ZAGREB, 31 Oct. 2021 - The Croatian Association of Hospital Doctors (HUBOL) warned on Sunday that the situation in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients was difficult as more and more arrive every day because, it said, the virus is allowed to spread and those in charge are doing nothing about it, shirking responsibility.

The healthcare system is disappearing, HUBOL said in a press release.

The system does not exist when COVID-19 patients wait for hours to be admitted because there is no room, it does not exist when we don't have enough anesthesiologists, infectious disease specialists and internists who know how to treat people with destroyed lungs, it does not exist when you need a connection to get a bed supplied with oxygen as soon as possible, HUBOL said.

The system does not exist when patients will be treated for complications by a surgeon, gynecologist or other such doctor, and when those who decide if the system is overloaded get services with one call to the hospital administration, HUBOL said. "They and their relatives, friends and acquaintances don't wait in lines."

While those in charge "are doing nothing... the increasingly tired people who make up the healthcare system will soon have to stop with operations and examinations for other diseases because they are on COVID wards," HUBOL said.

They are there "because the virus is being allowed to spread," and in those wards "one will soon have to decide which patient to put in a bed with oxygen or a ventilator."

"The virus is spreading as much as we allow it to, the president of the epidemiological society said recently. Those whose responsibility it is to stop the virus from spreading among the population, with all the procedures and measures necessary (as in Denmark, for instance), inform us every day in a sedating voice about the increasing numbers of hospitalisations and deaths, washing their hands of their responsibility and reason for existing," HUBOL said.

"After all, only people in the Balkans, not some 'stupid' Danes, can allow such spreading of the virus and numbers of hospitalisations and deaths."

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ZAGREB, 31 Oct, 2021 - A joint delegation of the Defence Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the War Veterans Ministry and the Vukovar-Srijem County on Sunday laid a wreath and lit candles at the Memorial Cemetery of Homeland War Victims in Vukovar on the occasion of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

The delegation was led by Defence Minister Mario Banožić and included Vukovar-Srijem County Prefect Damir Dekanić, who called for unity.

"With a joint wreath we send a message of unity, a message that no one can joke with or belittle those who gave their lives for Vukovar, Vinkovci, the entire Slavonia, a message to all authorities in Croatia that we must keep together if we want to resist challenges which await us in the coming period, especially in terms of keeping people in this area," said Dekanić.

Asked by reporters why there were no representatives of the City of Vukovar in the delegation, Dekanić said that "it is simply a joint agreement and a joint message from the ministries and the county" and that he, as well as other county representatives, would attend protocol celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day wherever they manage to.

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October 31, 2021 - A diplomatic handover last night, as outgoing Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Andrae Smith handed over the role to Rax Suen of Singapore at Canopy by Hilton. 

An entertaining evening of networking and travel stories at Canpy by Hilton in Zagreb last night, as October's Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Andrae Smith hosted an evening of scary and funny travel stories as she said farewell to Zagreb after a month in the role. 

The ambassador program is a continuation of the award-winning Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, where one ambassador spends a calendar month in the Croatian capital, working to develop the city's digital nomad strategy. The project is a collaboraiton beetween Zagreb Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads, Doma Zagreb Aparthotel, and Total Croatia News.  

(Saltwater Nomads CEO Tanja Polegubic, Andrae Smith, Rax Suen, and TCN's Paul Bradbury at last night's event at Canopy by Hilton in Zagreb). 

Last night's event was also an opportunity to meet the next ambassador. Rax Suen jetted in from Argentina and will take up residence at Doma Zagreb Aparthotel tomorrow. 

Both contributed to the event with their scary, funny and embarrassing stories, and I think it is fair to say that Andrae's account of answering the call of nature in the Australian bush will live long in the memory of all those who heard it. 

Andrae took some time out to share her thoughts on the month in Zagreb with TCN in the video below.

It appears that we will be welcoming her back soon, as she has decided to add Croatia to the list of destinations where she offers her tailor-made digital nomad retreats. You can learn more on her Work Wanderers website.

We will be publishing the welcome interview with Rax shortly. 

For more news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

ZAGREB, 31 Oct, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours Croatia has registered 3,319 new cases of the coronavirus infection, as well as 22 related deaths, and the number of active cases today stands at 25,138.

There are currently 1,418 COVID patients in hospitals, 170 of whom are on ventilators, and 32,398 people are self-isolating.

To date, a total of 3,106,745 people have been tested, including 8,717 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 3,615,769 vaccine doses have been administered, and 47.10% of the total population or 56.41% of the adult population has been vaccinated.

As at 30 October, 1,911,239 people have received at least one shot, and 1,797,683 people have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for 53.17% of the adult population.

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ZAGREB, 31 Oct, 2021 - Increased uncertainty about future economic trends is leading to an increase in savings, according to an analysis by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) on the occasion of World Savings Day, marked on 31 October.

Data from the Croatian National Bank (HNB) show household deposits at the end of September 2021 were HRK 240.3 billion, up HRK 20 billion or 9.1% from September 2020 and up HRK 1.6 billion or 0.7% from August 2021.

Citing HNB data from August, they underscored that a year-on-year growth of deposits was recorded in all counties.

In terms of the distribution of household deposits by banks, the concentration of deposits is the highest in the City of Zagreb, whose citizens had HRK 67.2 billion in savings at the end of August, a share of 29% percent.

Broken down by counties, per capita deposits exceed HRK 50,000 in the Adriatic Croatia counties, with the exception of Lika-Senj County, while the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County are the only continental counties to register such per capita deposits.

Istria County tops the list with per capita deposits of HRK 85,249, followed by the City of Zagreb (HRK 83,049), while Vukovar-Srijem County (HRK 26,068) ranks last. At the level of Croatia, per capita deposits amount to HRK 57,555, up from last year's HRK 53,103, the HGK analysis showed.

The share of time deposits is 33.6%, down 4.7 percentage points compared to the end of last year, while the share of savings deposits has reached 35%, up 2.2 percentage points, and the share of deposit money has reached 31.4%, up 2.5 percentage points.

Huge oscillations in savings

Josip Zaher of the HGK said in a statement carried by the press release that the increase in savings of Croatian citizens was not surprising given that in every crisis, this time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, people always saved more.

As long as uncertainty regarding future economic trends is heightened, the same will apply to savings, said Vedran Šošić of the HNB, underscoring that oscillations in saving were huge.

Thus, amid the outbreak of the pandemic and the consequent lack of goods, and especially services, as well as caution and fear due to a potential loss of income, savings doubled overnight.

The reopening of the economy and the recovery of confidence enabled a gradual return to pre-pandemic patterns of spending and savings, although savings are generally still slightly higher than usual, said Šošić.

He also said that the majority of money surpluses accumulated after the outbreak, citizens deposited in banks. Also, savings were directed to the repayment of consumer debt, and investment in residential real estate is always popular, so housing loans grew increasingly fast, with increasingly obvious signs of overvaluation.

Member of the Management Board of the pensions funds management company Raiffeisen, Eva Horvat, stressed that nearly 400,000 Croatian citizens were saving in one of the voluntary pension funds, which contained assets of HRK 7.3 billion.

Savings growth constant in Croatia

On the occasion of World Savings Day, Zagrebačka Banka (Zaba) also released an analysis, in which Hrvoje Dolenec said that savings growth was constant in Croatia, and the reasons for that were the growth of GDP, living standards and disposable income.

"In the past two and a half years, the movement of financial assets of the Croatian population indicates an acceleration of that growth. This was especially evident during the pandemic, when the acceleration of savings was partly forced, due to limited movement and travel and less available services, such as restaurants, cafes, recreational activities, and partly voluntary, out of precaution and concern for the future," said Dolenec, noting that deposits and cash together accounted for nearly half of the total financial assets of households.

Igor Pavlović of Zaba underscored that low interest rates were certainly among the most important reasons for the reduction in the habit of opting for time deposits.

(€1 = HRK 7.509157)

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October 31, 2021 - From December 3 to 5, visitors to the "Chocolate Magic" fair will be able to taste the irresistible delicacies of twenty domestic and foreign producers, but also experience many more "sweet surprises" prepared by the organizers of the Chocolate Festival, to be held in Opatija.

Opatija and chocolate have been inextricably linked for years thanks to the Chocolate Festival event, the largest and oldest Croatian event dedicated to this irreplaceable food, which in 2021 celebrates its jubilee, reports Turističke Priče.

Sugar at the end of the year will bring Opatija a new edition of the Chocolate Festival. The fairy-tale atmosphere of the luxuriously decorated Advent city will be a great backdrop for top-quality desserts that will return to the Crystal Hall of the Kvarner Hotel exclusively for the 15th Chocolate Festival. The festive occasion also requires a festive ambience, so the jubilee of the sweetest Opatija event will be celebrated under the famous crystal chandeliers of the oldest Croatian hotel.

Photo: Visit Opatija Facebook Page

From December 3 to 5, visitors to the "Chocolate Magic" fair will be able to taste the irresistible delicacies of twenty domestic and foreign producers, but also experience many more "sweet surprises" prepared by the organizers. It will be a unique opportunity to enjoy the unique desserts that, except in the specialty stores of the present "craft" chocolatiers, can only be purchased at this fair.

Romantic winter evenings in Advent Opatija will be sweetened by the largest and longest-running Croatian event dedicated to chocolate, and hedonistic pleasure in divine flavors will be complemented by a special program at the Opatija chocolate factory Milenij Choco, as well as specially designed chocolate desserts in many hotels and restaurants. This sweet "lifestyle" will not only stay on the palate, but you will be able to enjoy chocolate with your whole body because this food will "interfere" with the treatments of Opatija's spa & wellness centers.

An opulent stretch of Austro-Hungarian finery on the beautiful Kvarner coast, Opatija was Croatia’s first-ever tourist destination. As popular now as it always was, it’s easy to see why. If you want to learn more about the location of the Chocolate Festival in December, be sure to check Total Croatia's Opatija in a Page guide by clicking HERE. Now in your language!

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

October 31, 2021 - Through an innovative way of relating the history and secrets of the region, the Istra Inspirit project offers a journey back in time for its participants to discover more about the fantastic history of Istria through the chronicles of famous characters aboard a train.

As Turističke Priče reports, Travel Istria has taken on a new dimension through innovative and sustainable product Discover Istria by bike and train. The Istra Inspirit experience took place in a renovated train adapted for the transport of passengers and bicycles on the Pula-Buzet-Pula route.

The performance was realized in a train on the route Pula-Vodnjan-Svetvinčenat-Kanfanar-Pula, where the performers of Istra Inspirit traveled through time with the time traveler Maris and her time machine: a bicycle through stations in Istria.

Photo: Istra Inspirit (Official Facebook Page)

Various events from the train carriages intrigued the audience, and selected historical characters, as well as fictional ones, were related to the locations where the train passed and described the importance of Istrian railways and the history of the locations with anecdotes of characters. Some hid in the train fleeing the law, some were passengers, some boarded the station. The performance connected the topics of the Istrian railways and their construction, their importance for traffic development, and the connection of places and cities with cycling and the development of this project.

The first station in Pula was the place where the audience was greeted by Maris, but also by Emperor Vespasian, at whose request the Pula amphitheater was built. In Vodnjan, the mystical Valerie von Windischgrätz, the granddaughter of Emperor Francis Joseph, boarded the train with the intention of killing her husband's mistress. The journey continues to Svetvincenat where the audience was surprised by a character hidden in the train: conductor Slavko.

Kanfanar as the last stop introduced us to the tragic story of the evil fate that befell Dvigrad through the eternal villain Captain Henry Morgan and his enemy Blackbeard, one of the most famous pirate captains in history who will try to hijack the trail.

Photo: Istra Inspirit (Official Facebook Page)

The audience embarked on a journey through the past, present and future, and through the Istrian beauties discovered a history that left a strong impression on people and customs in the region.

The experience was directed by Frano Novljan, also in the role of conductor Slavko and Crnobradog, with performers Sedina Cerovac as time traveler Maris, Linda Kliman as Princess Valerija. Sandor Slacki embodied Emperor Vespasian, while the role of Henry Morgan belonged to Karel Stipić.

Istra Inspirit is a project of cultural experience tourism which is implemented within the Istrian Development Tourist Agency - IRTA doo with the support of the Administrative Department for Tourism of the Istrian County. You can find more information about Instra Inspirit through their official website or through their official Facebook page.

For more information and travel tips on the Istrian region, be sure to visit our newly launched Total Croatia portal. Now in your language!

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 31, 2021 - The Olmissum futsal club from Omiš has advanced to the UEFA Futsal Champions League! 

Croatian futsal champion Olmissum advanced to the Elite round of the Champions League as the winner of Group 7 in the main qualifying round, with all three victories won at home in Omiš, reports 24 Sata.

In the last round, Omiš defeated Armenian club Leo 5:0 on Saturday and ended the tournament with a maximum of three victories, with 14 goals scored and only one goal conceded. Goals for the Croatian champion were scored by Horvat (17), Jurlina (25, 32), Hrstić (28), and Juretić (32).

Olmissum will thus play among the 16 best teams in Europe. In the Elite Round of the Champions League, four groups with four teams each will be drawn, and only the group winners will go to the Final Four.

Olmissum placed in the Elite round of the Futsal Champions League for the second time in a row. The club was founded in 2015, made its way through the Third and Second Leagues, and then last year, in its first season in the Premier League, they played in the Champions League. Unfortunately, last year, they were knocked out by the Russian team KPRF.

Behind the Olmissum project is the Milavić family, former owners of the Studenac retail chain. The club's leader is Mijo, who wanted to return part of the family earnings to the community. With the city's help, he initiated and financed the construction of the Ribnjak Sports Center, in which they invested 30 million kuna of family money. After that, he founded a futsal club. The idea, the name, design of the jerseys, and coat of arms are all the work of Mijo Milavić.

"There was no futsal club in Omiš at all. Moreover, our neighbors from Dugi Rat took the lead and won local tournaments. So we started from scratch, I called a childhood friend Josip Škorić, who played before, he called the goalkeeper coach Ivica Krstulović Opara, we hired coach Ivica Osibov, and we started," Milavić revealed.

"We broke through the Third and Second Leagues, planned the team, and grew. Osibov was succeeded on the bench by Duje Maretić, who was never a senior coach. We decided to gamble and it paid off. He led us to the championship title."

After placing in the First League, the Omiš team did not reach for instant solutions and players from abroad and instead put together a team of local players.

"We have offered everyone the same - a healthy environment, a great atmosphere, and stable finances. And that suits everyone. We are building a club, not just a team; we have invested money in the hall, so in the conditions, not just in the players. We are growing step by step - the visual identity of the club, the mascot, the anthem, specially designed jerseys, and the youth are important to us. We have everything we need to be stable and recognizable. And above all, we have a young team with character that will stay together for a long time."

For now, the club's financing is based on the Milavić family company, which covers most of all costs.

"It can be said that we covered 99 percent of the club's budget and that little by little, we started looking for sponsors. So far, we have spent time and energy getting the club on its feet, and now we will move on. You know the saying: "First you need to fix and make up the girl, and only then look for a boyfriend."

Mijo Milavić is a sports fanatic, but little is known that he is also a big fan who travels to all Croatia national team matches and is a passionate jersey collector. He also ordered and financed the billboards that welcomed Ivan Perišić and Croatia at the entrance to the town of Omiš after their success at the 2018 World Cup. 

"In the 80s and 90s, my family manifested its identity nationally, and lately, we have turned it into local patriotism. We try to help the local community as much as possible through some of our projects. Olmissum is our flagship; it is a club that has 130 children in the youth categories. We want to provide all of them with the best conditions, enable them to be the best, to strive for the maximum, and for their successes to be a signpost for life," concluded Milavić.

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