September the 25th, 2020 - The Republic of Croatia is far from short on the luxury real estate front, and with many jaw dropping properties dotted along the sparkling coastline from the extreme south of Dubrovnik all the way up to Istria, it's no surprise that one of the world's leading real estate brokers, Christie's International Real Estate, is expanding its business to Croatia through the associated company Remington Realty Croatia.

Croatian properties interest foreign buyers and of that there can be little doubt, with more and more purchases being made annually by foreigners wanting a slice of the unbeatable Croatian Adriatic to call their own, the need for an internationally respected and very reliable company will more than likely come into its own within a very short period of time.

As Novac writes on the 24th of September, 2020, as they announced from the aforementioned company and the associated company Remington Realty Croatia, they recognised the Republic of Croatia as a destination with great potential, and they plan to expand to the whole of Southeastern Europe.

''With the opening of the associated office of Christie’s International Real Estate, Croatia is set to get an unrivaled platform for positioning itself on the global map of the luxury real estate market, as well as for attracting international qualified buyers. The real estate is presented globally, combining new media with proven marketing tools and reaching out to reputable buyers, global investors and well-known business leaders,'' said Ivan Kovacic, the CEO of Remington Realty Croatia.

Otherwise, Christie’s International Real Estate has been successfully trading luxury real estate around the world for over 30 years.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of September, 2020, a large independent analysis conducted by the international technology company Umlaut is the latest confirmation that Croatian Telecom is the best Croatian mobile network. Until now, Umlaut was known on the Croatian market as P3. "Best in Test" as the highest recognition and the highest "Best Rated Broadband Coverage" rating confirm the leading position of Croatian Telecom on the market.

Detailed analysis of user measurement data is based on 44.5 million samples collected by 14.2 thousand users in 98.2 percent of the inhabited area of ​​Croatia, or 97.4 percent of the area of ​​the territory of Croatia which has been built on, covered by this Croatian mobile network. The analysis was conducted over a six-month period, from January to July 2020.

"Croatian Telecom is focused on providing customers with the best mobile network and service, and we're proud of the Umlaut certificate and the fact that experts and users recognise us as the best Croatian mobile network. Over the last few months, society has become aware of the importance of digital infrastructure and a stable and reliable network.

The recognition we receive and the positive user experience are a reflection of our commitment to the continuous investment, expansion and upgrade of our mobile network and we aren't going to just stop there, we'll continue to further improve our infrastructure,'' said Boris Drilo, a member of the management board and Chief Technology Officer at Croatian Telecom.

In 2020, for the second year in a row, Croatian Telecom won two Ookla awards once again - for the fastest Croatian mobile network and for the best mobile network coverage, achieving significantly better results in mobile download speeds than other mobile operators in Croatia.

Due to the continuous modernisation of this Croatian mobile network, the company is ready for 5G and intensive preparatory works are being carried out while waiting for the start of commercial work after the allocation of the required radio frequency spectrum.

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September the 25th, 2020 - The coronavirus testing process has been a thorn in the side of many people who claim it takes too long to get the desired result. These situations can occur in both emergencies and in order to travel somewhere, with different countries requiring different ''ages'' of the test result in order for people to be granted entry. A new device carrying a price tag of a whopping one million kuna is set to make the coronavirus testing process that bit quicker.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of September, 2020, the new PCR device for the rapid analysis of swabs of persons who have been tested for coronavirus, worth 812 thousand kuna including VAT in total, was put into operation in the premises of the Teaching Institute for Public Health in Brod-Posavina County, continental Croatia. The device arrived at the institute back at the end of July this year, three microbiologists were trained to work on it, and its capacity is 24 samples in three hours. Funds for the purchase were provided by Brod-Posavina County itself.

The director of the institute, Dr. Ante Cvitkovic, emphasised that the new coronavirus testing device is intended primarily for emergencies, which can now be dealt with here in Croatia as well. So far, test results have been being waited for for 24 hours and sometimes even longer in the case of emergencies. Patients who need to be treated urgently by the hospital for certain reasons will be tested. In addition, the device will be used in situations where there is a positive employee within a healthcare facility.

''We will test health professionals to find out who can work and who can't. So far, these employees have been in self-isolation, now the results will be known much faster. Our colleagues will have much more room for maneuver to respond properly to the various challenges posed by COVID-19. Employees in homes for the elderly and infirm will also be a priority,'' said Dr. Cvitkovic. The head of the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Dr. Zeljka Siser, said that it was a fully automated system for molecular diagnostics.

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ZAGREB, Sept 24, 2020 - There is a markedly higher interest in Croatia among foreign investors, partly owing to EU membership and partly to the business transactions of recent years, Daniel Radic of the KPMG consulting firm said on Thursday at the ''Investing in Times of Uncertainty'' conference.

Companies from the Agrokor system have also put Croatia on the investors' map, he said, adding that he did not see the COVID-19 pandemic as having affected investor confidence.

The conference was organised by the Enterprise Investors fund and the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia.

Enterprise Investors has been continuously looking for new investment opportunities in the Adriatic region, including Croatia, while the Studenac retail chain has identified potential acquisitions expected to be made by next year, said Michal Kedzia, a partner in the fund.

Enterprise Investors is one of the leading private equity funds in Central and Eastern Europe. Last year it bought the Pan-Pak bakeries chain and Studenac in Croatia, having previously bought the Intersport sporting gear chain.

Kedzia said the fund was looking for new investment opportunities not just in retail but in IT and technology as well.

Asked if the fund was interested in investing in Croatia's Ledo frozen food producer, he said the fund, as a rule, did not comment on transactions.

The question was put because the Fortenova group said this week that it had received a score of non-binding offers for Ledo Plus, Ledo Citluk and Frikom, which make up the Ledo group.

EBRD focused on green investment

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is focused on helping the private sector, notably green investment such as renewables, the food industry and the IT sector, said Miljan Zdrale, head of the EBRD agriculture sector for Central and Southeast Europe.

The EBRD's goal is for green investment to account for 50 percent of all investment by 2025, he added.

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ZAGREB, Sept 24, 2020 - Croatian Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs on Thursday met with Hungary's Minister for Human Resources Miklos Kasler to talk about impact of pandemic on education system.

The two ministers discussed the challenges in education as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, the ministry said in a press release.

Minister Fuchs presented Croatia's experience in planning the new school year and the option of three models to conduct classes based on epidemiological circumstances, the ministry said and added that they also discussed continuing cooperation and defining new cooperation programmes in the field of education and science.

The ministry notes that the two ministers discussed possible joint science projects, particularly as part of European research programmes.

The ministers agreed that all countries are faced with similar challenges as a consequence of the pandemic which require common responses to this crisis, and concluded that it is essential  to continue close cooperation in the coming period.

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ZAGREB, Sept 24, 2020 - Parliamentary opposition parties on Thursday raised a series of objections to the government-sponsored Defense University bill to establish a Defense and National Security University, with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) proposing that the bill be withdrawn from the floor.

"The bill belittles the science and education sector," said Sanja Radolovic (SDP), claiming that it was unconstitutional and unlawful. "We support the development of defense and security, but why to establish a university, why not start with a college?" she added, wondering who would validate degrees and why the Ministry of Science and Education was not in charge of the bill.

Marija Puljak of the Pametno party welcomed the initial idea but stressed that everything should be done in accordance with the procedures in place.

"I think that the challenges of today, such as the coronavirus epidemic, cyber-attacks, and climate change, require our army to be well educated, trained, and equipped to be able to cope with these challenges," said Andjelko Stricak of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

Marko Pavic (HDZ) said that there was a great tradition of military academies and universities in the world. He said he was pleased that a university would be established to cover the military security sector. "We should be more ambitious. The biggest companies target people who complete such studies," he noted.

Defence Minister Mario Banozic said that the new university would be organized as other public universities in Croatia, that it would be subject to laws governing defense, and would respect the constitutional provision on university autonomy.7

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ZAGREB, Sept 24, 2020 - The European Commission on Thursday called on European Union member states to take all necessary anti-COVID steps to curb the spread of coronavirus and thus prevent another lockdown of the economy.

The Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, was quoted as saying in Brussels that "today's new risk assessment clearly shows us that we cannot lower our guard."

"With some Member States experiencing higher numbers of cases than during the peak in March, it is abundantly clear that this crisis is not behind us. We are at a decisive moment, and everyone has to act decisively and use the tools we have. This means that all Member States must be ready to roll out control measures immediately and at the right time, at the very first sign of potential new outbreaks. This might be our last chance to prevent a repeat of last spring," said the commissioner.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) today published its updated risk assessment regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a set of guidelines for non-pharmaceutical interventions (such as hand hygiene, physical distancing, cleaning, and ventilation).

The EU member states are urged to step up testing and contact tracing, improve public healthcare surveillance, ensure better access to personal protective equipment and medicines and ensure sufficient health capacity, in line with the actions presented by the Commission in July.

Regarding the epidemiological situation, the ECDC report says that in Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Malta, Romania,

and Spain there is a high infection risk for the general population and a very high risk for vulnerable groups.

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September 24, 2020 - Croatian Health Minister Vili Beros confirmed a downward COVID-19 trend in Croatia, while he is worried about the state of Delnice as a new hotspot.

Index.hr reports that Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday ahead of the government session that epidemiological data still indicate a downward trend in the number of people infected with the coronavirus, while data on 266 people in hospital show no signs of overloading the health system.

Beros: There are no signs of overloading the health care system; I am worried about the jump in the number of patients in Delnice

"Today we have 232 infected; if we compare with last Thursday, when there were 250, it is still less. Last Thursday, there were 291, so the trend still shows a decline. Today, 266 people are hospitalized, 23 were admitted, and 30 were discharged, and still, there are no indications of overloading the health care system," Beros told reporters in front of Banski dvori.

However, he is worried about the jump in the number of patients in Delnice, among the users of the elderly home.

"This is what we say all the time, to monitor the epidemiological situation and to try to respond to any such micro-hotspots with adequate epidemiological measures," Beros said.

Minister Beros also spoke about the current situation with coronavirus at the government session.

Namely, Beros also told a government session that the number of people infected with the coronavirus had fallen for the third week in a row, while the rate of new infections had fallen by 5.2 percent in the past seven days.

"In Croatia, the number of newly infected people has fallen every week for the third week in a row. The rate of newly infected people in the last seven days is lower by 5.2 percent compared to the previous week," Beros said.

Of the total number of hospitalized, 9.71 percent are on a ventilator, up 1.71 percent from last week. The percentage of deaths relative to the number infected since the beginning of the epidemic is 1.68 percent.

With the arrival of autumn, the number of respiratory infections increases, so Beros called on citizens to adhere to epidemiological measures and timely vaccination against respiratory infections as the most effective prevention measures.

Current COVID-19 data in Croatia

There are currently 1,200 active patients with COVID-19 in Croatia, and 266 patients are in hospital.

In the past week, 219 patients were admitted, 23 were placed on a ventilator, and 223 patients were discharged. The average age of the infected is 49.2 years.

In the past week, 73 new coronavirus cases have been reported among healthcare workers, and 426 employees are in self-isolation.

Beros reported that the guidelines had been revised to shorten the isolation time for asymptomatic individuals. Thus, those with a mild or moderate clinical picture will now self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days.

Also, health care institutions should not condition the admission of patients who require hospitalization or conduct diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours, especially in emergencies or when the delay may cause health deterioration. Recommendations were forwarded to family physicians and pediatricians.

The directors of hospitals have been informed that to reduce the waiting list for certain services, when issuing approvals for additional work, doctors consider the performed obligations in the home institution, said Beros.

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