ZAGREB, 7 Nov 2021 - Croatia has registered 4,159 new coronavirus cases and 50 deaths in the last 24 hours, the national COVID-19 response team said on Sunday morning.

Currently, there are 32,000 active cases in the country. Among them are 1,848 people who are receiving hospital treatment and 248 of them are on ventilators. A total of 26,615 people are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 501,327 people have been registered as having contracted the novel virus, of whom 9,500 have died and 459,827 have recovered, including 3,798 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 3,180,957 people have been tested for COVID-19, including 9,776 in the last 24 hours. A total of 3,690,148 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 48.02 percent of the total population, or 57.46 percent of the adult population, having been vaccinated.

As of Saturday, 1,948,738 people have received at least one dose and 1,820,138 have been fully immunized, which is 53.81 percent of the adult population.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

November 7, 2021 - The first artificial heart implant at KBC Split has been announced by the head of the Split Cardiac Surgery Clinic, Mate Petričević.

The first implantation of an artificial heart has been announced at the Cardiac Surgery Department of the Split Clinical Hospital Center (KBC Split), revealed Mate Petričević, head of the Split Cardiac Surgery Clinic for N1.

Implanting a long-term mechanical circulatory support, i.e., an artificial heart, lasts approximately eight hours, and the first operation in Split will be performed at the Cardiac Surgery Department of KBC Split. This type of operation in Croatia is performed at the Zagreb University Hospital Center, where a team for mechanical circulatory support was formed, of which Petričević was a member until recently.

It is a complex procedure that includes a highly specialized team consisting of a surgeon, anesthesiologist, cardiologist, nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, physiotherapists, and psychologists.

“Hospitals that perform artificial heart implants have the status of centers of excellence in the field of cardiac medicine. Until recently, these types of operations were reserved for only a few centers in the USA and Europe, and soon KBC Split should be on the world map of expert centers for artificial heart implants," says Petričević.

Candidates for artificial heart implants are mostly patients with hearts in the terminal failure phase, i.e., their heart function is dramatically low, and conservative treatment methods are exhausted.

Unfortunately, there are more and more young patients who need it. For them, an artificial heart can serve as a bridge to a heart transplant, while in the elderly, an artificial heart is the final form of treatment without the need for a later transplant.

"Lately, we have been witnessing patients who have had an artificial heart implanted as a bridging therapy until a transplant, but those who are satisfied with an artificial heart later give up the transplant," said Petričević.

After surgery, patients stay in the hospital for three weeks because patient education is a critical aspect of treatment. At the hospital, the patient learns to live with the device to be independent once released. 

Complications most often occur when too much blood-thinning medication is taken, bleeding occurs, or too little is taken, and the clot enters the pump system. In this case, the clot should dissolve or, in the worst case, the device is replaced with a new one.

The pump is a propeller that levitates in a magnetic field and rotates up to ten thousand revolutions per minute. Rotating blood flow is created according to the principle of the Archimedes screw, and this flow is constant, which is why patients no longer have a measurable pulse after an artificial heart is implanted. 

“Previous generations of devices generated pulse flow; however, these types of devices were larger and more complex and therefore more susceptible to failures. Today's technology has reached a high level, and in a few years, I expect that this type of device will have the dimensions of batteries for home use," says Petričević.

If the operation goes well and the therapy is carried out without any complications, the installed device can last for more than 20 years.

Research is currently being conducted, and everything is being documented precisely. The results are encouraging, and Petričević believes it will get even better over time.

“When you consider 10 or 20 years of living with an artificial heart and compare it to the condition of a terminal heart patient who has exhausted the treatment option, it is clear that this is a big step in the treatment of heart disease,” he concluded.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

November 7, 2021 - 1,000 Aminess tourism workers are desired for the 2022 season, with the promise of monthly rewards, holiday bonuses, accommodation, meals, and expert-led training in Croatia's best destinations. 

Travel company Aminess has started preparatory activities for next season. As it expects greater interest from key markets, Aminess has introduced a new recruitment campaign under the slogan “Aminess Jobs - Where Friendship Makes a Difference”, reports HRTurizam.

The campaign seeks to attract 1,000 employees to work in the best tourist destinations. It offers stimulating monthly rewards of up to 5,000 kuna, Christmas bonuses and holiday pay, hotel accommodation for employees, hot meals, and training programs led by experts.

Aminess points out that more than half of their seasonal employees return to work in their facilities, with material working conditions improving every year. In addition, Aminess announces that they plan to invest almost one million kuna in the education of all its employees in 2022.

Aminess is among the first to start preparing for the next season and is looking for chefs, assistant chefs, pizza masters, butchers, waiters, serving-assistant waiters, bartenders, receptionists, and maids.

The campaign, which seeks to attract new employees to work in high-class hotels, villas, and camps in Novigrad in Istria, Krk, Korčula, and Pelješac, also features renowned chef David Skoko and well-known blogger Ella Dvornik, who spent the day as employees.

“At Aminess, we focus on learning and development with the best professionals. This resulted in collaboration with chef David Skoko, who passes on his knowledge to our employees. Educated staff in the tourism sector are of great importance. Therefore, Aminess, in addition to competitive working conditions, educates all its employees to be ready for the tourist season and provide guests with an unforgettable experience in the destination," said Dalibor Matovina, Director of Operations at Aminess Hotels and Camps.

Aminess hotels and camps have high category hotels and campsites in Novigrad in Istria, Krk, Korcula, and Pelješac. The hotels and camps can accommodate more than 12,500 guests.

Regardless of the employment status, all Aminess employees are also allowed to be promoted. This is evidenced by the example of the director of one of the camps, who began her career at Aminess in 2013 as a receptionist. In just four years, she was promoted to the restaurant manager position, after which she was appointed to the role of the camp director.

“After a total of eight years of working in various positions at Aminess, this season, I was in the camp director role. Learning and investing in yourself is the key to personal success," points out Tatjana Glamatović, director of the Aminess Sirena camp.

This year, Aminess provided its employees with a bonus of HRK 5,000, a Christmas bonus of HRK 3,000, a gift for a child and another gift of HRK 600, and a rebate of up to HRK 1,800. Considering all the above, Aminess hotels and camps are proud that in addition to their regular income, they have enabled their employees to pay additional rewards and benefits in the amount of more than 10,000 kuna.

For more, check out our business section.

November 7, 2021 - There is a growing number of Russians vaccinated in Croatia since the Russian Sputnik vaccine is yet to be approved by the European Union. 

Russian citizens flocked to a small vaccination point in Zagreb's Kajzerica neighborhood on Tuesday of last week, reports Jutarnji List.

While vaccinations were done at that location from 8 am to 6 pm, those in line were redirected to the Fair around noon because Kajzerica could not handle the number of people. At that time, a decision was made that vaccination without notice in Kajzerica would be allowed only to Croatian citizens and foreigners residing in Croatia.

The interest in vaccination at the HZZO vaccination point was so great that the workers had to go out and look for Croatian citizens, who, as assumed, have a vaccination advantage over Russians in the country. 

"When I came to work in the morning, there was a large line of Russian citizens. They came even before we opened and waited. They started coming last week," said Kristina Tomašić, the head of the Kajzerica vaccination location. She emphasized that there is only one doctor who vaccinates, so there are big crowds.

The main reason for Russians coming to this Zagreb neighborhood is that Sputnik, the Russian vaccine, has not been approved by the European Union, so it is impossible to issue a Covid-certificate necessary for work or travel.

"Our vaccine is not approved in the world, and that's why I'm here. By the way, I am a sailor, and I need the vaccine for work," said Aleksandar (30). He came to Zagreb from Novgorod, and this will be his second dose of the European vaccine. He was first injected in France. Aleksandar revealed that he came to Zagreb alone and that no agency mediated his arrival.

Viktoria (22) came to Zagreb from Moscow, and like Aleksandar, she wants to have the approved vaccine. She plans to travel the world and can't at the moment without self-isolation.

"Today, I will take the first dose, but I will return to Zagreb for the second. I want to travel but not be in self-isolation. That's why I'm here," said Viktoria. She will stay in Zagreb for four days and stated that she came alone.

"I read about agencies organizing group visits. But I didn’t choose that. I don't even know the people who came here through an agency," Viktoria added.

Dmitri (35) also came to Croatia on his own. He went on a long journey by car but was accompanied by friends on his travels. 

"I am here because I need a European vaccine. I have already taken two doses of Sputnik, and this will be my first vaccine," reveals Dmitri. He added that of all the places, he decided on Croatia because "it is easy to get vaccinated there."

In the end, Dmitri did not get vaccinated at the Kajzerica location. Namely, Russian citizens were redirected to the Fair around noon due to the crowds. When the news spread that they must have at least residence in Croatia to be vaccinated at the Kajzerica location, they were visibly dissatisfied. Finally, however, they headed to the largest vaccination point in Zagreb - the fair. 

"I asked them to move there. We are too small a point for so many people. Our citizens are a priority in vaccination because that is the only way we can improve the epidemiological picture," explained Tomšić. She warned that they had only one vaccination room, and they could not grant the 15-minute observation period if people got sick after getting the jab. 

"They have to stay after receiving the vaccine. What if they fall when they come out?" Tomšić wondered. She said that the workers went out and looked for Croatian citizens who had come to get vaccinated at one point.

Tomšić said that vaccinating foreign citizens without residence in Croatia will not be prevented at their checkpoint in advance. All subsequent decisions will be made daily, depending on whether their capacity can withstand such requests.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

November 7, 2021 - Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić are the world's #1 doubles team in 2021! 

On the ATP ranking, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will finish 2021 as the world's best doubles team. Only American Rajeev Ram and Briton Joe Salisbury threatened to catch Pavić and Mektić, though thanks to the outcome of the Paris Masters, the Croatian duo was unattainable. 

This is the third time Pavić has finished the year as part of the world's best doubles team, and Nikola Mektić is the third partner with whom Pavić reached the top. Last year, Pavić and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares were named #1, and in 2018, he was the best in combination with Austrian partner Oliver Marach.

"I'm thrilled. True, this is my third time in the last four years with a third partner, but I achieved it for the first time with a Croatian, which is a great achievement for us personally, but also for Croatian tennis in general," said Mate Pavić in a statement from ATP Tour.

Mektić will finish at the top of the ATP rankings for the first time this year.

"It is a nice achievement, especially after a season like the one we had. I was looking forward to it. When I saw how we were doing, it became one of the goals. It is nice to end the year at number 1, which is the crown of the whole season in which we had nice victories and great titles," said Nikola Mektić.

In a year full of success, the 32-year-old from Zagreb and the 28-year-old from Split won nine titles, including the Wimbledon trophy and a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Mektić and Pavić will still play in the final tournament of the eight best doubles teams in the world, where the Zagreb man triumphed last year with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof. But, on the other hand, it is one of the few trophies Pavić does not have in his collection.

"We had a great season, and we are looking forward to playing in Turin at this year's ATP Final. We will try to end the season the way we started it," said Pavić.

ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi also congratulated the Croatian duo.

"Congratulations to Nikola and Mate on an exceptional season and number 1. It is impressive how they started the season and how much success they had in their first year together, and we should be proud of our achievements," said Gaudenzi.

Mektić and Pavić will be the first-seed at the ATP Finals, hosted in Turin for the first time from November 14 to 21, after the final tournament was played in London's O2 Arena from 2009 to 2020.

After the ATP Finals, Nikola and Mate will play for the Croatia Davis Cup national team again in Turin. They will play the group stage against Australia on November 25 and against Hungary on November 28.

Source: HRT

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

November the 7th, 2021 - Six KBC Zagreb (Rebro) employees have been fired after refusing to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, as well as for refusing to be regularly tested for the virus' presence.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is once again biting hard here in Europe as the season changes and people begin spending more and more time indoors as a result of the colder weather. Infections here in Croatia have climbed to numbers never seen before during the entire pandemic and new measures are now in force to try to combat the rapidly escalating situation.

Hospitals are fearing the same situation we experienced last year and some are already having to make enormous alterations to the way things function to try to deal with the current wave of infections, which are alarmingly high. The vaccination rate in Croatia is still very poor, and a lack of respirators for those with a more severe clinical picture is once again a huge concern. 

Most medical staff across Croatia have been fully vaccinated, some have recently accepted their third dose, all with the aim of protecting the most vulnerable and unwell people in society they are typically dealing with. That isn't the case for all, however, and given the fact that vaccination against coronavirus isn't mandatory, some have refused. Those who refuse must then agree to be very regularly tested for the presence of the virus, but some have even refused that. As a result, they've lost their jobs.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, three nurses, a medical technician, an assistant and an administrator were fired from their employment positions at KBC Zagreb because they did not want to be vaccinated or tested, as was announced on Friday.

“The reason for the dismissal of these individuals is their refusal to be vaccinated or, alternatively, be tested for COVID-19 twice a week. They, after being told they could not come to work without a COVID certificate, used their rights to leave, and partly went on sick leave. However, when they exhausted all of their legal 'leave' possibilities, and still didn't want to be vaccinated or tested, they were handed an extraordinary dismissal,'' said prof.dr. Ante Corusic, the director of KBC Zagreb, in conversation with Jutarnji list.

Corusic also confirmed that the process of terminating the employment contract for four more employees is underway for the exact same reason.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

November the 7th, 2021 - The former director of the much loved Zagreb Brewery, Sergey Yeskov, is set to spread his wings and become the director of the Molson Coors Beverage company. With this professional move, the ex Zagreb Brewery director, originally from Ukraine, is branching out from Croatia to Europe.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, former Zagreb Brewery director Sergey Yeskov is set to become the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Molson Coors Beverage, the owner of the aforementioned Croatian brewery, for the whole of Europe. With this, Yeskov is stepping down from his position as director of Molson Coors for operations in Central and Eastern Europe and spreading further. The current president and CEO for Europe - Simon Cox, will retire on January the 1st, 2022, the Zagreb Brewery announced.

"Sergey's comprehensive experience, gained around the world in various positions, will be a great contribution not only to our European team, but also to the overall global business," said Gavin Hattersley, President and CEO of Molson Coors, adding that ''under Sergey's leadership, Molson Coors will continue to advance the company for the benefit of employees and business in Europe."

Ukrainian by birth, Yeskov has built an enviable career in this British brewery, which is also among the world's largest - he was the president and CEO of Molson Coors International in America, overseeing business operations in India, Africa, Latin America and Japan. He was also the General Manager of Sales and Sales at Molson Coors Canada, and he is also remembered right here in Croatia, because he ran Molson Coors here and in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the President of the Management Board of the Croatian beer leader, the producer of Ozujsko and a number of other brands (and representatives of other labels from the Molson Coors portfolio), for a full decade, from 2006 to October 2016.

On the other hand, his predecessor at the helm of the company in Europe - the Brit Simon Cox, has worked in the beer industry for more than 30 years, he's otherwise a master brewer by profession and was with Molson Coors for 16 years, rising in the company's hierarchy in Europe and achieving excellent business results, for which Chief Hattersley praised him:

"Simon has brought our European business to its current position. We're grateful for everything he's done for us to realise our achievements so far and become what we are today,'' said Hattersley.

The Zagreb Brewery also noted that Molson Coors in Europe, which includes them, did very well in the first nine months of this year - by September the 30th, the level of income from the third quarter of the pre-pandemic year of 2019 had been reached, and growth in investment in markets on the continent had also begun.

For more, check out our business section.