range from 150 to 700 kuna," Martina Nimac Kalcina continued for Index.
In the end, she said that this season would be better than 2020 if Croatia prepares well.
Boris Žgomba, head of the Association of Travel Agencies, told Index that he wanted to believe that Capak had expressed himself clumsily.
"It would not occur to anyone smart to quarantine a guest when entering the country. I don't think the worst season awaits us, but we must prepare well. We need a faster flow of people who have been vaccinated and recovered from Covid in the last 3 to 6 months. I think it will be set at 6 months because these people are not contagious. They will have Covid-passes, not Covid-passports, as some say. They will be called Covid-passes and will be ready in early June, at a time when we should have started to have more serious tourism and crowds at the borders," Žgomba told Index.
What about those who do not have passes?
"Yes, the third category are those guests who have not been vaccinated or recovered from Covid. They will certainly take antigen or PCR tests; they will have to do it, or maybe not even need to; it all depends on the epidemiological situation. It is in our interest, as in Croatia, to speed up the flow of people. Some countries have already launched this, and we are working on it. Slovenia allows entry to those vaccinated without testing and people who have had Covid in the last 3 months. Poland and Greece are already doing that. I must also mention how the information published on IATA's (International Air Transport Association) official website says that from March 8, passengers who have a positive test (PCR or antigen) older than 14 days and not older than 3 months can enter Croatia. Meaning those who recovered from Covid-19. The question arises as to why it is a secret. If so, why hasn't it already been reported to the public or, if it's not true, why hasn't it been denied," Žgomba told Index.
What are his forecasts for this season?
"I think that everything will be regulated and that we will have tourist figures at the level of 60 percent from 2019, so we will be a little better than 2020, but not nearly as close as 2019. I don't think there should be any fear for those who test positive when they arrive at the destination; we have already learned to live with this virus and the fact that you can't plan anything. Still, based on some indicators, it could be read that my forecast would be realistic and that we should have about 60 percent of the tourist figures from 2019," Žgomba said at the end.
The head of the Croatian Travel Agencies Association (UHPA), Tomislav Fain, told Index that there should be no problems if rapid tests are allowed and if Croatia is well prepared so that each region, county, and city provides a sufficient number of rapid testing points that will be cheap.
"Reading the prime minister's statements, we all depend on the European Commission and its protocols. If rapid tests are recognized, then we will have no problems, and the intention is to recognize rapid tests as relevant. If that is the case, then it will be good because they are fast and affordable. This would solve the biggest problem. I was in Greece in October, and their minister said he would push the idea of recognizing rapid tests that would cost a couple of euros. If Greece succeeds in that, then, as I said, Croatia must prepare well so that guests can quickly and conveniently take the test and get the result," Fain said.
He states that Greece organized such testing at airports last season and that it was easier for them to control it because most of their guests arrive by air, while Croatia is more of a car destination.
Paško Klisović, president of the Association of Accommodation Providers on Boats - Charter, told Index that they have already held two meetings this week regarding the upcoming season.
"One of the conclusions of the Tourist Business Council at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce - including all representatives of the association, from hoteliers, agencies, charters, family accommodation, marinas, i.e., all employees in tourism - is that testing must take place at tourist checkpoints and that the cost of tests must be minimized. I proposed that the price of the tests is subsidized from the income of the sojourn tax," Klisović said.
He also states that charter tourism is unfavorable because they are hoping for the first guests in a month.
"As far as I can see, everyone else in tourism is hoping for guests only in June, while we have announcements for Easter. I hope that some things will be organized and agreed upon as soon as possible. We have already had a meeting in Šibenik-Knin County with the local Institute of Public Health on tourist testing points. I have to say they are willing to do it, but we were told there was a shortage of people to do the testing, so we went on to involve private clinics that could jump in. We hope that everything will be organized on time," Klisović concluded.
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Health Minister: 777 New Coronavirus Cases, Up 19% Week on Week
ZAGREB, 11 March 2021 - In the past 24 hours 777 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia, Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday, adding that due to the rise in infections, the numbers of active cases and hospitalisations had gone up 19% and 18% respectively on the week.
"Each one of us affects developments by our own example and behaviour, so the trend of increase in infections can be avoided," he said at a cabinet meeting. He called for caution so as not to cancel the progress achieved in curbing the disease, notably due to the situation in neighbouring countries.
The minister said 408,270 COVID vaccine doses had arrived in Croatia so far and that 288,982 had been administered, with a little over 158,000 people receiving the first and over 65,000 both shots.
He said 73,078 doses had been administered to medical workers, with 10,316 receiving the first and 31,381 both shots.
Suspected vaccine side effects have been reported 1,342 times.
"By the end of March, we expect an additional 335,106 doses," Beroš said, adding that 743,376 doses will have been received in total by the end of the month.
The preliminary results of a serological analysis of 1,400 samples done by the Croatian Institute of Public Health show that 25% were positive, which indicates the number of people who were in contact with the virus, he said. After the neutralisation test, we will know how many are immune to COVID-19, he added.
By 5 March, more than 5,500 post-COVID patients have been hospitalised, most of them with respiratory problems.
Croatia's Coronavirus Update: 777 New Cases, 10 Deaths, 459 Recoveries
ZAGREB, 11 March 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 777 new cases of the coronavirus infection and 10 deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Thursday.
The number of active cases in Croatia stands at 4,289, including 811 patients in hospitals, 79 of whom are on ventilators.
There are currently 16,233 people in self-isolation.
Since the first case in February last year, a total of 248,838 people infected with coronavirus have been registered, and 5,635 have died.
A total of 238,914 people have recovered, 459 of whom in the last 24 hours.
To date, 1,410,383 people have been tested, including 6,755 over the past 24 hours of which 11.5 have returned positive.
As Many People have Moved to Banija as have Left after Quake, Jutarnji List Says
ZAGREB, 11 March 2021 - As many people have moved to the Banija region as have left after the magnitude 6.2 earthquake of 29 December, Jutarnji List daily said on Thursday, wondering if those who have moved there are after the post-earthquake reconstruction money.
Many people have left all over Sisak-Moslavina County after the devastating earthquake and the constant aftershocks are making those who have stayed think about leaving.
However, few would have imagined that the number of those who have moved out of the county, changing their place of residence, would be almost the same as the number of those who have moved to Sisak-Moslavina County since the earthquake, registering as residents.
According to county police data, 171,066 people were registered as residents as of 31 December and 170,761 as of 9 March.
Between 1 January and 9 March, 208 people moved from Sisak-Moslavina County to another county in Croatia and 22 moved abroad, 176 people moved to that county from another county in Croatia and 13 from abroad, and 803 people changed their residence within the county, Sisak police told Jutarnji List.
The actual number of those who have moved out of Sisak-Moslavina County and those who have registered their residence in another county in Croatia is ten times higher, but the almost equal number of those who have officially moved out or to the county is evident, the newspaper said.
PM: Epidemiological Situation Relatively Good but Caution Necessary
ZAGREB, 11 March 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Thursday the epidemiological situation in Croatia was still relatively good, despite deteriorating somewhat in the past three weeks, which was why he appealed for constant and additional caution.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, he said Croatia was sixth in the EU in terms of lowest weekly incidence of new coronavirus cases and eighth in terms of lowest weekly COVID mortality, and that it had the lowest weekly incidence in Central and Mediterranean Europe.
Plenković said the quite high increases in Italy, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia should lead to greater caution in Croatia given that restrictions had been relaxed. "Now it's very important that greater individual responsibility follow the new context of the social life."
There is an increase of new infections in the coastal counties. The common intention is to ensure the tourist season, so it's important that people remain alert and adhere to the recommendations and measures so that we can stabilise the trend we had and see how to restore all economic activities, he added.
Plenković went on to say that a meeting was held yesterday with representatives of the Women's Room and that it was agreed to draft a national strategy preventing sexual violence. The document will be sponsored by the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, with the participation of other departments.
He announced that as part of amendments to the Criminal Code, sexual harassment will be prosecuted ex-officio.
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Croatia Handball Departs for Montpellier, Olympic Qualifiers Begin Friday
March 11, 2021 - Croatia handball departs for Montpellier after a short preparation in Zagreb ahead of the Olympic qualifying tournament this weekend.
The Croatia men's handball team has completed three short days of preparation ahead of the Olympic qualifying tournament hosted by Montpellier from March 12 to 14. This is a new challenge for Croatia that ensures a spot in Tokyo at the Olympic Games this summer.
New coach Hrvoje Horvat and his professional staff had only a short time to prepare for the competition in France, refreshing the players who competed in several matches recently and preparing the others who have played less.
The schedule in Montpellier is hellish. In three days, the national team will face three extremely difficult rivals; the first against the best national team of all time, and the host - France - on Friday, the always improving Portugal on Saturday, and a clash against one of the best African national teams on Sunday - Tunisia.
Due to COVID-19, the World Handball Federation has allowed each national team 20 players. Up to 16 can be on the player list for each match, and five changes are possible.
As it is known, Hrvoje Horvat had 21 players at his disposal during these short preparations. Since he has the most numbers in the outside positions, he decided to drop Matej Hrstić. The valuable member of PPD Zagreb thus stays at home.
List of Croatia national handball team members:
1. MARIN ŠEGO – MONTPELLIER HB
2. IVAN PEŠIĆ – HC MEŠKOV BREST
3. MATE ŠUNJIĆ – US IVRY HANDBALL
4. IVAN ČUPIĆ – RK VARDAR 1961
5. ZLATKO HORVAT – RK METALURG SKOPJE
6. MANUEL ŠTRLEK – TELEKOM VESZPREM HC
7. DAVID MANDIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB
8. ŽELJKO MUSA – SC MAGDEBURG
9. MARINO MARIĆ – MT MELSUNGEN
10. ILIJA BROZOVIĆ – TSV HANNOVER -BURGDORF
11. KREŠIMIR KOZINA – FRISCH AUP GOPPINGEN
12. LUKA CINDRIĆ – BARCELONA
13. DOMAGOJ DUVNJAK – THW KIEL
14. IGOR KARAČIĆ – HC LOMZA VIVA KIELCE
15. MARKO MAMIĆ – SCDHFK LEIPZIG
16. HALIL JAGANJAC – RK NEXE
17. IVAN MARTINOVIĆ – HC HANNOVER -BURGDORF
18. DOMAGOJ PAVLOVIĆ – MT MELSUNGEN
19. LUKA ŠEBETIĆ – TREMBLAY EN FRANCE HANDBALL
20. ŠIME IVIĆ – HC ERLANGEN
The Croatia national handball team has been to the Olympic Games five times so far and won gold in Atlanta and Athens.
The Croatia handball team travels to France on Thursday.
Source: HRS
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Nordwind Flights from Moscow to Zagreb begin March 19!
March 11, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia: Nordwind flights from Moscow to Zagreb will commence on March 19, 2021!
Croatian Aviation reports that from March 19, Russian low-cost and leisure airline Nordwind Airlines will operate regularly between Moscow and Zagreb.
The Russian airline intended to launch a regular line between Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport) and Zagreb in October 2020, but due to the global pandemic and travel ban between Russia and Croatia, they postponed its plan until this year.
Regular operations will still take place, starting on March 19, when Nordwind will operate its first flight on this line. In the reservation calendar, only one weekly flight is available on this route, every Friday, and it will be operated by Pegas Fly aircraft of the E190 type with a capacity of 110 passengers in the classic 2-2 configuration.
The company originally planned three weekly flights on this route, but it is only available for booking one flight a week.
There have been no direct flights between Croatia and Russia since March 2020, i.e., or when travel was stopped due to the global pandemic.
However, even before Nordwind, the national carrier - Aeroflot - will land in Zagreb.
As announced earlier, Aeroflot will resume traffic between Moscow and Zagreb from Thursday, March 11, almost a year after they suspended flights to Croatia. An A320 aircraft has been announced for the inaugural flight to Zagreb, carrying 50 passengers from Moscow to Zagreb. From Thursday, April 29, Aeroflot offers daily flights between the two cities with A320 aircraft.
From June 1, Aeroflot should operate on the Moscow-Split-Moscow route again, also daily in the summer flight schedule. As in previous years, Aeroflot will use a larger aircraft on this route - A321.
The company also plans to re-establish the Moscow-Dubrovnik-Moscow route in the upcoming summer flight schedule, but the schedule has not yet been confirmed and tickets on this route are not yet on sale on the company's official website.
A positive surprise could be a Moscow-Pula-Moscow line, but Pula airport confirmed that negotiations are currently underway and that they hope that Russia's national carrier will decide to establish a line to and from Pula this summer.
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PCR and Antigen Tests at Esplanade: COVID-19 Testing Now Available for Guests of Zagreb Hotel
March 11, 2021 - PCR and antigen tests at Esplanade are now a reality for guests of the famous Zagreb hotel!
HRTurizam reports that from now on, the Zagreb Esplanade hotel offers a unique service: conducting COVID-19 testing at the hotel at an agreed time, with the special benefit of free medical staff and a free English translation.
The procedure is effortless. Before arriving at the hotel or during the stay, the guest can contact the Booking Department or the reception, at least 24 hours in advance, to arrange a test date. Testing is conducted Monday through Friday from 8 am to 7 pm, and Saturday from 8 am to noon. Other dates are available on request.
Today, most countries in the world ask travelers and their own citizens to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test when entering the country, said Ivica Max Krizmanić, General Manager of the Esplanade Hotel, adding that it can be complicated and often it is not just one test but several during the trip.
"Also, time is wasted exploring the locations that offer this service, and the waiting can be prolonged, which leads to additional nervousness. Guests of the Esplanade Hotel are accustomed to the highest standard of service. We are known for being able to provide them with what is not in the regular offer, so there is a need to offer what they need most on the trip, and that is the possibility of testing in the comfort of the hotel - fast, easy and personalized, at the highest level and a fair price. We considered the options and decided to carry out this service in cooperation with the LabPlus polyclinic, whose staff is extremely professional. The testing is carried out following strict epidemiological measures, discreetly and accurately at the agreed time. We’ve been testing the service for a while now, and it has proven to be a complete hit. Also, we offer our guests another great advantage: free arrival of the medical staff at the location, as well as a free test translation into English," said Max Krizmanić.
The professional medical staff of LabPlus arrives at the hotel at the agreed time and conducts testing following strict epidemiological measures. The results are delivered to the desired e-mail address, in Croatian or English, within 3 hours for the antigen and antibody test. The PCR test is ready within 24 hours after the sample arrives at the laboratory. The service is paid according to a clear price list of HRK 250 for the antigen test (nose sample), HRK 300 for the antibody test (blood sample), and HRK 750 for the PCR test (nose sample).
"We are aware that every moment of the trip is precious, so we will try to meet all guests who need the test as much as possible. I think that this service will greatly facilitate the arrival in Zagreb, reduce stress and enable our guests to enjoy their stay without worries," concluded Max Krizmanić.
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Parliament Discusses Candidates for Public Ombudsman
ZAGREB, 10 March, 2021 - The Croatian parliament on Wednesday discussed a proposal by the Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System to nominate attorney and judge Sandra Hančić and Deputy Public Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter for the post of Public Ombudsman.
Several opposition party groups expressed dissatisfaction that Public Ombudswoman Lora Vidović's reports for 2018 and 2019 had still not been discussed.
Nino Raspudić of the Bridge party warned about what he called a huge increase in the budget of the ombudswoman's office, saying it had doubled since 2008, as well as about an increase in the number of staff.
He proposed reducing the term of the public ombudsman from eight to five years and that the official should be elected by a two-thirds majority in the parliament.
That way one would not elect a para-political person, said Raspudić, adding that outgoing Public Ombudswoman Lora Vidović had not dealt with issues she should have dealt with and that she made her views clear when she opposed the 2013 referendum on marriage as a union of man and woman.
Dalija Orešković (Centar, GLAS) warned about growing social inequality and what she described as the shameful treatment of the office of public ombudswoman, whose reports for 2018 and 2019 had still not been discussed by the parliament. The Public Ombudswoman has protected public interest and not the interests of the HDZ, Orešković said, accusing the ruling party of destroying the country and causing its people to emigrate.
She dismissed Raspudić's claim that Vidović was a para-political figure.
The declining number of applications for the post shows that candidates do not see any prospects there, she said.
Ružica Vukovac of the Homeland Movement warned that MPs were only given short biographies of the candidates, who were not presented in the parliament.
Vesna Nađ (SDP) said that her party preferred Šimonović Einwalter, noting that it was not good that the public ombudswoman's reports for 2018 and 2019 had not been discussed.
Damir Habijan of the HDZ said the office of the public ombudsman was undoubtedly important and that the candidates had answered all questions put to them by two parliamentary committees.
The public ombudsman is expected to advocate and protect the rights and freedoms defined by the Constitution and international treaties, and the HDZ will make a decision on which candidate to support when the vote is taken, he said.
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