To find out more about the Croatian response to global COVID-19 crisis, follow our dedicated section.
Sunday, 12 July 2020
Confusion Reigns After Sudden Croatian Border Requirement Change for Non-EU Citizens
July 12, 2020 - Confusion reigns for thousands of tourists from non-EU countries heading to Croatia after a sudden change in border entry requirements which was implemented almost immediately.
Yesterday was supposed to be a very quiet day. Things were calming down on the work front and I was looking forward to a more relaxing day. So quiet in fact that I gave three TCN writers the day off. The Manjgura interns, who are being so helpful with the Total Croatia Trave INFO Viber community were also off the weekend, as was Kreso Macan, who is the brains behind - and the most resourceful part of - our Viber community.
And then late on Friday, some unexpected measures were announced - changes on border entry and the introduction of masks. Just two days after the New York Times told the world that there was just one country in the world which welcomed Americans with no testing, self-isolating or temperature checks, Croatia introduced the need for a test no older than 48 hours, or a mandatory 14-day self-isolation would be necessary. There was the possibility to lessen this to 7 days with proof of a negative test once inside Croatia.
There were two separate announcements, taking effect on two different dates.
Necessary Measure of Obligatory Use of Face Masks - effective July 13.
Recommendations, Instructions for Crossing Croatian Border - effecting at midnight July 10, just a few hours after the change was announced.
So while we had three days to get used to the idea of masks in more places, the new border rules came into effect almost immediately.
I awoke early to a flood of messages on Viber, including a panicked one from Ukraine. The lady had been informed of the news, and was already at the airport. She had not known she needed a test, did not have one, was only coming for 7 days to Croatia. Would she be allowed on the plane, into Croatia at all? Her flight was due to depart at 12:30.
I hunted around for whatever information I could find - nothing.
Pomalo. It is the weekend in peak season during the corona era. What's the urgency?
I checked the national tourist board website, which is always full of life, but rarely full of information. And I checked it again at 05:51 this morning. Very helpful. Good job guys, I hope the summer rush is not too stressful.
I then contacted the Swiss aviation data guys at ch-aviation, who are simply the best with the latest info. They told me about the Timatic information system where governments update the system in real time, so that passengers who are ineligible for entry to the country will be denied boarding. As things change quickly, this is updated in real time and is the system that airlines use to check the latest rules.
TIMATIC:
Visa/Entry Requirements National USA (US) /Embarkation USA (US) Destination Croatia (HR)
[Visa Information - Destination] Croatia (HR) [Information For Normal Passports] Passport required.
- Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for a minimum of 3 months beyond the period of intended stay. Passport Exemptions:
- Nationals of USA with an emergency passport. Admission and Transit Restrictions:
- Passengers are not allowed to enter.
- This does not apply to family members of nationals of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
- This does not apply to family members of British nationals.
- This does not apply to passengers entering Croatia to transit by land to a third country. They must prove that they can enter the destination country.
- This does not apply to passengers traveling as tourists.
- This does not apply to passengers traveling on business.
- This does not apply to passengers traveling as students. Visa required, except for Nationals of USA for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 53527) NOTE 53527: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days.
Additional Information:
- Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay as follows: - at least EUR 70.- per day of stay; or - at least EUR 30.- per day of stay if holding a confirmed invitation or a tourist voucher.
Warning:
- Passports and passport replacing documents issued more than 10 years prior to date of travel are not accepted.
- Passengers traveling as tourist must have a confirmation of accommodation booking.
- Passengers traveling on business must have an invitation letter for a business meeting from a company in Croatia.
- Visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused entry .
- Brexit: The United Kingdom stopped being member of the European Union (EU) and of the European Economic Area (EEA). Regulations related to the EU and the EEA apply to the United Kingdom until 31 December 2020. [Health Information] Croatia (HR) Vaccinations not required. CHECK [[TINEWS]] - CHECK LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES ON TRAVEL INFORMATION 12 Jul 2020 / 05:03 [UTC]
The Swiss guys checked again, and yep - nobody has managed to inform Timatic, it would appear, as the travel data corresponds to that of before the announcement, which was made 36 hours ago.
Pomalo, it is the weekend in peak season in the corona era.
Meanwhile, on the runway somewhere in Ukraine, the clock was ticking...
And the airline, Windrose, seemingly did a magnificent job. Here is what they announced on social media:
Followed by this.
The test cost 75 euro, and my understanding (am still hoping to get a first-hand account from the lady posting in our Viber community) is that all 200 passengers were negative after waiting 6 hours to get their test results. The plane left about 21:00 and the tourists entered Croatia without problem.
More questions on the Viber community, from Americans on the way to the airport who did not have time to take a test and get a result before departure. What where they supposed to do?
Who to ask? Pomalo, it is the weekend in peak season in the corona era. Tourism is only 20% of GDP, so why stress?
Thankfully, the two outstanding official bodies who have been heroes throughout this crisis - the Koronavirus.hr website and MUP, the Croatian police (and border control) - came at least partially to the rescue. Koronavirus published three articles with official guidelines, and the fabulous Marina Mandic at MUP answered some of my questions. THe MUP FAQ were updated in Croatian and subsequently in both English and German.
MUP confirmed that the new regulations were already in effect, and that they also applied to the 15 non-EU countries on the EU's safe list.
But there are SO many questions that have come out of this, and confusion reigns once more. I am hoping that there will be more clarity tomorrow when officials get back to their offices, and it is hard to know what to say to incoming tourists who have paid good money to visit Croatia, and then have nobody to be able to answer their basic questions. Another great example of the outstanding performance of the Kings of Accidental Tourism this summer.
My understanding (and PLEASE do not take this as official advice - we hope to bring you that tomorrow) is that original copies of tests will be required if taken in places such as Serbia and BiH (creative fake test results are apparently in circulation there), but it is not clear if that will be the same elsewhere, or if an email confirmation from the testing clinic will be enough.
What happens if your stay is shorter than a week?
What does self-isolation actually mean? Do you have to stay inside the whole time, or can you move around at distance? It seems that you have to stay at the same address for the self-isolation period, which makes sense.
What happens if your test results are not ready by the time you land?
If you are a non-EU citizen with a temporary residency in an EU country, do the testing restrictions apply?
Can you get tested at a Croatian airport?
How will the self-isolation be monitored and enforced?
And 100 questions more. The answer to most of them at the moment is I just don't know.
But we should know more tomorrow.
For anyone who is travelling and has experiences to share, they are invaluable right now. Please share them in our Viber community (you will need to download the app), or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Borders. Here is one success story just in from our Viber community.
And one more early piece of feedback on the new rules from the Viber community:
MUP just answered me that if I enter without the test I have to prove paid acomodation at only ONE place for 14 days. Coming from Serbia
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The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Croatian PM Says Victims of Srebrenica Genocide Must Never Be Forgotten
ZAGREB, July 11, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Saturday that the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, which he described as one of the worst atrocities committed in Europe after the Second World War, should and would never be forgotten.
"A quarter of the century has passed since one of the most heinous atrocities on European soil after the World War Two, was committed in Srebrenica. It is with deepest respect that we commemorate today more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys and civilians killed in Srebrenica and we also show our deep sympathies to their families and dearest ones. The victims of Srebrenica must not and will not ever be forgotten," Plenkovic wrote in a press release issued on the occasion of commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the eastern Bosnian enclave into the hands of the Serb forces.
The genocidal character of the crimes committed in Srebrenica was confirmed by verdicts handed down by the UN court for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) against wartime Bosnian Serb leaders Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic.
The atrocities perpetrated in Srebrenica are a tragic and undeniable fact which serves as admonition. Plenkovic went on to say that "all of us must be committed to the efforts aimed at establishing and promoting the truth about Srebrenica."
Being a friendly neighbour of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia will always help that country in its endeavours to build a brighter future as a state of three equal constituent peoples, Plenkovic said, reiterating Zagreb's commitment to help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its journey towards its European Union membership.
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Zadar Once Again Finds Itself At Center of Croatia's Coronavirus Debate
July 11, 2020 — Zadar has become a magnet for epidemiologically dubious events, as a wedding for a Croatian general’s daughter produced a second wave of infections which trumped Novak Djokovic’s Adria Tour.
Zadar was once a lodestar in Croatia’s fight against the coronavirus. The small seaside gem consistently kept infection rates lower than its other, larger coastal kin, including Split and Rijeka. The contact-tracing operations produced a swift tracking of other potential infections.
During Croatia’s coronavirus lull, Zadar cobbled together one of the longest streaks of without new coronavirus infections.
Then Zadrani cut loose and started partying.
Zadar reported seven new COVID-19 infections today. The new cases include a members of seaside town’s emergency medical apparatus. Many can be traced back to a single wedding held for the daughter of a Croatian general integral in the country's COVID-19 response, with members of the Defense Ministry in attendance.
The bacchanal last Friday drew about 300 attendees from all over Croatia, including 11 employees of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces. None were sent to self-isolation, according to Index.
The wedding has become the epicenter of discussion over new measures and restrictions, and prompted a nationwide debate over gatherings.
The director of the Institute of Emergency Medicine in Zadar, Ivica Erlić, confirmed for Slobodna Dalmacija that one of his doctors, who was at the Zadar wedding last weekend, was positive. But since then she has not returned to work, so no one in the Institute has had to isolate as a result.
Two other new infections are connected to the wedding and the others became infected elsewhere, the County’s Civil Protection Headquarters reported on Saturday.
The wedding pushed the bounds of the epidemiological measures allowed by the government, creating 23 new infections as of Friday.
"Because of this infected health worker, self-isolation was determined for 10 anesthesia specialists and three nurses, so four doctors from other hospitals are coming to Zadar," announced the director of the Zadar hospital Zeljko Culina at a press conference in front of the Zadar Polyclinic on Friday afternoon.
Epidemiologist Dr. Alan Medic warned that if several more such weddings happen "the story will no longer be able to be controlled". He hinted that there were indeed more than 300 people allowed at the wedding.
"Not everyone has to shake hands with everyone, not necessarily so much intimate contact,” he said. “Today is the seventh day since the wedding. We expect another day or two of the influx of new cases. I'm more afraid of their contacts because we had a transmission within the family, where a colleague was infected. She was not at the wedding.
“It is impossible to do the whole reconstruction, we have a colorful list of about 300-350 guests, band members, staff ... We call them all guests,” Medic said on Friday.
The General in question is the commander of the HV Support Command, which set up tents in front of the Dubrava Hospital during the quarantine with the soldiers.
In mid-April, he met with then-Defense Minister Davor Krsticevic and Health Minister Vili Beroš in Zadar and explained that the role of the Croatian army in defending against coronavirus was very important.
Fuzul pointed out that the military has elaborate plans and the ability to take many things upon itself. Fuzul also talked about measures against coronavirus. He particularly emphasized spacing as a measure of corona protection.
"Respecting the guidelines of the National Civil Protection Headquarters, we follow them by adapting them to our daily activities,” he reportedly said at the time. “We work with maximum protection measures, respecting distance and everything else that was ordered. […] Thus, we do not burden the civil system, but we can take the burden on ourselves.”
The health minister Beroš shifted four doctors from elsewhere in Croatia to Zadar, hoping to plug a staffing shortage created by the wedding’s new infections.
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Croatian President Compares COVID-19 to Tooth Decay?!
July 11, 2020 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović spoke at the opening of Dubrovnik Summer Festival and compared COVID-19 to tooth decay.
President Zoran Milanović said yesterday, and Slobodna Dalmacija reports, that we will have to learn to live with the coronavirus, but that everyone is under a lot of stress caused by a large amount of not-easily-understandable information. He added that especially when watching American and other western TV stations, it appears to him that the whole thing is getting out of control mentally and the people will go crazy in the end, considering how much information they're being fed. And not even those who supply the information completely understand it, let alone the anchors and the audience. He said also that this has become a race in whose study or research will get promoted first, and that it made no sense.
He added that COVID-19 is something we'll have to learn to live with, and the sooner we're able to accept it as a type of normalcy, the better. He proposed we consider COVID-19 "not like some big disease" (this is a direct translation of his words, ne kao neku veliku bolest), rather like tooth decay. That gets cured, Milanović added.
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Estonia on the Adriatic? Dutchman Asks PM for Croatian Digital Nomad Visa
July 11, 2020 - What if Croatia went digital and made it easy for remote workers to work here with a digital nomad visa? A question for the Prime Minister.
A timeline.
1991 - Estonia, a small, impoverished ex-Soviet republic, with no real resources, an empty bank account, and 92% of its trade dependent on Russia.
2020 - Estonia, the undisputed king of digitalisation in Europe, with the best mindset, more unicorns per capita than anywhere in the world, and a digital nomad visa which attracts the finest talent.
Is it time to turn Croatia into Estonia on the Adriatic? Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong in Split sent an open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Dear Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic,
My name is Jan de Jong, born in the Netherlands, but living in Croatia for nearly 14 years. Over the past months I have promoted Croatia as an amazing country to live & work for digital nomads. (My LinkedIn posts about digital nomads got over 450.000 views)
As a result, my LinkedIn inbox is full with messages from people from all around the world who are seriously considering to take this step - but they all wonder "how"? (in terms of tax laws & staying permits).
Imagine, giving those digital nomads the right to come and work from Croatia up till max. 12 months - regardless of their nationality under a digital nomad visa. (Like Estonia introduced recently)
Many apartments that are empty outside the season could find new tenants. The salaries those digital nomads earn, they will spend in Croatia - resulting in an enormous boost of our economy through consumer spending.
If we open Croatia for tourists, why not open this country for highly paid digital nomads?
I thank you in advance for taking this digital nomad visa into consideration.
Puno hvala, ??
Jan de Jong iz Splita
Give this post a ❤ if you support the idea of introducing of a digital nomad visa in Croatia?
#LivingTheCroatianDream #entrepreneurship #Croatia #DigitalNomads
Learn more about why Croatia is a great digital nomad destination, even without the visa.
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Croatia Makes The World's Largest Bottle of Perfume. And You Could Own It.
July 11, 2020 - The world's largest bottle of perfume, made in Čakovec, Međimurje county, Croatia and certified by the Guinness Book of World Records
A thousand pretty islands, surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise seas. Champion athletes in a surprisingly wide range of sports. The birthplace of the innovative Nikola Tesla and Faust Vrančić, the first self-propelled torpedo, forensic fingerprinting, the tungsten electric light bulb, the retractable pencil, the cravat or tie and Andrija Štampar's guidance on public health which informs how today's World Health Organisation works. There are many examples why the eyes of the world are never far from Croatia. And now there's another reason Croatia is once again the scent-er of attention.
Dejan Levačić, a perfume maker from Čakovec, last year made the world's largest bottle of perfume. Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, standing at 1.91 metres in length, 0.82 metres across, 0.46 metres wide and holding 616.18 litres of perfume, the bottle shows a fragrant disregard for the norms of perfumery. As such, it's a little too big to have around the Levačić family home and Dejan is prepared to let it go if he can find the right home.
The world's largest bottle of perfume stands at 1.91 metres in length, 0.82 metres across and 0.46 metres wide and holds 616.18 litres of perfume
Taught how to make perfumes by his mother, who worked for famous pharmaceutical company Pliva, Dejan has been experimenting with different fragrances all his life. In essence, he was a hobbyist until six years ago, when he turned the pastime into a full-time pursuit. He now makes different natural perfumes from plants, herbs and aromatics that grow in Croatia for his own Levy brand. The world's largest bottle of perfume contains Levy Gold, inspired by the gold panning which used to take place in Dejan's home region of Međimurje.
The stainless steel bottle was made by local engineers in Čakovec and is an exact replica of the standard-sized bottle in which Levy Gold is available. Considering its size, Dejan imagines that it will take a buyer with considerable space to take it off his hands, such as a hotel. Placed on public display, the eye-catching bottle is definitely capable of producing a reaction such as “Eau my goodness!”
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Official Govt Website: Recommendations, Instructions When Organizing an Event
July 10, 2020 - The official Koronavirus.hr website has published new guidelines for organizing events.
These instructions and recommendations are to be applied for all events for 100 and more participants. The organiser is responsible for the implementation of these recommendations.
Organisation of an event
Invitating guestsWhen inviting, organisers should inform guests on the measures in force and provide instructions and information. It is recommended not to invite elderly people or one with chronic diseases.
Visible notices
The obligation to comply with general hygiene measures and physical distance measures, in accordance with the recommendations of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, must be notified in a visible place at the entrance to the premises or immediately after entry.
Seating plan
All seating positions must be marked in advance and moved away from one another to a minimum of 1,5 meters. Organisers should limit the entry to a maximum of as many participants as there are marked sitting positions.
Entrance and seating plan
Participants/guests should enter the venue in a way that they are not retained and grouped together and, as soon as possible, reach their sitting position. It is recommended that persons from the same household are located at the same table. It is also recommended that the seating plan is fixed and stays unchanged during the event.
Record keeping
Before and after entry into the record keeping sheet, the visitors should disinfect their hands. The organiser (private or legal person) should keep a record of participants and staff for 14 days after the event, in order to facilitate contact tracing in case of infection with SARS-CoV-2, and the provision of records to the territorial department in charge of civil protection or the Civil Protection Directorate. Basic data will be collected: name, surname, telephone number and signature of guests.
By signing the record keeping sheet, guest confirms that it has measured the temperature and that it is not higher than 37.2 °C; that it feels well and has no household members in self-isolation; hasn’t travel abroad in the past 14 days abroad, and if so, has a negative PCR test which is not older than 48 hours old: that in the past 14 days hasn’t had a contact with someone infected with SARS-CoV-2; and does not have any of the following symptoms: high body temperature, cough, lack of air, sore throat, runny nose or loss of smell.
Face masks
All staff, except the musicians, at the event have to use a face or medical mask. The staff should use a face or a medical mask covering the nose and mouth. In addition, the have to disinfectant their hands to regularly.
Arrival and behaviour of the guests
Measure body temperature before the arrivalAll guests, organisers and staff are obliged to measure body temperature at the entry point. If it is above 37.2 °C, or if the person feels sick or has any symptoms (all symptoms or signs of illness, not only respiratory diseases), he or she may not take part of the event.
Also, a person may not participate in any case if:
- Has a household member in self isolation
- Has been abroad in the past 14 days, unless has a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours.
- Had a contact with person infected with SAS-CorV-2 in the past 14 days
- Has one of the following symptoms: high body temperature, cough, lack of air, sore throat, runny nose or loss of smell.
Hand-disinfection
During the stay, it is recommended to disinfect hands more frequently. An event organiser is responsible providing disinfectants in sufficient quantities. Before leaving, the guest should disinfect hands.
Physical distancing
For the entire period of stay, including arrival and departure, the physical distance between all guests should be at least 1,5 metre. The organiser has to ensure that at least 3 m² of venue space is planned for each participant. The physical distance rule does not apply between same household members or those who are usually in close contact. It is forbidden to have close physical contacts, like shaking hands, hugging, kissing.
Music
Only performers who haven’t been abroad in the past 14 days, or have a negative PCR test not older than 14 days, can perform. It is recommended that the stage is set at least 4 m from other event participants. The 2 m distance is recommended for singers and musicians with wind instruments. T is mandator to have a 4 m distance between stage performer and audience and to ensure that the performers do not come in close contact with audience and other event participants.
Dancefloor
The total number of people who can be at the same time at the dance floor depends on the total dance floor space and is recommended to provide 4m2 space per each person, except those from the same household.
Serving and consumption of food and beverages
It is recommended to serve foods and beverages in individual portions only at the table in front of guests.
Dishes
Glasses, other dishware and other items mustn’t be shared.
Hygiene of venue space
Air conditioners, heating and ventilation appliancesGeneral recommendation for indoor space is to ventilate by opening windows, and to use ventilation system less. When using ventilation system, particular attention should be noted to filters and maintenance and the regular speed of indoor air substitution. A proper maintenance of ventilation and air ventilation equipment should be carried out on a regular basis. It is recommended ventilate with an increase in the percentage of the outside air circulating in the system and to use the non-recirculation mode in order to incentivise air variation that reduces the concentration of potentially infectious particles.
Cleaning and disinfection
Often contact areas such as door or window handles, working surfaces, handrails, toilet taps, door bells and other contact surfaces used by a large number of people must be disinfected before the event, every two hours after the start, and at the end. When making a sitting plan, ensure considerable time needed for the guests to enter and exit the venue space and in case of two consecutive events ensure enough time for aeration and disinfection of the premises.
Cleaning and disinfection instructions:
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Saturday, 11 July 2020
Official Govt Website: Recommendations, Instructions for Crossing Croatian Border
July 26, 2020* - The official Koronavirus.hr website has published new guidelines for crossing the border.
Recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of public Health for passengers crossing the state border of the Republic of Croatia.
The Decision on temporary prohibition of crossing the border crossings of the Republic of Croatia (NN 74/20) prohibits or restricts the crossing of passengers through border crossings, of which are exempt:
- EU nationals (irrespective of their place of residence), the Schengen area and Schengen associated countries, as well as members of their families and third-country nationals who are long-term residents under Council Directive 2003/109/EZ of 25 November 2003 on the status of long-term nationals of third countries and persons entitled to stay under other EU or national Directives or having national long-term visas.
- The temporary prohibition on entry into the Republic of Croatia from third countries, with the exception of passengers referred to in point 1, shall not apply to:
2a) Health care professionals, health researchers and associates, nursing professionals and persons requiring urgent medical treatment
2b) Cross-border workers
2c) Carriers of goods and other transport personnel to the extent necessary
2d) Diplomats, police officers in the performance of their duties, civil protection services and teams, staff of international organisations and international military personnel in the performance of their functions
2e) Transit passengers
2f) Passengers travelling for tourism or other business reasons or having other economic interest, and passengers travelling for the purpose of education
2g) Passengers travelling for urgent personal reasons (e.g. they own a property in the Republic of Croatia) or have any other immediate personal reason
Instructions for the health supervision of passengers entering the Republic of Croatia from third countries:
a) For all passengers entering the Republic of Croatia from third countries, under exemption from the prohibition to cross the border referred to in point 2g, health supervision with 14 days quarantine/self-isolation is mandatory.
Quarantine/self-isolation can be shortened to seven days if a passenger does a nasal and pharynx swab at his/her expense seven days after entering Croatia and gets a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2.
b) The obligation of self-isolation for passengers entering the Republic of Croatia from third countries does not apply to passengers referred to in points 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and:
2e) Transit passengers:
- For transit passengers, the border police will, after they have been granted entry, check whether they have left the territory of the Republic of Croatia within 12 hours
- This rule can only be applied if the departure from the Republic of Croatia to a neighbouring country enables it to enter.
2f) – Passengers entering the Republic of Croatia for tourism or other business reasons or having other economic interest, as well as persons travelling for educational purposes.
These passengers may enter Croatia without the obligation of self-isolation upon presentation of a negative PCR test of the nose and pharynx for SARS-CoV-2, not older than 48 hours (starting from the time of taking the swab until arrival at the border crossing), or with the obligation of 14 days quarantine/self-isolation if they do not have a negative PCR test.
Update, July 13 (the following sentence was added to the rules regarding the passengers entering Croatia under 2f conditions): If the third-country nationals entering Croatia have a test older than 48 hours, they will be allowed to enter Croatia with the obligatory self-isolation measure, but they will be able to get re-tested in Croatia (they'll have to pay for the test in Croatia themselves). That can be applied to passengers and crew members on yachts.
(Additional clarification of this rule: Those whose test is older than 48 hours will be allowed to enter Croatia, but they will be issued a self-isolation order and will have to be tested again locally, at their own expense. Having an expired PCR test upon arrival will allow for a shortened period of time in self-isolation pending a negative result of a local PCR test. Those who do not provide a negative PCR test upon arrival will be ordered to quarantine/self-isolate for at least 7 days prior to taking a local PCR test.)
Passengers entering Croatia without the obligation of self-isolation shall comply with the following measures during the first two weeks of their stay in Croatia:
- During the first 14 days after entering the Republic of Croatia, exits from accommodation are limited only to the necessary ones: performance of work if it is a business reason for entering the Republic of Croatia, performance of necessary activities with continuous intensified implementation of hygiene measures.
- During the necessary exit from accommodation it is recommended to use a mask or covers for the nose and mouth, maintain physical distance from other persons (minimum 1.5 meters) and conduct hand hygiene.
- Hands wash as often as possible with warm water and soap and/or use a hand disinfectant that needs to be rubbed in the palms. Avoid touching the face, mouth, nose and eyes.
- Avoid the use of public transport. In a means of transport, it is desirable that a person is alone or exclusively with persons sharing a common accommodation.
- Gatherings should be consistently avoided
- During business meetings it is necessary to meet as few people as possible, ensure a physical distance of 1.5 meters and availability of disinfectants, and avoid unnecessary meetings.
- Payment services are performed by non-cash card payments or on-line services.
- Every morning it is necessary to measure the body temperature if it is higher than 37.2C, the measurement should be repeated after 10 minutes, and if the temperature is higher than 37.2 C it is necessary to stay at home/in accommodation and contact a doctor in a tourist or COVID-19 infirmary or a territorially responsible epidemiologist.
- In case of symptoms of acute respiratory infection (cough, sore throat, fever, short breathing/difficulty or loss of smell), it is necessary to stay at home/in accommodation and contact a doctor in a tourist or A COVID-19 infirmary or a territorially responsible epidemiologist.
- In case of sudden onset of severe, life-threatening symptoms, contact emergency medical service at 194.
*This article was originally published on July 11, but is regularly updated. This shows the date of the last update.
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Saturday, 11 July 2020
Split Mayor Attacked
July 11, 2020 — Split’s Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara was attacked last night.
Split Mayor Andro Krstulović Opar,53, was attacked Friday night at 8 p.m. by two young men who first insulted him and then hit him. The mayor reportedly did not seek medical help.
Authorities arrested a man and launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which took place on Solurat Street, the Split-Dalmatia Police Department reported.
Opara announced on his Facebook profile that there is no reason for concern and that if it was someone other than him, probably this incident would not be worth mentioning.
“Good people, thank you for caring,” he wrote. “ I'm fine and nothing terrible has happened. If anyone else had been in my place this wouldn't have been any news. It's not worth mentioning.”
At the same time, politicians from across the political spectrum in the city of Split condemned the incident, from the Social Democrats to the Smart party.
The Split SDP also spoke out against the attack on Opar.
"We unreservedly and strongly condemn the attack on the mayor of our city, Andro Krstulović Opar,” said Goran Kotur, president of the SDP in Split. “We believe that the agenda of the Split City Council session should include a discussion on the report of the Split-Dalmatia Police Administration on the security situation in the city of Split. At a thematic session on the security situation in Split, the council decided that this topic would be on the agenda in the second quarter of each year.”
Saturday, 11 July 2020
Croatia Reports Record-Breaking 140 New COVID-19 Cases
July 11, 2020 - After the numbers of new COVID-19 patients hit the three digits in Croatia for the first time yesterday, today the new record has been reached - 140.
The National Civil Protection Authority reported today that the current number of active cases in Croatia is 1,088, with 124 people hospitalized, and 3 on ventilators. Since February 25, when the first case of COVID-19 infection in Croatia was reported, 3,672 people have contracted the disease. 118 patients have died so far, including one patient who passed away in the last 24 hours.
1,322 people have been tested in the last 24 hours, for a total of 92,808.
Even before the official numbers were reported by the Civil Protection, Croatian media reported on the record-high numbers. Istria County reported they have four new cases, Zadar County seven, Osijek-Baranja County reported they had 50 new cases (out of 174 tested), 42 of them from Đakovo, including 37 nuns from the already known hotspot. Vukovar-Srijem County reported they have 12 new positive cases, Zagreb has 35 (out of which 7 can't be contact-traced), Split-Dalmatia County has 12 new cases and Zagreb county 6. The total numbers reported by the national headquarters may differ from those reported by the local authorities because they don't all report for the same 24-hour period.
At the same time, Slovenia has reported that the number of new COVID-19 cases there has doubled, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has also set a new record, with 316 cases in the last 24 hours.
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