PM Says Non-Compliance with Restrictions Threatens Public Health, Economy
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - In a comment on the new record high number of 542 coronavirus infections, PM Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that the virus posed a serious threat and that downplaying it resulted in non-compliance with restrictions and irresponsible behaviour, which threatened both public health and the economy.
A record high number of 542 new coronavirus infections were reported in Croatia today, which is the highest single-day number of new infections since the start of the epidemic and the largest jump day-on-day, 179 more new cases than the day before, Plenkovic told the government.
He underlined the importance of trusting scientists and the national COVID-19 response team instead of following "petty political speculation and improvisation in giving people advice."
The onset of cold weather favours the spreading of the virus. Due to such conditions, people will increasingly stay home or indoors, where the probability of infection is higher, he said.
The national COVID-19 response team is therefore taking measures so that we can cope with this biggest challenge in the best possible way, the PM said, underlining the importance of finding a balance between health protection and the functioning of the economy and social life and calling for responsible behaviour.
"We will maintain economic activity, the economy must function, but to make that happen, each one of us needs to be responsible and disciplined. Giving up a little of one's comfort ensures normal work and health. That is the key formula for success in this fight," he said, warning against big gatherings, including family gatherings, and calling for solidarity and respect.
"If we must keep the economy running, we must work, go to school and keep society functioning, and that requires health, so let's make an effort to each give our own contribution," Plenkovic said, calling for contributing to "economic patriotism with responsible behaviour."
Speaking of coronavirus statistics, he said that after the number of new infections was halved from 2,800 to 1,200 in the period from 5 to 20 September, a worrying trend appeared in recent weeks.
In less than ten days, the number of active cases has jumped by 1,000 and it now exceeds 2,200, he said.
The trends are similar in most European countries. For example, in Italy there are more than 60,000 active cases, Germany has 30,000 active cases, Hungary 22,000, Greece 10,000, Austria and Slovakia 9,000 each, Bosnia and Herzegovina 5,500, Montenegro 3,800, Slovenia 2,200, and Serbia 1,800 while Belgium has 100,000 active cases and France 500,000, he said.
Plenkovic noted that more than 36 million people around the globe had contracted the disease and more than a million had died.
The pandemic has been accelerating, on Wednesday alone there were 343,000 new cases, double the number at the end of June. More than 5.6 million people have contracted the disease in Europe and the number of fatalities stands at 228,000, which is more than in the United States, said Plenkovic.
Milanovic: Independence Day Should be Respected, Marked with Dignity
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic said on Thursday that Independence Day on October 8 should be observed with respect and dignity because it was a debt to all those who voted for Croatia's independence in the referendum and to members of parliament who unanimously supported it.
On October 8, 1991, the Croatian parliament made a decision to sever all state and legal ties with the other republics and provinces of the former state, whereby complete and irreversible independence of the Republic of Croatia was declared, Milanovic wrote on Facebook.
This was the final confirmation, by the highest representative body of the Croatian state, of the will of the vast majority of Croatian citizens who said in a referendum on May 19 that year that they wanted an independent and sovereign Republic of Croatia.
To respect Independence Day and mark it with dignity is the least we can do, said Milanovic.
As of last year, Independence Day on October 8 is no longer a public holiday but a memorial day observed as the Day of the Croatian Parliament.
Milanovic had criticised that decision during his presidential campaign, saying that Independence Day is the most important public holiday, and he accused the HDZ that by amending the law on public holidays and memorial days they "are trying to force their holidays on the nation."
Beros: Jump in Coronavirus Infections Due to Private and Public Gatherings
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday that today's record daily increase in the number of coronavirus infections was somewhat expected since private and public gatherings, where epidemiological measures had not been adhered to, had lately been the main source of infection.
"Public gatherings and large family gatherings, attended by people with mild symptoms of infection, are the most common cause of hotspots developing. (...) There are currently numerous such hotspots in nearly all counties," said Beros.
A similar trend is to be expected in coming days, especially if non-compliance with measures in public space and daily life continues, the minister said.
Not adhering to the measures and ignoring symptoms of respiratory infection is a particularly undesirable behaviour, and it is necessary to behave responsibly in such situations, Beros said.
Croatia today registered a record number of 542 new cases of the coronavirus infection.
Last week, 116 health workers got infected, and 844 are self-isolating.
In the last week, 343 patients have been admitted to hospital, while 255 have been released, so the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals is steadily increasing, Beros said.
Lower VAT Not Planned for 2021, Coronavirus Bailout Measures can be Extended
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - Labour and Pension System Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Thursday that a new round of lowering Value Added Tax was not planned for 2021, however, coronavirus bailout measures, which expire by the end of this year, could be extended.
"When it comes to Value Added Tax, the fifth round of the tax reform will define the tax policy for the next year," he added while coming to Government House for a cabinet meeting.
He explained that as far as he knew, the reduction of VAT rates was not on the agenda for 2021.
Earlier in the day, representatives of an initiative seeking a lower VAT rate on hairdressing services staged a rally in St Mark's Square, demanding that the VAT rate on hairdressing services be reduced from 25 to 13 percent, and they submitted their analyses to the government.
Aladrovic admitted that a lower VAT rate would make it easier for hairdressers and hospitality services to do business, and said that the requests to this effect would be considered,
Concerning the measures aimed at alleviating the situation of businesses hit by the corona crisis, Aladrovic recalled that those measures were expected to be in place by the end of this year, however, they could be revised and amended.
He announced a meeting with trade unions and employerson this topic for Friday.
Maja Zlokic & 10 Years of Croatian Hot Spots: It's Time to be Creative and Courageous!
October 12, 2020 – A decade of tourism promotion in Croatia. As Croatian Hot Spots magazine celebrates 10 years, owner Maja Zlokic on promoting tourism in Croatia.
This interview first appeared in Croatian on Dalmatinski Portal.
The new coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly changed the world to its foundations, and tourism, as one of the most susceptible industries to the virus, has suffered a huge blow in all segments. However, the leading people of domestic tourism and experts who know this profession to the core, agreed on one thing – in slang, we should get back on our feet and adapt to the new normal.
We talked to Maja Zlokic, a marketing expert, editor of Croatia Hot Spots magazine, and the hotspots.net.hr portal, about the basic requirements of a new tourist – high safety and hygiene standards, but also fast and reliable information.
You are the editor of Croatia Hot Spots magazine and one of the most read tourist portals in the Republic of Croatia, hotspots.net.hr. How did this story start and in what direction is it developing?
We started with Croatia Hot Spots magazine 10 years ago. We have 20 editions behind us, and over 5,000 published topics and articles that promote Croatian destinations and projects in tourism. We were among the first to start writing tourist blogs and promotional texts about Croatian destinations, which thematically revive the rich tourist heritage. In a very short period, the digital version of Croatia Hot Spots became the leader among portals on this topic, which was recognized by more than 70 local and 10 county tourist boards, mainly of the most popular Croatian destinations, which joined the project. In addition to our media, we have become distinctive for media leasing and planning in foreign markets. We started with a series of new projects and cooperation with the best Croatian communication and marketing experts.
Who are your readers and what topics interest them most?
As many as 75 percent of our readers are from Croatia and the countries of the region, and we can be proud of the 25 percent of foreign readers who follow the English version. They are most interested in affirmative articles that carry lived experiences and creative tourist products. Readers are looking for a story through which they will experience the destination and wish to travel to it quickly.
What does advertising look like in the post-COVID period?
The Covid-19 crisis hurt all industries, both tourism, and advertising. The best ones in the COVID and post-COVID period recognized the opportunity for themselves. It’s time to be creative and brave. The company's business needs to communicate and maintain contact with its customers and follow communication trends within the industry. Any such form of communication can bring fresh ideas and positive experiences on how to plan business in the next period.
Since you're specialized in destination promotion, what is the key to advertising them in this uncertain period?
The global coronavirus pandemic has indeed had a strong impact on international tourism trends. Croatia has sun and coast and historical heritage, very rich gastronomy, and rural destinations. It is extremely important to create a lively dialogue between our coastal and rural destinations and to convey everything that our rural and urban destinations have to offer. Offering year-round tourism can certainly be part of the answer to COVID challenges. On the topic of tourism in the corona time and the role of creativity in creating new promotional activities, in cooperation with the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and Professor Domagoj Bebić, Head of New Media and Head of the Department of Strategic Communication at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, once a year we organize a conference called „Tourism and new technologies“, at which tourism entities can be adequately informed about all effective marketing tools in this uncertain time.
Can you give us some positive examples from practice?
Communicating destinations is always a kind of a challenge because a lot has already been seen, but I would like to highlight three promo campaigns.
The one I liked the most was the campaign of the Tourist Board of Bol in cooperation with the communication advisor Hana Klain called „Our Bol Stories“. This was the first time that a destination decided to involve locals in the promotion of their place. Somehow they are always forgotten, and they are the soul of a place. They are people who communicate intensively with guests. We were also involved in campaign promotion and the feedback on the campaign was very good.
The second campaign we were also involved in was the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board named „A dream waiting for you“ with great messages and great staff.
As another positive example, we would like to point out the promotional campaign of the Tourist Board of Jelsa, which at the time of the pandemic relied on its tried and tested model from the 70's – great boarding house accommodation and personalized, individual approach to the guest. Even in corona time, it brought occupancy of accommodation capacities of as much as 70 percent!
To what extent have the habits of the guests changed? How do they choose a destination?
Tourism today with COVID-19 requires a different attitude towards health and hygiene safety. It requires distance tourism, individual vacation, and high-quality service that can ensure satisfactory hygiene standards – all that Croatian tourism has space and potential for, in wide indented beaches, motives for arrival that do not depend on summer, and in small, authentic, yet undiscovered destinations. Therefore, it is important to carefully create campaigns that respond to the needs of today's tourists. The changes in demand, habits, and expectations of guests that have occurred will remain, in part or in full. The guest is looking for fast and accurate information.
What about private accommodation? How much does a small renter have to work on marketing to attract a guest?
We suspect that in addition to the presentation of the facility, hygienic safety, the position of the facility, picturesque surroundings, proximity to top beaches, it's important to have a personalized, friendly approach to the guest full of trust. A good price-quality ratio of accommodation, a friendly family atmosphere, and a friendly host is a model that has been nurtured for many years and is now even more important. Also, it is important to communicate it all well. That’s why we regularly provide our readers with tips on how to communicate with guests in corona time. Our column is led by Barbara Marković, a family accommodation expert.
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Balkan Film Festival in Rome Starts Today, Croatian Movies Will Be Screened
October 8, 2020 – At the Balkan Film Festival in Rome, which starts today, October 8, 2020, and lasts until October 11, 2020, at the Casa del Cinema art cinema, four Croatian films will be presented, three of which are minority co-productions.
As Hina reports, the festival aims to acquaint the Italian audience with selected films from the countries of the Balkan region, which together make up one of the most diverse cinematographies in Europe.
The festival will begin with a documentary nominated for several prestigious awards, "Medena zemlja" ("Honey Land"), by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov.
A selection of the most interesting feature films from the region will also be shown, including Ognjen Svilić's "Glas" ("Voice") and three Croatian minority co-productions: Slovenian-Croatian-Serbian film "Izbrisana" ("Erased") by Miha Mazzini, Macedonian-Croatian-Serbian "Grudi" ("Breasts") by Marija Perović and Albanian-Italian -Macedonian-Croatian "Moje jezero" ("My Lake") directed by Gjergj Xhuvani.
The festival is held in co-operation with the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC) and film centers in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.
As HAVC reports, the festival is organized by Associazione Occhio Blu – Anna Cenerini Bova in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MIBACT) and Italian Film Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries Association (ANICA).
As organizers say, the cinematographic works included in the program of the Balkan Film Festival are an expression of particular richness and meaning. The festival also seeks to encourage the active involvement of film centers in the region in the initiatives of the MIBACT and the ANICA to launch new cooperation between Italy and the Balkans.
"The aim is to encourage joint and multilateral programs to strengthen cooperation and the possibility of film co-productions, supported by quality integration processes at the level of the whole of Europe," it is noted.
Entrance to the festival is free.
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Plenkovic Says Opposition Failed Law Exam with its Motion for Inquiry Commission
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - Prime Minister and HDZ party leader Andrej Plenkovic has said that the Opposition has failed a law exam with its motion to form a parliamentary commission of inquiry because the motion differs from the practice so far and "envisages things that are unlawful."
"They have put in the motion things that are unlawful such as MPs inquiring about the work of courts, the work of the State Attorney's Office (DORH), Constitutional Court judges... they have failed the exam as regards law. As for the political aspect of the motion, we had elections only three months ago and citizens voted confidence in the HDZ. They lost the election," Plenkovic said in an interview with Nova TV on Wednesday evening.
He noted that he would be the first to want to know where and why the information was leaked from investigations in corruption cases and whether there were things that needed fixing, wondering about the "Opposition's surprise" that DORH, the USKOK anti-corruption office and police work in line with the law.
"Someone should explain that to them," he said.
The Opposition's motion was prompted by the JANAF corruption case, as part of which it has been established that three ministers in the Plenkovic cabinet visited a club run by former JANAF CEO Dragan Kovacevic, who has been arrested on the suspicion of corruption.
Plenkovic said that he had discussed the matter with the ministers.
"Where did they go? To a place run by the head of a public company, who at that time had the image of a businessman, a former candidate for Social Democratic Party leader, a man who knows all the important actors of Croatia's political and economic life, so what should they have been wary about?" Plenkovic said.
He also commented on President Zoran Milanovic's statements regarding the JANAF affair.
"You have the presidents's reaction and the reaction of the Opposition who seem to be unhappy that competent state institutions work on specific cases... and wonder about their working in line with the law. And the president wonders whether someone should have known about it," Plenkovic said, among other things.
He would not comment on Milanovic's frequent comments that ensued after the JANAF scandal broke.
"That's his business. Why should I get involved," he said.
Plenkovic said that he had not spoken with the president, repeating that ambassadorial appointments were the only topic on which they should hold a meeting.
Responding to the interviewer's remark that Milanovic thought they did not have to discuss it, Plenkovic said "Let then heads of our offices discuss it."
Speaking of the coming local election, Plenkovic said that his party planned to come to power in at least 13 counties.
"Thirteen to fourteen county heads is our political goal," he said, adding that the HDZ also had an opportunity to come to power in several big cities, including the biggest ones.
"Zagreb, Split and Osijek. We will, of course, run in Rijeka. As we set as our goal a few years ago, I want us to come to power in the biggest cities. We did it in the last elections in Split," he said.
Exhibition about Alan Ford Comic Book Opens in Rijeka
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - An exhibition dedicated to the cult comic book "Alan Ford", created by Magnus and Max Bunker, was staged in Rijeka on Wednesday.
The exhibition, entitled "Half a Century with Alan Ford", is part of the 19th edition of Italian Culture Days, organised by the Italian Consulate General in Rijeka, and the 20th Week of the Italian Language in the World.
Before Rijeka, the exhibition, authored by Luca Bertuzzi, was staged in Milan.
It describes the history of this comic book, one of the most favourite in Croatia and one of the longest-lived and most popular Italian comics, its main characters - members of the TNT group, their associates and enemies.
The event was addressed by Slovenian antiquarian and Alan Ford lover Rok Glavan, Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obsernel, and Italian Consul-General Davide Bradanini, who spoke about the importance of the comic and its impact on their lives.
The exhibition will be open until October 30 and admission is free.
Croatia Reports Record Number of 542 New Coronavirus Infections
ZAGREB, Oct 8, 2020 - Croatia on Thursday registered a record number of 542 new cases of the coronavirus infection, as well as one fatality, and the number of active cases now stands at 2,206, the national COVID-19 management team said on Thursday.
There are 361 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 27 who are on ventilators.
Since February 25, when Croatia registered its first case of the coronavirus infection, 18,989 people have contracted the disease, and 310 of them have died, while 16,473 people have recovered, including 165 in the last 24 hours.
Currently, 10,908 people are self-isolating.
To date, a total of 344,533 people have been tested for the virus, 5,939 of whom have been tested over the past 24 hours.
Until now, the record daily high in Croatia was 369 new cases of the infection, registered on September 3.
Nautics Stronger than Corona: Boaters Realize They are Safe On Board
October 8, 2020 - Nautics has emerged this year as a tourism segment that is quite resilient to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Small communities, hidden coves, and natural isolation make nautics stronger than corona.
This year, as in previous years, the Nautical Patrol of Jutarnji list organized a research route through Croatian marinas, from Umag to Dubrovnik. Their goal was to explore and find the best marina according to the answers of the surveyed boaters. Marinas were also rated by an expert jury, and the results will be announced soon.
They set out on their journey with the hypothesis that nautical tourism has the highest chance of a speedy recovery, precisely because of its specificity. And they were right.
During their patrol, they did not encounter a single case of coronavirus infection in any Croatian marina, so their hypothesis was confirmed. Nautical tourism is sustainable even in a pandemic.
What makes nautical specific?
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the most commonly used words around the world has been "isolation". People around the world sought to stay in their homes thus creating their own isolation. But for boaters, isolation is a lifestyle.
They live on their own or rented boats in small communities, which makes it possible to isolate themselves, and that's exactly what most of them want. That's why they like hidden coves and quiet anchorages that form natural isolation, and on the Croatian coast, they can find them in abundance.
Nautical tourism is sustainable even in a pandemic / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić
On the other hand, they also love our marinas because they provide them with a safe berth. Also, since marinas are organized as a kind of closed settlements, it is easy to implement control and protection measures in them.
During the pandemic, the use of delivery services increased worldwide, and that is also possible in Croatian marinas. Everything the boaters needed was delivered to their boat.
Infection stronger than corona
Another specificity is their self-discipline. As reported by Nautical Patrol reporters, adherence to epidemiological measures in marinas was at a high level.
However, boaters generally adhere to the accepted rules of attitude towards the environment in all circumstances, especially in emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic, because they spend a lot of time adrift at sea.
In other words, "nautical" infection is stronger than corona, and this has been confirmed over the past nautical season.
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