February the 22nd, 2021 - Pula tree planting is getting underway as residents of this beautiful Istrian city are given various trees to plant in their hundreds to plant across the city.
As Morski writes, by distributing 132 fruit trees to the city's residents and planting dozens of new trees on public green areas in various areas, the Pula tree planting mission has got off to an excellent start. As part of this Pula tree planting action, citizens will be given fruit trees, 50 olive trees, 50 fig trees, 20 pomegranate trees, 30 hazelnut trees and 32 two-year-old chestnut trees.
''Planting trees on public green areas and within private gardens and back gardens contributes to increasing the green fund of the city and the protection and preservation of the environment, all of which are activities among the priorities of the City of Pula. In addition to the positive aspect in terms of enriching the green fund of the city, residents will be able to enjoy the benefits of the fruit these trees will bear, which, we're sure, they'll nurture with full care and attention,'' said the Mayor of Pula, Boris Miletic.
Even before the Pula tree planting mission gets started at the hands of citizens in their gardens and in other areas, the employees of Horticulture Pula Herculanee will, following favourable weather conditions, start planting even more palm trees, sycamore, holm oak and pine trees within the city, as replacement trees for previously removed or dead trees. The activities of planting ornamental trees will continue on other public green areas in which, as part of the action "Plant a tree, don't be a stump!", citizens will be able to actively participate. The time and location of this Pula tree planting mission will be announced the day before it begins.
It should be noted that as part of the maintenance of public green areas, these actions are performed at the request of residents/tenants and building managers.
The City of Pula has emphasised that the protection and preservation of the city's green areas are important determinants in the spatial planning system of the City of Pula and its representation, in the context of monitoring the state of the green fund and taking measures to increase it, is a common activity in planning and implementing specific activities.
As much as 40 percent of the surface of Pula is covered by green areas, and CO2 emissions have been significantly reduced as a result of that.
''Considering that the city is a "living tissue" and is developing every day, new public green areas are being formed during the implementation of the city's construction and maintenance projects and as such have become an integral part of its regular maintenance. In the last ten years alone, thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted in the area of Pula, which has significantly reduced CO2 emissions,'' read a statment from the City of Pula.
''Developing awareness of the importance of greenery in relation to people's overall quality of life, achieving the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development and reducing environmental pollution is a guiding thought during the implementation of various activities, especially when it comes to working with young people and associations.
"Plant a tree, don't be a stump."
Pula was one of the first cities to engage heavily in planting new trees as part of this initiative, and about a hundred trees were planted on public green areas and on the grounds of kindergartens and schools, and the same number were donated to fellow citizens to plant on their properties.
It's also worth recalling the specific indicators which, at the level of spatial plans, indicate a very high representation of green and recreational areas when compared to the representation of plans for other purposes.
The fact that Pula is covered in so much greenery speaks in favour of the Istrian city's commitment to the importance of greenery, which significantly exceeds the recommendations of representation set by the European Commission (EC) as well as specific indicators at the level of large cities in Croatia and at the European Union level.
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February 22, 2021 - At the National Civil Protection Headquarters' press conference on Monday, Interior Minister Davor Božinović spoke about easing measures in Croatia on March 1.
Jutarnji List reports that in the last 24 hours, 72 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, and the number of active cases in Croatia today is 2111.
Among them, 792 patients are in hospital, of which 68 are on a ventilator.
20 people died. The average age of the deceased is 76 years. 166,146 doses of vaccine had been used, and 108,311 people were vaccinated. For 57,835 people, the vaccination was completed.
HZJZ director Krunoslav Capak reported on the 14-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants.
"We have 72 new cases. A week ago, there were 68 new cases, and the week before, 71 new cases. The mild beginning of the plateau of an equal number of patients or a very slight increase continues. We currently have two percent more than the week before. The current incidence for the Republic of Croatia in 14 days is 111.2. The lowest incidence is in the County of Istria and the highest in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. In terms of incidence, Croatia ranks 3rd in the EU. Only Denmark and Finland have the lowest, and the Czech Republic has the highest in the EU: 1109.7. The total mortality rate per million inhabitants is 1331.9, and we are ranked 19th out of 27 EU countries. The share of positives in those tested today is 3.2 and for the last 14 days, 6.0. So far, HALMED has received 927 reports of suspected side effects, of which 822 are on the Pfizer vaccine, 48 on the Moderna, and 57 on the AstraZeneca," Capak said.
Capak spoke about the shipments of vaccines expected in Croatia.
"This week, we need to receive 23,400 doses of Pfizer, 16,800 Moderna, and 52,000 AstraZeneca. Moderna has announced that it will deliver those 16,800 doses on February 25. Of all the others, we have announcements for March, only from Moderna. We do not have dates, but they announced about 55,000 doses during March. We should receive another 508,630 doses of vaccine by the end of March."
Minister of Health Vili Beroš spoke about 20% fewer examinations and procedures in hospitals this year.
"It ranges from 19-28%. We learned in this spring wave and adjusted the health care system. Everywhere in the world, health capacities are focused on solving Covid problems. We had to operate one entire facility to provide COVID-19 protection to positive patients and relieve all other health facilities. I think we succeeded in that. We appeal to health institutions and patients to respond to preventive examinations. This is of fundamental importance. Many avoid these examinations for fear of getting infected in hospitals, which is not good. It is important to have regular preventive check-ups. And the general population does not respond in the desired number to preventive examinations. We are thinking about it, and we have adjusted the health care system so that as many institutions as possible provide other health care," he said.
Capak commented on allegations that those receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine will not have to wear masks afterward.
"The type of immunity that protects our mucous membrane from the virus, so that it cannot live on it, is a different type of immunity than the one that develops after vaccination. AstraZeneca was the first to publish a study, and their vaccine also protects against virus transmission. And if the vaccine develops immunity, we weren’t sure if that person could receive the virus on the mucosa and transmit it. That’s why we recommended wearing a mask even after vaccination. Whether other vaccine manufacturers will conduct such studies, we do not currently know. We wouldn’t tell anyone now not to wear a mask; everyone should wear a mask. Until the transmission of the virus and the number is significantly reduced, it is recommended for everyone to wear masks," said Capak.
Božinović commented on the possibility of easing measures from March 1.
"Talks have already begun this week. It all depends on the epidemiological situation, which is good despite these particular increases. The Republic of Croatia is at the top of the countries when it comes to low incidence. We will talk to the ministers. Our goal is the same, to normalize life as much as possible, to start as many economic activities as possible. Certainly, on March 1, we will not open everything as before the epidemic, but if these trends continue, the possibility of certain concessions certainly exists. I wouldn’t want to be more specific here now. We monitor the situation locally as well. When we talk about the counties' demands, that decision is always a decision of the National Headquarters. We are not against initiatives, but for each specific initiative from the county level, the decision will be made by the National Headquarters."
Capak commented on the slight increase 4 days in a row compared to the week before.
"Four days is not enough to talk about the trend. This is a slight increase from the figure a week ago. Now we can think that it is some oscillation, or we can say that it is the stagnation of the fall that we had so that the plateau has leveled off and the numbers are rising. We will see this over the next few days; we can hope it is a slight oscillation after which the numbers will fall."
Capak commented on the start of mass vaccination in Zagreb.
"I don't know about any problems. From the beginning, the possibility of getting vaccinated in organizations or at checkpoints has been included. Some have reached the stage of using checkpoints. In Zagreb, the transition to the second phase was a bit late, and now we got a little more vaccine, and the first phase is over. HZJZ has decided to make vaccination actions at checkpoints. Tomorrow we will vaccinate in Mihaljevac and the City of Zagreb in NZJZ Andrija Štampar. Patients from the list of health centers will come; 60 patients have been ordered every half hour. We estimate that we will vaccinate 900-1000 people."
Journalists asked the Headquarters about the tourist season and testing.
"It was discussed that those who return to their countries should be allowed to do PCR in Croatia to cross the border. We will try to organize it again this year during the season, and there is still time until then. Whether it will be at the airport or somewhere else remains to be seen. We think we will then have enough free capacity for PCR tests. There is still no EU country that recognizes rapid antigen tests for crossing the border, "Capak said.
Božinović continued.
"Numerous conversations are taking place on this, at all levels. There will be a European Council meeting soon. The Headquarters is constantly in communication with the Ministry, and we have planned meetings on this topic. This is just one of the issues we will discuss."
Reporters asked Božinović about the possible concessions on March 1.
"We are probably one of the most open EU countries, and the fact is that there is not much we talk about yet. Of course, when we talk about restrictions, some relate to some activities that are already open and take place under certain circumstances. I think it is becoming clear to everyone that our model from day one was that we need to be rational, put everything in the context of the overall epidemiological situation to function as much as possible, and not make decisions that we will soon change. We are all affected in different ways, and we all suffer because of it. Solidarity could and should now be increasingly oriented towards becoming aware of the risks and problems that the epidemic brings to certain sections of the population. The fact is that the most at risk are the elderly, the chronically ill, and they are certainly not the ones looking for measures to be eased. When they give in, they are in the group of those most at risk. That’s why everyone needs to see what they can do to protect the most vulnerable. They need to take care of themselves, adhere to measures, and insist that everyone who comes close to them, especially younger family members, adheres to the measures. I want to say that different groups need to think for themselves about the epidemic risks. If we achieve a kind of understanding, there will be less and less need to impose something as behavior. The open-close approach is slowly being exhausted."
To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
ZAGREB, 22 February, 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has conducted 2,242 coronavirus tests, and of them 72, that is 3.2%, have returned positive, while there have been 20 COVID-related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team stated on Monday morning.
There are currently 2,111 active cases, of whom 792 are hospitalised patients, including 68 placed on ventilators.
A total of 11,267 are self-isolating.
Since 25 February 2020 when Croatia registered its first case of the infection with this novel virus, 1.3 million tests have been conducted, and 240,017 people have contracted the virus. Of them, 232,457 have recovered, including 312 in the last 24 hours.
The death toll has climbed to 5,449.
For more on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section.
ZAGREB, 22 February, 2021 - Croatians can expect to be able to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa as of this summer, as it joins the USA Visa Waiver Program, Večernji List reported on Monday.
Croatia has dropped to below three percent of rejected visa applications in the USA and met the key requirement for their cancellation.
"The final refusal rate for Croatian tourist/business visa applicants fell to 2.69% last year, an essential step forward in joining the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. We look forward to Croatians travelling to the United States visa-free in the near future," the Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy, Victoria Taylor, has recently stated.
The Zagreb-based daily newspaper on Monday reported that representatives of the US Department of Homeland Security might arrive in Croatia in June to conduct the further evaluation processes.
Officials of the Croatian Ministry of the interior told the newspaper that the Croatian authorities were intensifying their efforts to meet the remaining criteria considering security topics.
Croatia's ministry is closely cooperating with the US Department of Homeland Security to boost the country's security capacities concerning the security of the Croatian border, migrations, international protection, collection and analysis of cross-border passengers and travellers.
The final decision on allowing Croatia to join the Visa Waiver Program can be expected until 30 September at the latest, the daily said.
For more on Croatia and the USA Visa Program, here is the recent announcement from the US Embassy in Zagreb.
February the 22nd, 2021 - Rimac Automobili, owned by Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, has gone from strength to strength and it seems as if that run is far from over.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Bugatti and the Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac are becoming closer than ever in their relations, with a company takeover from Rimac seeming closer to coming to fruition than ever.
"At the moment, we're thinking intensively about how to ensure the development of Bugatti in the best possible way. Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac could play a significant role in all of that because the two brands fit very well in a technological sense,'' Porsche's Oliver Blume told Automobilwoche.
The Croatian company Rimac Automobili and Volkswagen's supercar brand Bugatti are a fantastic couple in terms of technology, said Oliver Blume, Porsche's director for German Automobilwoche, Reuters reports. The statement reawakened hope that Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac's beloved company could indeed take over the gigantic Bugatti, which has, as Telegram writes, been being talked about for several months now and would mean an enormous amount for Croatia's place on the car map.
Namely, back in September last year, the British portal CarMagazine announced that the Volkswagen Group would hand over Bugatti to Rimac Automobili, in exchange for increasing Porsche's share in Rimac's impressive company headquartered in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb.
Volkswagen is also the owner of the Porsche brand, which has acquired a 15.5 percent stake in the Croatian company over the years. Back in 2018, they bought a 10 percent stake, and a year later they purchased another 5.5 percent of it. Britain's CarMagazine then claimed that VW's management intended to increase that share to a significantly higher 49 percent.
“There are different scenarios with different structures that we're looking into. I believe that a decision on this issue will be made in the first half of this year,'' noted Oliver Blume.
For more on Mate Rimac, follow our dedicated section.
February the 22nd, 2021 - Is Croatia planning Covid passport introduction in order to facilitate a less stressful summer tourist season for this year? The move would see the country have a more stable situation and a desperately needed boost from its strongest economic branch.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, Croatia is working on bilateral agreements to facilitate the crossing of its borders for those vaccinated against the novel coronavirus without the need to present a negative PCR test, in order to facilitate easier traffic during the tourist season, Davor Bozinovic, head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters confirmed on Friday.
"This is a sensitive matter because in Europe, they believe that there should be no discrimination on this basis. And we're going to have to see what we do and set ourselves up practically. We've already spoken with the Ministry of Tourism. On the one hand, it is still too early to decide concretely or run before we can walk. These talks will see the situation looked at more deeply and we'll see how we can facilitate a better tourist season this summer than the one we had last year,'' Bozinovic assured.
As has since been learned unofficially, a meeting of the European Commission (EC) on the topic of Covid passports will be held tomorrow, in order to define as soon as possible how people will be able to travel within the borders of the European Union and beyond for leisure during the summer months.
When it comes to Croatia planning Covid passport introductions, the country has held off even talking much about the matter and has instead been sitting back and waiting for a joint EU solution before delving into what some consider to be a controversial topic. This is the opposite move of some other EU member states that have already signed agreements with their emitting markets.
Nearby Greece, which was the first to raise the issue of Covid passports at the European Union level just a month or so ago, has so far signed an agreement with Israel, as well as Cyprus, and is now announcing an agreement with the United Kingdom, as the Northern European island nation brings enormous amounts of traffic to Greece each and every year.
The key issue that Covid passports hope and want to address is the issue of costs, which will be high for all those who will usually need to be tested before and after taking their trips without one unless such requirements are dropped.
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February the 22nd, 2021 - Marija Bubas, Krunoslav Capak's deputy at the Croatian Institute for Public Health, has made an encouraging statement regarding Croatia's continued favourable trend in terms of the infection rate.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Marija Bubas recently spoke to Dnevnik N1 television about the vaccination of vulnerable groups, which has been being carried out by the CNIPH since Tuesday.
"The Croatian Institute for Public Health would organise the implementation of vaccination for patients who were referred by their GPs, but are not able to carry out vaccination for whatever reason. The Institute is therefore an aid in the implementation of the vaccination process, its role is significant, it was also important in Sisak-Moslavina County as an aid, but we must be present and not be precisely those who have the main say in it all,'' said Marija Bubas.
"Every dose thrown away is an enormous shame''
AstraZeneca and Pfizer will be the vaccines with which the Croatian population will be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, and just many people will be vaccinated will depend on the response.
“We have significant capacities, doctors and other staff who can vaccinate the public. Every dose thrown away is a great pity because that dose actually belongs to someone. The idea is to achieve as much vaccination as possible in the shortest possible time, both in Croatia and across the whole world, so every discarded or damaged vaccine is wasted,'' explained Marija Bubas.
The manufacturer advised that the second dose of AstraZeneca needs to be given eight to twelve weeks after the first, but now there are indications that it is better to administer it closer to the twelfth week, she added.
"Then a better response to the first dose of vaccine is achieved, so we will be more strategically placed in that sense," she said.
"The easing of measures must be gradual and concession is being considered,'' she noted.
"The current situation is far more favourable than it was two months ago, there are fewer newly infected people, fewer people on respirators… But each step should be taken very gradually, we need to evaluate things to know where and when to stop and how to move forward. If there is a concession, it will be reevaluated after two to three weeks in order to start either a new concession or indeed further tightening,'' said Marija Bubas.
''If people want to enjoy the benefits of the easing of the anti-epidemic measures, then we're asking them to be responsible in their actions as much as is possible,'' she added.
"The director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Europe also provided a description that describes the past year very well - pandemic fatigue, this also refers to the saturation of measures. It is understandable that people are growing tired with it all, but that is exactly why we're appealing to people to just wait a little bit longer and continue being patient,'' she said.
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February 22, 2021 - The latest news for flights to Croatia: SkyUp flights from Kyiv to Pula, Split, Dubrovnik starting in June!
Croatian Aviation reports that the Ukrainian low-cost airline, which also operates charter transport, offers as many as three scheduled flights to Croatia in the 2021 summer flight schedule.
In 2019, this carrier operated only between Kyiv and Pula, while in 2020 there were no regular operations to Croatia due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the upcoming summer flight schedule, SkyUp will introduce two new routes to Croatia and resume traffic to Pula Airport.
The Kyiv - Split - Kyiv line will operate from June 19 to September 18, twice a week, every Wednesday and Saturday. On the route to Split and Pula, aircraft type B737-700, with a slightly smaller capacity (144 seats) was announced. On 27 return flights, SkyUp will offer more than 7,000 seats between Split and Kyiv.
The Kyiv - Pula - Kyiv line will operate from June 20 to September 19, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. The airline will perform the same number of rotations on this line as to Split and offer a total of the same amount of seats from or to Pula Airport.
The Kyiv - Dubrovnik - Kyiv line will operate from June 25 to September 17, once a week, every Friday. B737-800 aircraft will operate on 13 return flights. In total, almost 5,000 seats are available on this line.
SkyUp is the second airline to announce a flight schedule to Croatia from Kyiv for the upcoming summer season, as Windrose has also confirmed its flight schedule to Croatia this summer.
Namely, Windrose will connect Kyiv directly to Pula, Split, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb.
Kyiv to Pula
The Kyiv - Pula - Kyiv line will operate from June 5 to September 25 this year. Three flights a week will be available on this route every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from mid-June. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, A321 aircraft will operate between Kyiv and Pula, while on Thursdays, the two mentioned cities will be connected by smaller capacity aircraft - E145.
Kyiv - Split
On the same date, the line to Split will start operating, and as the line to Pula, it will operate three times a week, on the same days (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays). A321 aircraft have been announced on Thursdays and Saturdays, while E145s will operate on Mondays.
Dubrovnik only once a week
In the summer of 2020, Windrose launched the Kyiv-Dubrovnik line, which will continue to operate this summer. The first flight is announced on June 18, once a week, every Friday. E145 aircraft will operate on the route.
No increase in Zagreb
The Kyiv - Zagreb line was introduced in the winter flight schedule 2020/2021. The company currently operates on this route twice a week, and although it had announced an increase in the number of weekly flights, it never came to fruition. The company has temporarily given up on that plan and will continue to operate between Zagreb and Kyiv twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, this summer as well. On the route to Zagreb, Windrose will use E145 and ATR75 aircraft.
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February 22, 2021 - Mass vaccination begins in Zagreb today for people over 65 and chronic patients.
Jutarnji List reports that this week, 16,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines should be distributed to family medicine clinics in Zagreb to vaccinate people over 65 and chronic patients, reveals the Zagreb Teaching Institute for Public Health "Dr. Andrija Štampar."
So far, about 85,000 Zagreb citizens who have entered this category have applied for vaccination, and the Institute says that the number is increasing every day. Citizens will be vaccinated by about 400 medical teams of family medicine, with 35 percent voting for vaccination in their offices. In contrast, the rest will be vaccinated at one of the 19 points provided for that purpose in the city.
The mass vaccination of people over the age of 65 and chronic patients started on Saturday in Međimurje as well.
Everything is ready for vaccination in Zagreb, said Zvonimir Šostar, director of the Institute of Public Health 'Dr. Andrija Štampar' for HRT.
"We have 12,000 doses of AstraZeneca at our disposal, so three vials would be given to each vaccinee, some 35 percent of whom will be vaccinated in their organizations and 65 percent at 19 points. Moderna did not arrive here last week, although it was announced, I believe it will come today or tomorrow, so we will immediately forward another bottle of Moderna to our colleagues, i.e., 10 doses," said Šostar.
He also explained that the Moderna vaccine must be transported frozen, while the AstraZeneca does not require special conditions. Vaccine delivery will end this afternoon.
"We are doing a huge job, and the employees are working until 11 pm, midnight," said Šostar and added that there is no fear about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine. If all goes well, 17,000 people could receive the vaccine this week.
"All the vaccine in this world that is used protects you from severe forms of the disease, from hospitalization, and ultimately from ventilators," Šostar added for HRT.
"Every week, more and more people apply to doctors for vaccinations, and the younger population has recently started applying," said Mirela Marković, a member of the executive board of KoHOM, whose office begins vaccination tomorrow morning.
To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
February 22, 2021 - The 22nd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 19 to 21, 2021. In this round, Osijek tops Rijeka 2:0 at City Garden Stadium.
Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (2:2)
Belupo and Sibenik opened the 22nd round on Friday, February 19, 2021, in Koprivnica.
Ampem scored for the Sibenik lead in the 21st minute for 0:1, which Juric increased to 0:2 in the 39th minute.
Knoll and Ilicic came back with goals for Belupo in the final minutes of the first half to equalize 2:2, which was the final result.
Belupo is currently in 8th place with 21 points, while Sibenik is in 6th with 25.
Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (0:1)
Istra and Varazdin met on Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Pula.
The first half went without goals as Istra's Loncar missed a penalty in the 32nd minute. The only goal of the match came in the 88th minute when Varazdin's Senic scored for 0:1, which was the final result.
Istra is currently in last place with 14 points, while Varazdin is in 7th with 22.
Lokomotiva v. Gorica (0:3)
Lokomotiva and Gorica met on Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Zagreb.
Steenvoorden opened Gorica's scoring spree with an early goal in the 10th minute, which was the score going into the half. Dieye increased Gorica's lead to 0:2 in the 74th minute, and Mitrovic made it 0:3 less than 10 minutes later for 0:3.
Lokomotiva is currently in 9th place with 18 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 43.
Osijek v. Rijeka (2:0)
Osijek and Rijeka closed out the 22nd round on Sunday, February 21, 2021, at City Garden Stadium.
Osijek's Mierez scored the first goal of the match in the 25th minute for 1:0 at the half. Mierez increased Osijek's lead to 2:0 in the 69th minute, which was the final result.
Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 48 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 32.
The eternal derby between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud was postponed as 12 Hajduk players are infected with COVID-19. The match will be played in the first possible free term, and the decision on the date will be made later. You can read more about the decision on Hajduk.hr.
You can see the full HNL table HERE.
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