As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 16th of October, 2020, we currently have almost 500 coronavirus patients in various hospitals with 3.5 thousand infected people. If we continue at this rate next week, we will reach 700 patients in hospitals and about six thousand infected because some of them will have gotten over the illness. The Croatian hospital system could find itself in trouble if this trend continues.

''These figures can't be tolerated by the Croatian hospital system without running into significant problems. A week later, we could easily reach a thousand hospitalised people and nine thousand infected people,'' said Dr. Ozren Polasek for Jutarnji list.

Polasek is otherwise a professor at the Department of Public Health and head of the Centre for Global Health at the Medical Faculty of the University of Split, he is also a valued member of the Scientific Council for Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

In short, carrying on this way means we could get to numbers by October the 30th, 2020, that the Croatian hospital system quite simply can’t stand. The situation for medical staff isn't ideal either.

The Sestre Milosrdnice Clinical Hospital Centre currently has 124 health workers out of operation. 30 of them are positive for coronavirus, and 95 of them are in self-isolation. 250 people were tested at the Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital, and 11 positive results have been received so far, and a dozen more positive ones are expected today. There are 48 employees of that facility now in self-isolation.

The hospital in Split can function without difficulties until the number of hospitalised persons with coronavirus exceeds 50, and now they have about 30 patients. In Medjimurje, where the number of patients is growing relentlessly, the situation is satisfactory so far, but that could all alter very quickly with the pace of the spread of infection.

A total of 34 medical workers who tested positive for the new coronavirus and 64 of them who are in self-isolation were the balance sheet in Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem and Pozega-Slavonia counties as of the 15th of this month.

''The number of patients and those in self-isolation isn't yet too large and we therefore have no problems with the organisation of work. There will probably be more patients, but I hope that the numbers won't be so large that we can't organise everything,'' said doc. Dr. Zeljko Zubcic, the director of KBC Osijek.

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October 17, 2020 - The first digital nomad conference in Croatia kicked off in Dubrovnik yesterday, an action-packed day including the presentation of the day from British Columbia, where the view is that Croatia has the potential to be the world's number 1 digital nomad destination. 

I don't think I have been involved in organising a conference before and so I was not sure quite what to expect. 

In truth, I didn't do that much regarding the actual organisation of Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads, the first dedicated digital nomad conference in Croatia. With superb support from Deputy Mayor Jelka Tepsic and Dubrovnik Tourist Board director Ana Hrnic, as well as the outstanding efforts of Tanja Polegubic from Saltwater and her VERY international team of volunteers (from Chile, Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and, of course, Croatia), the first day more than exceeded expectations, both in terms of organisation and content.  

A word on the setting. Symbolically located in the Lazareti, the original quarantine station for the city of Dubrovnik (the Dubrovnik Republic was the first to introduce quarantine way back in 1377 in Cavtat), the historic buildings have recently been renovated to high standard for multi-functional purposes, including conferences, exhibitions, concerts and - until October 25 as part of European Freelancer Week - a free coworking space for digital nomads.  

Could there be a more perfect backdrop to hold a remote worker conference during a pandemic, with views out to the Adriatic and those famous Dubrovnik city walls? 

The conference had to deal with its corona challenges, of course, both in terms of social distancing, as well as the technology. With strong global interest in the conference, and with several of the expert speakers unable to attend in person, pulling off a live conference with a combination of live and Zoom audiences and speakers was quite a technical challenge, but one which the AV team pulled off superbly. Svaka cast! 

And there were certainly stars of the Croatian digital nomad world on show, including keynote speaker Jan de Jong, whose drive to introduce a digital nomad visa for Croatia has received the backing of the Prime Minister, and it should become a reality in the first quarter of 2021.  Much more on Jan and his update in another TCN article coming later today. 

The biggest online audience was reserved for another keynote speaker, the NY Times bestselling author of 'Blue Mind', Dr Wallace J. Nichols, whose interactive session on wellbeing and productivity with Tanja Polegubic was a hit. 

There was plenty of minute detail and facts presented, including a great session on Croatia, digital nomads and tax from KPMG. 

But the speaker who really caught the eye - well, my two eyes at least - was beamed in from British Columbia and put forward the case for Croatia with the potential to become the number one digital nomad destination in the world. Kashlee Kucheran runs the successful lifestyle and travel blow, Travel Off Path, with a current focus on providing the latest COVID-19 global travel updates. It has become essential reading for travellers and nomads, with over 3 million unique visitors and rising rapidly. 

And the first feedback that Kashlee shared was that Croatia is 'absolutely buzzing' as a current digital nomad destination in her rapidly expanding community. 

It was fascinating to watch her presentation, for here was an experienced traveller monitoring the global situation offering a unique insight into the current digital nomad scene around the world, and why Croatia appears to be even more competitively positioned than ever its most ardent supporters had realised. And then the most surprising aspect of Kashlee's presentation as she explained all the reasons why Croatia is such a hot digital nomad destination - she has not managed to visit yet, although by the end of her presentation she had accepted an invitation to spend a month in Dubrovnik as part of the City of Dubrovnik/Durbovnik Tourist Board/Saltwater/Total Croatia News international digital nomad competition in April.  

So what makes Croatia such a special digital nomad destination, according to Travel Off Parh?

What I really liked about her presentation was the simple, step by step guide of the thought processes and considerations that were the backbone of the presentation. Providing services for digital nomads is a lot more complex than providing a bed and decent WiFi. Here are some of the main considerations to look at, all of which Croatia excels at - weather, cost, community, connection, ease, safety, culture.

Corona changed the digital nomad landscape, with many countries no longer accessible. Additional considerations are also ones where Croatia compares favourably - freedom of movement within the country, how they handled their lockdown, and, of course, open borders 

All of these factors, believes Kashlee, position Croatia as a potential leader in the digital nomad destination rankings, a position which will only be strengthened by the introduction of the digital nomad visa being championed by de Jong. 

With Dubai announcing a digital nomad visa this week, there are now six countries ahead of Croatia offering this service, with Estonia currently the only one in Europe. Each country has its own criteria for the visa, and visa prices and minimum income requirements vary wildly. 

As do the destinations. While life on a small Caribbean island like Anguilla sounds idyllic, it is perhaps more for a holiday than an extended stay for a nomad looking for activities, culture and a social life. If Croatia can gets its visa pricing and income requirements right, it will be superbly positioned to offer the best package, which will include its trump card - its fabulous lifestyle.  

The global digital nomad view on what Croatia offers.  

Croatia took a very different approach to other EU countries, and it remains open to all (with PCR tests required by non-EU/EEA countries), and its approach to American visitors makes it very appealing to nomads from North America.  

So what are the benefits to Croatia for embracing this digital nomad wave? 

 Year-round visitors investing in community, providing free marketing, and spending, spending, spending, while drip feeding the local mindset with progressive ideas and new opportunities. 

What do the Croatian authorities need to do to take advantage of this huge economic gift? Not a lot. Focus on keeping the entry requirements flexible and deliver a digital nomad visa with reasonable conditions to benefit all. 

Even without the visa, Croatia is buzzing, according to Kashlee. It was, she says, one of the top 10 COVID-19 destinations in the world even without the visa. Many digital nomads are die-hard travellers, and Croatia will be an increasingly interesting destination for them with so many countries off limits.  

So how can businesses in Croatia prepare and adapt to the new digital nomad opportunity? Focus on the things that are important to these remote working visitors - affordable accommodation throughout the year (not being held hostage to tourist season prices), comfortable working environments, access to communities and lifestyle. And, of course, great WiFi. 

Simple steps. Achievable steps. This is a really fantastic opportunity for Croatia, and there is already a significant waiting demand. The after-party discussions on the first day (many thanks to Polyclinic Glavic - who had a sensational announcement in the presentation following Kashlee, of which more on TCN soon - for the catering) were very lively, as nomads, speakers, organisers and local residents digested the best of a very exciting day. 

A great presentation from Kashlee, and we look forward to welcoming her to Dubrovnik in April. If she was this impressed by Croatia without even visiting, one wonders how she will be feeling after a month in the Pearl in the Adriatic. 

To follow the latest in the Croatian digital nomad journey, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

October 17, 2020 - Croatia national team player Andrej Kramaric received great recognition for his effective performances at the beginning of the new football season in Germany. 

The Hoffenheim striker and 2018 World Cup finalist was named the best player in the official selection of the Bundesliga in September!

Kramaric scored five goals in the first two rounds of the new championship - three against Cologne and two against Bayern - and overcame Gnabry, Sane, Kimmich, Füllkrug, and Kalajdžić in the selection. Before the first round, he also scored two goals in the German Cup against Chemnitzer.

With the mentioned five goals, he almost reached the record of Gerd Müller, who scored six in two introductory rounds of the 1977/1978 season.

He continued his excellent form in October, with a league goal against Eintracht. During the national team break, he came off the bench to secure Croatia's victory against Sweden in the Nations League.

Unfortunately, it was announced on Friday that the Croatia national team representative was infected with the coronavirus upon his return to Germany from the national team campaign.

"Two players who participated in the national team matches tested positive for COVID-19 upon their return to Germany. None of them have been in contact with the rest of the team, and they are now in self-isolation in their homes and are asymptomatic," Hoffenheim announced without naming the players.

It was later found out and confirmed by the Croatian Football Federation that one of the positive players was the Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric. Another infected player at the club is Kasim Adams.

Kramaric is one of nine Hoffenheim players who joined their national teams over the past 10 days.

Earlier on Friday, Spanish first division team Osasuna announced that Croatia national team player, Ante Budimir, had returned to the club positive for the coronavirus.

"The competent epidemiological service assessed that Croatia teammates of Kramaric and Budimir and the members of the staff were not risky contacts and that it is not necessary to prescribe mandatory self-isolation to any member of the national team," HNS announced.

Source: HNS

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 17, 2020 - The cities and the municipalities that make up the urban agglomeration of Split will soon be connected by a public bicycle system. 

The project for the development of public bicycle systems in the Urban Agglomeration of Split plans to further popularize the use of bicycles as an alternative form of public transport in the UAS, by developing and improving the cycling infrastructure network that will enable faster access to public transport stops, but also serve as an upgrade and supplementing the existing form of public transport on the daily routes of the inhabitants of the urban agglomeration.

The project is called "Choose a bicycle!", which was applied for co-financing with European Union funds within the ITU Call "URBAN MOBILITY - Development of public bicycle systems in the Urban Agglomeration of Split."

As part of the activities of this integrated project, the City of Split and 7 partners - cities and municipalities from the Urban Agglomeration of Split (Solin, Trogir, Kaštela, Podstrana, Klis, Dugopolje and Dicmo), will receive 41 new stations with a mixed contingent of 242 bicycles and two bicycle roads will be established - in Split (in the area of Trstenik Bay) and Trogir (in the area of Brig-Lokvica). Through project activities, an analytical basis will be prepared - a document for establishing an integrated system of bicycle roads in the Urban Agglomeration of Split, which will be the basis for establishing a planned integrated system of bicycle roads in the Urban Agglomeration of Split.

These 41 new locations with bicycle terminals will be distributed in eight local self-government units per the analysis of needs and possibilities for the implementation of the system, as follows:
City of Split: 16 terminals with 50 electric and 20 classic bicycles;
City of Solin: 6 terminals with 12 electric and 26 classic bicycles;
City of Trogir: 3 terminals with 10 electric and 10 classic bicycles;
City of Kastela: 6 terminals with 30 electric and 30 classic bicycles;
Municipality of Podstrana: 2 terminals with 6 electric and 6 classic bicycles;
Municipality of Klis: 2 terminals with 4 electric and 8 classic bicycles;
Municipality of Dugopolje: 4 terminals with 10 electric and 10 classic bicycles;
Municipality of Dicmo: 2 terminals with 4 electric and 6 classic bicycles.

The project's total value is HRK 13,609,435.83, of which the grant amounts to a total of HRK 10,893,396.68. It is planned that the activities for implementing the public bicycle system will be carried out by June 2021, and the construction and marking of bicycle roads by mid-2022. The project application was prepared by the Development Agency Split - RaST d.o.o., with the support of the Service for International and EU Projects of the City of Split.

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October. 17, 2020 - German TV praises Istria, as the region has managed to maintain its status as a corona-safe destination in Europe.

Index.hr reports that German RTL praised Istria, calling it a green oasis in a mostly red Europe, and tried to find the secret of the success of this Croatian region in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

RTL stated that about 210,000 people live in the Istrian peninsula and that by far the largest part of Istria belongs to Croatia, and a smaller part to Slovenia and Italy. They said that Istria, if you look at the corona map of Europe, is a green oasis as far as COVID-19 is concerned, because from the beginning of the pandemic until October 15, it had a total of 793 recorded infections, and in May and June it sometimes did not have a single new case. 

RTL added that in the early phase of the epidemic, Istria requested a special position and took different measures than other parts of Croatia.

"Given the fact that we are very close to Italy and that a large number of people from Istria go to work in Italy every day, we have been monitoring the situation in Italy since the beginning of February and preparing in time for the possible spread of the infection. We have already taken appropriate measures. Eight days before the National Crisis Headquarters introduced the measures, we restricted free movement in Istria," RTL quoted Denis Ivosevic, director of the Istria County Tourist Board.

One of the explanations for the successful fight against the coronavirus is the serious adherence to measures during the summer months. When the number of COVID-19 infections in Croatia increased in the summer, Istria reacted immediately, said RTL. Istria introduced the mandatory wearing of masks in all stores, with mandatory hand disinfection. Fifteen customers were allowed within 100 square meters in trade. It was similar in the markets, where masks were also mandatory. Measures were also applied on the beach: the deckchairs were spaced apart and disinfected regularly.

Seasonal workers coming to Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia had to immediately go into 14-day quarantine, and Istria canceled all events and developed new concepts during the summer season.

"We have invested a lot in making the holiday in Istria safe for everyone," said Ivošević.

RTL concluded that tourists and Istrians appear to have acted responsibly and adhered to measures to preserve their small green oasis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ZAGREB, October 16, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Friday in Brussels dismissed claims that Monday's attack on Government House could have occurred anywhere and condemned any approval or downplaying of that grave crime by the right and left.

In a statement to the press on Thursday Plenkovic hinted that he personally was the target of the attack on Government House that occurred on Monday because certain individuals in political and media circles incite intolerance and hate towards him.

He also hinted that President Zoran Milanovic was among those who used that sort of language against him in the 2016 election campaign.

Milanovic later posted on Facebook that the "tragedy could have occurred anywhere and that its roots lie elsewhere."

Social Democratic Party leader Pedja Grbin said that he saw the incident as an attack on Croatian institutions located in St. Mark's Square and that it was "unacceptable that Plenkovic is trying to portray himself as the victim."

It was premeditated 

"... I watched the recording of the attack and it is clear that the attack was not intended to occur anywhere else but was premeditated and deliberately committed in St. Mark's Square, where the government is located," Plenkovic told the press on Friday.

"The perpetrator of that horrific crime didn't go to the President's Palace, he didn't go to Nova Gradiska, where Mr Grbin's headquarters are, nor in front of any other building but came in front of Government House," said Plenkovic.

He sharply condemned and approval any downplaying of the attack on Government House.

"You have two trends, the extreme right, Skoro and that sort of people, who virtually approve and have understanding for that horrific crime. On the other hand, you have the left that is downplaying and minimising it."

"If the prime minister was from SDP's ranks, I would be the first to condemn it and show solidarity and call on the competent bodies to investigate it and establish the motive. That's the difference," he said.

He added that there was no room for concern that the current situation could jeopardise media freedoms, noting that despite the numerous insults and defamation he had been exposed to, he had never sued anyone.

Milanovic is perfidious

Plenkovic also commented on Milanovic's negating that he had sown the seed of hate against Plenkovic.

"The President knows very well what he said and how he acted. He is aware of that. He is smart enough and perfidious enough to know very well what this is about. If there is an opportunity, the two of us can discuss that but he knows that very well," said Plenkovic.

He added that there is a "tacit alliance between Skoro, the Bridge party and Milanovic."

"They collaborated in the second round of the presidential election. Milanovic has said that he has established more or less good relations with them. We are aware of that... The entire movement, the entire 'raison d'etre' of that movement was for Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic not to be elected president," Plenkovic claimed.

ZAGREB, October 16, 2020 - The new reform of the European agricultural policy is aimed at ensuring sustainable production of high-quality food at affordable prices and with as less red tape as possible and keeping young people in rural areas. Croatia could profit from this by being allocated €5 billion.

The European Parliament meets in a plenary session next week to discuss the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is expected to become effective in 2023.

Parliament will adopt its position on negotiations with the Council of the EU on three key issues - support to strategic plans being developed by member states, financing and monitoring, and the common organisation of the markets in agricultural products.

According to Eurostat, there were 10.5 million agricultural holdings in the EU in 2016, 95% of which were family farms and nearly a third of their owners were aged 65 and over.

Speaking about the reform at an online news conference, MEP Suncana Glavak of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said that aside from the proposed allocation of close to five billion euros for Croatia for agriculture and rural development in the next seven-year period, it was also agreed that the rate of co-financing for rural development would be raised from 70 to 85% for underdeveloped regions.

MEP Ruza Tomasic of the Croatian Conservative Party warned that insufficient generational renewal was one of the bigger challenges in the farm sector and the reason why the number of farmers was decreasing every year. She pointed to the importance of developing rural tourism as a significant contribution to rural economy and generational renewal.

Tomasic also underlined the importance of encouraging technological innovation that could bring about change in the farm sector.

As for the common organisation of the agricultural market, she said that it was necessary to ensure fast implementation of measures to deal with market disruptions adapted to a specific situation, such as the current coronavirus crisis.

The Common Agricultural Policy should improve the work of Croatian farmers, but Croatia must find a way to absorb EU money fast, efficiently and transparently, she said.

In recent years agricultural production in Croatia has been registering declines in almost all sectors due to excessive cheap imports and low purchasing power.

According to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, agricultural production in Croatia has decreased by 26% in the last five years, from around HRK 21 billion in 2012 to around HRK 17 billion in 2019.

ZAGREB, October 16, 2020 - Parliament on Friday ratified two agreements which enable Croatia to access the European Investment Bank (EIB) Pan-European Guarantee Fund in Response to Covid-19.

The parliament adopted legislation confirming the Agreement on contributions between EIB and Croatia related to the Pan-European Guarantee Fund in Response to Covid-19 and the Agreement on guarantees upon first call between initial guarantors and temporary guarantors.

The Covid-10 guarantee fund is part of an EU €540 billion package to bail out enterprises.

The fund is valued at €25 billion earmarked for EU member states and it is estimated that it will mobilise an additional €200 billion.

Based on its 0.43% share in EIB's registered equity, the total maximum amount that Croatia will potentially be obliged to contribute for the duration of the fund is €106.7 million.

The fund is aimed at responding to the economic impact of the pandemic, to ensure enterprises, primarily SMEs, with sufficient funds for liquidity and to facilitate their access to finances to overcome the crisis and continue developing their mid and long-term business.

Parliament amended the Building Material Act to adapt it to EU directives and introduce measures to reduce illegal building material on the market, considering the effects those products can have on human health and lives as well as the environment.

Amendments to the Act on Settlement Finality in Payment and Financial Instruments Settlement Systems were also adopted to align the law with EU law.

Amendments to the laws on credit institutions and rehabiliation of credit institutions and investment companies were forwarded to receive a second reading.

As many as 18 lawmakers were told to self-isolate on Friday due to possible infection with coronavirus, and they were enabled to vote from home.