Salona Archaeological Zone an Excellent Example of Modern Visual Communication
December 8, 2020 - One outstanding project in the Croatian Design Exhibition conceptualizes the Signage of the Salona Archaeological Zone.
HRTurizam reports that this year, at the Croatian Design Exhibition, works were presented in the professional and student section in eight categories: Visual Communication Design, Digital Media Design and Interaction Design, Packaging Design, Industrial / Product Design, Spatial and Graphic Interventions and Systems, Fashion and Clothing Design, Complete project/product and Concept/initiative /critical design.
The online exhibition and a new database of contemporary Croatian design were designed by Marina Jukić, programmed by Emanuel Blagonić, with Tina Ivezić and Matija Ferlin as the authors of the visual identity. A total of 497 works were submitted to the exhibition, of which 294 were selected by the Selection Committee. Since the first edition of the Croatian Design Exhibition held in 1999, this is the most extensive selection made as part of this biennial exhibition project.
In the professional section, 247 works were presented, while there were 47 in the student category. Visual Communications Design is, as in previous editions, the most comprehensive segment of the exhibition and includes 161 works.
Of all the excellent works, the Signage of the Salona Archaeological Zone gives a positive example of modern visual communication in historical and cultural sites and is related to the tourism sector. Bojan Sivački and Lana Vitas Gruić are responsible for the concept and design, and the work was awarded special recognition in the category of Spatial and Graphic Interventions and Systems.
Bojan Sivački, Lana Vitas Gruić
The archeological complex of Salona is mostly dominated by ruins and flatness, so the visitor needs a lot of imagination to envisage the buildings that were once there. Inside the complex, a new, innovative system of signposts and interpretation boards has been installed, made of tempered glass that does not prevent the view of the environment, the project description points out.
Bojan Sivački, Lana Vitas Gruić
A description is engraved in them from the back. The illustration drawn according to the authentic archeological-architectural reconstructions of the building, viewed from a specially marked point, upgrades the stone remains to the observer's former real appearance.
An incredibly imaginative way to navigate through these ancient ruins, bravo to Bojan Sivački and Lana Vitas Gruić!
You can read more about this project and others HERE.
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1.6% of Zagreb Pupils Tested Positive for Coronavirus
ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - Rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Zagreb schools has revealed the presence of the novel virus in 1.6% of pupils and 3.3% of school staff tested, the city authorities said on Monday evening.
The purpose of the testing was to show the current presence of antigens in pupils and staff in selected primary and secondary schools in Zagreb. The testing was conducted in 12 primary schools (Grades 5-8) and seven secondary schools between November 30 and December 4.
All pupils in these schools, whose classes were not in self-isolation at the time, were invited to do a test, and 1,925 pupils did so. They included 1,073 primary school pupils (40.1%) and 852 secondary school students (33.1%).
Negative results were not additionally verified, while positive results were sent for further verification by PCR testing.
The presence of coronavirus antigens was found in 31 pupils (1.6% of the pupils tested), of whom 19 were secondary school pupils and 12 were primary school pupils.
In six of the primary schools none of the pupils tested had a positive result, while in the remaining six schools up to three pupils were positive.
In two of the secondary schools none of the students had a positive result, while in the remaining five schools up to seven students were positive.
The primary school pupils tested accounted for 26.9% of the Grade 5-8 pupils in the selected schools, while the secondary school students tested accounted for 20.6% of students in their schools.
School staff who were not in isolation or self-isolation at the time were also invited to do a test, and 365 did so. Twelve of them (3.3%) were positive for the coronavirus and most of them were secondary school staff.
Stari Plac Pancake House Treating KBC Split Staff to Weekly Palačinke
December 8, 2020 - A beautiful humanitarian gesture by Stari Plac pancake house, which will send pancakes to Split Hospital's hardworking infectious diseases department every week.
Stari Plac pancake house launched a humanitarian action on Monday in which they will send pancakes to the infectious diseases department staff of KBC Križine in Split every week. On Monday, the Stari Plac team prepared more than twenty portions of these popular pancakes and delivered them still warm to the KBC staff.
"Today, we were diligent, and we prepared and sent more than 20 portions of our best pancakes to KBC Križine. We will do this every week from today to thank our brave doctors, nurses, and technicians for everything they do for the sick. We invite other catering facilities to do the same. These days, nothing is the same, except love. Love is always the same," Stari Plac wrote on their Facebook page.
"It is a cruel time, and one should think more of others, especially those who are currently sacrificing their time and health for the benefit of others. We can’t do much for our medical staff, but we can make them happy with pancakes. In fact, what is better than a hot pancake in one hard day?" Stari Plac added.
"We invite all restaurants from Split to join us in this gesture and for them to do the same. We need to get something positive out of the hardship that has befallen us and make others happy. There is no hardship that can be stronger than togetherness and love," they said.
The head nurse of the Respiratory Intensive Care Center Split, Mihaela Pfiefer, also spoke about the gesture:
"The Respiratory Intensive Care Center Split, which cares for patients with the SARS CoV-2 virus, is located in 3 locations. The Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases for COVID-19 and Respiratory Syndromes at the Firule site, and the Department of Infectious Diseases within the Križine hospital. We are grateful from the bottom of our hearts, and if anyone joins your action, we will refer you to these other two locations. The quantity is not important to us. Thank you once again from the bottom of my heart," said Pfiefer.
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Gruntek App: Lease Garden, Grow Seasonal Vegetables Ecologically
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes on the 8th of December, 2020, following the coronavirus pandemic that hit the global charter industry hard, Tino Prosenik, the owner of the Yachtmaster Group, founded the Gruntek "gardens of the future" initiative and he wants to provide his own garden to anyone, primarily Zagreb citizens who have no knowledge, time or resources to erect and/or maintain their own gardens.
Gruntek is the first Croatian app that allows you to download a garden near Cazma, where users can grow their seasonal vegetables, from onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, beets to kale, sweet potatoes, parsley, peas, lettuce and chard. In just ten days since the opening of the first 1000 gardens on Gruntek, more than 700 citizens have reserved their pieces of land, and today that number is higher than the number of available gardens.
"The conversion in the sale of gardens is, unfortunately, somewhat slower, which is why the goal is to turn all reservations into transactions by the end of the year. After that, we made a decision on the number of additional gardens that will go on sale in 2021. There are currently 1000 gardens on sale. The gardens are 40 square metres, regardless of the choice of culture, and they can yield 100-200 kilograms of vegetables during the season,'' explained the Gruntek project manager, Mirta Alfirev.
Online activity tracking
All information and news about activities regarding Gruntek are sent to the garden owners via a newsletter, and until the updates in the application are completed, interesting things will be published on social media and on their YouTube channel.
"Digitalisation for the purpose of popularisation and adding value to agriculture, as seen in the example of Gruntek, can contribute to profitability disproportionately more than the implementation of the latest technologies in the production process. New technologies in production raise profitability by a certain percentage, but when a virtual and social component is added to an agricultural product, it doesn't move into a new category and is no longer limited by its previous price. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination of the person who created this new product,'' believes Prosenik.
Gruntek's production team is led by Vjekoslav Budanec, the founder of a group of agricultural cooperatives calle Plodovi Moslavine (Fruits of Moslavina). They primarily use the resources of the cooperatives, especially when it comes to mechanisation, and at least nine people have entered the permanent employment process.
The basic team has now been fully formed, but in the harvest season, Alfirev adds, there will be a need for more workers as well. All production processes are dealt with by Croatian cooperatives, so the organisation of seasonal workers will be supervised by Budanec when the time comes. Gruntek states that important trends based on science and progressive thinking are what are the most sigificant today.
Ecological revolution
"The trend of organic food production is a reaction to the global existential crisis - environmental pollution and damage to the health of entire populations. Although not something new, this trend is still in its infancy and is expected to accelerate exponentially. By the end of the decade, we'll be able to see global activities that are actually unthinkable today. Today, we're seeing the trend of organic production and one day - there'll be nothing else but that.
The percentage of people who regularly purchase organic food today is rather minimal; the difference in price is significant, and the whole background of the story is still not being placed in the foreground. We're aware that the share of these customers is growing, but we're yet to face an ecological revolution; when every customer, soon the legislator, starts to demand a controlled origin and a guarantee that these foods won't be harmful to people or the environment,'' Alfirev and Prosenik emphasised.
''First on the list are speed and availability; everything, even food, must be immediately and constantly available, wherever and whenever a desire or need arises. Strawberries in the middle of winter, at the tram station, at a low price - that should be nothing strange. Everything has to be cheaper than it was yesterday.
Health is being placed in the foreground more and more often; there are more and more modern diseases, chronic metabolic disorders, allergies... We're increasingly realising that this is a consequence of the ''modern'' diet. Speed and availability usually cost more, cheaper meals often can’t be healthy, and healthy meals usually cost more and take longer to make… Compared to ten years ago, today, all of these three trends are on the rise and it is impossible to reconcile them. One will have to prevail over the others and then we can expect a kind of revolution,'' they point out from Gruntek.
In the long run, they expect Gruntek to be the first in a series of projects that take place not only within their own company but outside of it as well. "This vision of semi-virtual production can be developed and upgraded in ways that we don't currently understand. We expect that Gruntek itself, but also those who follow its example, will evolve and transform into a new force of positive change in the consciousness of people.
Our capacities are far larger than the 1000 gardens we currently have and if we're satisfied with the progress in the spring, we can expand that number to 2500 gardens, and for the 2022 season, we believe that we will need up to 5000 units to meet the needs of the people of Zagreb,'' conclude Mirta Alfirev and Tino Prosenik of Gruntek.
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Zlatko Dalic Comments on the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, Croatia in 'Respectable' Group H
December 8, 2020 - Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic comments on the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and Croatia in the 'respectable' Group H. The next World Cup will be held in Qatar in 2022.
The European qualifying draw for the 2022 World Cup was held on Monday in Zurich. Croatia was one of the top-seeded national teams in the draw and was thus placed in Group H with Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta.
"As is mostly the case, the draw could have been better and worse, but Croatia was among the top seeds for a reason, and we should not run away from the role of favorites. Our goal is to qualify for the World Cup, and this is the group in which we can accomplish this. Strong matches from the past two years have come in handy as preparation for these matches," said coach Zlatko Dalic after the draw.
"We got Slovakia and Russia from the second and third strongest groups, opponents with whom we have a relatively fresh experience, and they will be our biggest competitors for first place. However, other games are not easy because we got the best national teams from each group. I repeat, Croatia is the favorite, and that is how we will position ourselves from the beginning," added the 2018 World Cup finalist coach.
Croatia has recent experiences with Slovakia and Russia:
"Slovakia proved to be a quality team; they deservedly qualified for the EURO. We played a great game in Trnava, but let's remember that they led and showed quality in Rijeka. They have experience playing with Croatia, and it will come in handy. The Russians are good; they showed it against us at the World Cup, after they knocked out Spain. Slovenia has risen and is advancing under the leadership of Matjaž Kek, who knows us very well, and as our neighbors will surely have a special motive to show their quality. We must not underestimate Cyprus and Malta either, because they are national teams that show from cycle to cycle that they are a tough nut to crack even for the best national teams, and certainly not easy opponents to score against."
Croatia, as well as other national teams, will have a very tough time with three qualifying matches in March and September:
"We are used to such a schedule in the past two months; we saw that it is not easy because there is no time for training. We do not have much time to make mistakes, but the stakes are the World Cup, and that's how we must approach it from the first minute of the first game. I want us all to be healthy because when we have all the players available, then we are real and quality, and I deeply believe, the best in this group."
"The group is demanding, with strong opponents that we respect. But Croatia wants to defend its World Cup silver medal in Qatar, and we will do everything to achieve that," Dalic concluded.
Source: HNS
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Significant Croatian Telecom Investment Increases Connectivity
December the 8th, 2020 - Croatian Telecom/Hrvatski Telekom (HT), the largest private investor in the digitalisation of the Republic of Croatia, has started implementing the most modern optical infrastructure in the area of the city of Porec and its suburbs, and this hefty Croatian Telecom investment is sure to please many.
As Novac writes, this latest Croatian Telecom investment stands at an enormous 2.5 million kuna, and about 1,100 households in Porec's city centre will have the opportunity to enjoy gigabit speeds, and the realisation of this investment is planned to be completed in the first half of 2021.
A Croatian Telecom investment of an additional two million kuna on top of the above will enable the inclusion of vectoring and supervectoring technology, which will enable 100 Mbit / s internet speeds for 2,100 households in the areas of Varvari, Buici and Musalez by the end of 2020, CT announced.
With a superior experience of home internet connection, distance learning and enjoying entertainment such as gaming, the implementation of this project will improve the use of advanced digital products and services such as e-Citizens, e-schools, e-health, e-parking and other smart city projects being rolled out. High speeds and the availability of the Internet all over will also improve the tourist offer of this Istrian city and contribute to the further development of entrepreneurship and economic activity.
Back in September, Croatian Telecom signed a grant agreement with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting of EU Programmes and Projects for a broadband infrastructure development project in the City of Porec and the municipalities of Funtana, Kastelir-Labinci. Sveti Lovrec, Tar-Vabriga, Tinjan, Visnjan, Vizinada and Vrsar.
Within this EU project, CT and its project partner, the City of Porec, will build a new generation broadband network infrastructure on the project's spatial scope, so that broadband access will be provided to 11,189 potential users (apartments, business and public users) at the identified 7,979 addresses. Access speeds of at least 100 Mbit / s symmetrically connected to the optics (ultrafast access) will be provided for 90 percent of households and business and public users.
The project implementation period runs from the 31st of January 2021 to the 30th of September 2023, and the total value of the project stands at a massive 68,596,456.66 kuna, of which grants in the amount of 27,924,952.44 kuna have been awarded.
''Croatian Telecom is continuing to invest in optical infrastructure even during these challenging times, and I'm glad that fast and quality Internet access will enable the entire community of the City of Porec to increase its economic activity and the quality of life of its citizens. At the beginning of next year, we'll will start implementing an EU project that will provide a quality optical infrastructure with its project partner, the City of Porec, in the area of Porec and all of its surrounding municipalities,'' said Boris Drilo, a member of CT's Management Board for Technology and Information Technology.
''As mayor, I welcome this valuable investment that will ensure the fastest and highest quality telecommunications network for citizens and visitors to Porec with open arms. In addition, we're working on a large broadband internet project for the entire Porec region, which will provide areas with fixed optics for faster internet. As a city, we're striving to constantly work on projects that will further improve quality of life here. Along with all other investments - such as the construction of schools, kindergartens, roads, drainage - today, quality and fast internet can really help us to have the best possible everyday life and offer for guests. I'm sure that through this investment, we'll make a big step in that direction as well,'' concluded Loris Persuric, the mayor of Porec.
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New Car Sales in Croatia Fall by 42 Percent: 130 Porsches, 29 Teslas Sold
December the 8th, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a blow to the economy this year, and new car sales in Croatia have also plummeted as a result when compared to the figures seen last year.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, during the month of November, 2,656 new passenger vehicles were sold in Croatia, which is 23.5 percent less than in the same month last year, while 34,006 new vehicles were sold from the beginning of the year to the end of November, a decrease of 42.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
So far this year, the most new car sales in Croatia were of Volkswagen vehicles (VW), 5,394 of them, which means that this manufacturer has a share of 15.8 percent in total sales in Croatia. This is followed by Skoda, a member of the same concern, with 4,648 new vehicles sold and a share of 13.6 percent, while the third is Renault (2,893 vehicles sold and a share of 8.5 percent). In fourth place comes Dacia, which is part of the Renault Group, which was chosen by 2,092 customers (a share of 6.1 percent), and in fifth place is Kia (1,755 vehicles sold, holding a total share of 5.1 percent).
At the same time, 1,081 Audi, 955 BMW and 860 Mercedes were sold. Of the far more expensive vehicles, 130 Porches, 58 Jaguars and 29 Tesla found their way to their end customers in Croatia. As of this year, four super Bentleys are being driven on Croatian roads, as well as one Lamborghini, Maserati, Aston Martin and Ferrari.
The best-selling models during 2020 are the Skoda Octavia (2,288), the VW Polo (1,238), the Renault Clio (1,205), the Dacia Sandero (964), and the Dacia Duster (926). In November, the most demand from Croatian customers was for the trusty Skoda Octavia, which sold 173 units, followed by the VW Polo (108) and the VW T-Roc (103).
When it comes to motor fuel, 55.6 percent or 18,910 vehicles were gasoline and 11,833 or 34.8 percent were diesel. Only 382 electric vehicles were sold, which is a fairly miserable share of 1.1 percent in total sales in Croatia, petrol-powered vehicles were chosen by 637 customers (1.9 percent share), and hybrid was chosen by 2,244 (6.6 percent share).
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Bonus Amounting to 10% of Basic Pay for Staff Caring for COVID Patients
ZAGREB, Dec 7, 2020 - The government adopted four decisions on Friday under which public health and social welfare workers catering for COVID patients would be given a bonus in the amount of 10% of their monthly basic pay.
Army medical staff and prison staff looking after COVID patients are also entitled to this bonus.
Health Minister Vili Beros said that medical professionals currently reassigned to COVID hospitals would be given a monthly salary in the amount of their average monthly take-home pay in the last three months before their reassignment to COVID hospitals if that amount is more favourable for them.
This refers to the salaries already paid for November.
The workers concerned have been offered this option after the Croatian Medical Chamber (HLK) warned that some of the doctors reassigned to COVID-19 hospitals received lower monthly pay for November than what they used to be paid before their reassignment.
The HLK has been informed that the November salary for some of the doctors who are treating COVID-19 patients was considerably lower than their take-home pay before they started working with this category of patients. In some cases this reduction was 20%.
The HLK dismissed the "bureaucratic explanation" about them having worked fewer working hours in November, as it has been made clear that the protective gear necessary for doctors working with COVID patients makes it impossible for them to work the full hours specified for that month.
Tourism Minister, National Hospitality Industry Association Chief Hold Talks
ZAGREB, Dec 7, 2020 - Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac and the chairman of the national hospitality industry association, Marin Medak on Monday held talks on the challenges facing that sector, the consequences of the pandemic, legal solutions, digitisation and other topics, the ministry said in a press release.
"Until now too, through dialogue we have arrived at a series of solutions with which we are trying to save jobs in the tourism sector and related activities and today's meeting was constructive," Minister Brnjac said briefly after the meeting.
She added that last week she had met with representatives in hospitality from various parts of Croatia including the president of the hospitality association from Istria and Kvarner islands, Vedran Jakominic who is also the vice president of the national association.
Medak assessed the talks as good with the remark that they spoke about the future and less about "stopgap measures" and the current situation which "is as it is."
"Apart from the problems that we could have in the future we immediately presented the minister with solutions to some of these problems, such as urgent digitisation in hospitality and that we should be included in preparing and adopting some documents like the future sustainable tourism strategy," he said.
Medak is convinced that together they will succeed in establishing a digital platform in hospitality that will integrate all hospitality providers and their needs - supplies, sales, legal solutions, institutions and other tools that will facilitate doing business and in communication.
The delegation informed the minister of the association's initiative for a model of categorising restaurants and other hospitality premises and to call it the "kravata" (cravat).
They consider it to be essential to define the strategy in the next few months and to adopt certain amendments to the law on providing hospitality services and to update those services that they can withstands crises situation in the 21st century.
Asked whether he believed that hospitality businesses would reopen after December 21 and before Christmas, Medak said that he doesn't believe that will be possible and that the lockdown could last until the end of January.
"The thing we are still trying to negotiate with the national response team is to allow anyone who wishes to, particularly cafes, to prepare coffee to go because at the moment they aren't allowed to do even that unlike stores, petrol stations and other outlets that have that option. We'll see if we manage to succeed in that," said Medak.
Stricter Measures in Varazdin County Lead to Stagnation in New Infection Numbers
ZAGREB, Dec 7, 2020 - Stricter anti-epidemic measures for Varazdin Country that were introduced on November 21 have resulted in the number of new infections stagnating in recent days, the head of the COVID-19 management team for that county, Robert Vugrin, said on Monday.
Vugrin recalled at a press conference that three weeks ago they had been registering 1,500 new infections per week, they had had 172 patients with severe cases of COVID in hospitals, and the percentage of positive coronavirus tests had been 37%.
It was obvious then, he said, that the epidemiological measures in place were not effective, and recommendations made to the national team were either not accepted or were made more lenient.
The 7-day incidence rate in Varazdin County was twice and half times higher than the national one, and the county team had to react and propose stricter measures which entered into force on November 21. The same day, all secondary school and higher education institutions in the county accepted the proposal to switch to online classes.
Vugrin added that they had had to wait at least two weeks for the first results.
During the first week, the number of new infections rose to 2,100. The number of hospitals in patients was also increasing, to 272, while the percentage of positive tests was 44%.
However, he said, two weeks after the stricter measures were introduced, the numbers have started to stagnate.
Vugrin said that the number of new infections in a week was under 2,000, and in the last three days there has not been an increase in the number of patients in hospitals, so the number of patients admitted to and released from hospitals is balanced.
"Over the past three days, we have come from 272 to 262, and today we have 258 patients in hospitals," Vugrin said.
