More than 1,300 Housing Containers Set Up in Earthquake-Affected Areas
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - So far over 1,300 housing containers have been set up in the quake-hit areas and they have been connected to the electricity grid and 50 new sub-stations have been built, Minister Tomo Medved, who heads the task force dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December earthquake, said on Wednesday.
"After the earthquake, 888 requests for temporary accommodation were treated as urgent and the fact is that we have more than 1,300 housing containers set up, which speaks for itself with regard to how we have handled those requests," Medved told the Hrvatski Radio (HR).
Due to the structure of the population and dispersion over a large area it was not easy to secure and deliver so many mobile homes and prefab containers close to quake victims' own homes and sometimes we had to build new roads to get close to these houses and connect them to the electricity grid so that they can all be connected, he said.
A series of 2,200 aftershocks have additionally damaged houses every day, he said and local government has been requested to report urgent needs for accommodation.
So far 10 container settlements have been set up in Sisak, Petrinja, Kukuruzari, Mečenčani, Glina and Hrvatska Kostajnica.
Medved noted that more than 28,500 buildings have been inspected and more than 3,500 have been labelled red or unfit for use, 5,500 have yellow labels which means they are hazardous and should not be occupied.
Davor Bozinovic Talks Decisions on Measures Made After February 15th
February the 10th, 2021 - The British variant of the novel coronavirus has now unfortunately been identified in multiple people in Croatia, despite all of the attempts to keep it out. Minister Davor Bozinovic has discussed just how decisions on measures will be made following the 15th of February, 2021.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Davor Bozinovic has openly stated that it was only a matter of time before the new British variant of the novel coronavirus was discovered circulating in Croatia.
''It was a matter of when and not if when it comes to that variant of the virus. We can already say that this new variant of the virus is now dispersed throughout Croatia. It's important that this new moment is taken seriously. This doesn't mean that there's now a reason for any kind of panic. We must closely monitor the situation in neighbouring and European countries, as well as here in our country.
Many countries have reacted with preventive measures and even tighter lockdowns, which is also conditioned by the dynamics of vaccination, which isn't going as previously planned ", said Davor Bozinovic before stating that today at the meeting between the Croatian Government and the Scientific Council of the Government all of this will be properly taken into account, as will the current forecasts of very low temperatures continuing until the end of the month, which also encourages the spread of respiratory infections of numerous kinds.
Davor Bozinovic also pointed out that we have a situation in which the numbers in Croatia are thankfully not growing, but still falling. He announced that a whole series of meetings would be held by the end of the week in order to make a rational decision on how to continue taking into account both the question of public health and economic activity, and indeed recovery.
''We're going to do our best to make the decision on measures after February the 15th which will be appropriate to the situation we find ourselves in,'' Davor Bozinovic stated.
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Ministry: Approved Vaccines Nearly 100% Effective Against Severe COVID
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - The Ministry of Health said on Wednesday, on the occasion of the beginning of inoculation with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Croatia, that all registered COVID-19 vaccines did not have an upper age limit and protected nearly 100% from serious cases of COVID-19 and death.
This is especially important to stress, the ministry says, when elderly people and people with chronic diseases start getting vaccinated and think about which vaccine to choose.
"Based on all available information on the official websites of the Croatian Public Health Institute and the Health Ministry, the profession has clearly said that the best vaccine is the one we can get vaccinated with first. When the priority is to save lives and prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is no room to think about the probability of developing mild symptoms in case of infection," the press release said.
The vaccination rollout plan is tailored to the needs of chronic patients and citizens over the age of 65 to ensure equal access to vaccines in every part of Croatia, and county public health institutes are coordinating the process in each county by determining locations for getting vaccinated. All information is also available to family medicine doctors.
There will also be a digital platform so that those interested can book a date to get vaccinated, which they can also do via the call centres of county public health institutes.
"It should be reiterated that vaccination, in addition to epidemiological measures, is the most powerful weapon in the strategy for fighting coronavirus. It is important to use the first opportunity to get vaccinated and protect yourself and your citizens so that we would be one step closer to ending the epidemic," the Health Ministry said.
Medical associations: All vaccines successful in preventing serious illness and death
To get vaccinated or not to get vaccinated with available vaccine is a false dilemma, Croatia's medical association said on Wednesday, underscoring that all approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and successful in preventing serious illness, hospitalisation and death.
"Our message to citizens is -- get vaccinated with the vaccine that is available because the risk from inoculation is lower than the risk of getting infected with COVID-19," said the Croatian Medical Chamber, the Croatian Medical Association, the Croatian Medical Union, the Croatian Association of Hospital Physicians, the Croatian Family Physicians Coordination, the Croatian Epidemiological Society and the Croatian Society for Infectious Diseases of the Croatian Medical Association.
They explained that several European countries had decided not to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to persons over the age of 65, but not because the vaccine might not be safe for that age group but because research into that vaccine had not yet covered enough elderly people to scientifically define the level of efficacy for that age group.
"No vaccine is 100% effective. A good example is the seasonal flu vaccine, which is about 45% effective but no one questions its use".
Croatia's Coronavirus Update: 577 New Cases, 14 Deaths, 296 Recoveries
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has performed 6,829 coronavirus tests and 577, that is 8.5%, have returned positive, while there have been 14 deaths linked to COVID-19, the national COVID-19 response team said on Wednesday.
Currently, there are 2,596 active cases, and of them, 1,055 are being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals, including 92 on ventilators.
There are now 12,762 people in self-isolation.
To date, a total of 1,244,514 persons have been tested for the virus.
Since 25 February, when the first case of the disease was identified in Croatia, there have been 236,333 registered cases of coronavirus and 5,238 people have died as a consequence while 228,499 have recovered, including 296 in the past 24 hours.
A1 Hrvatska Posts Mild Decline in Revenue and Profit in 2020
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - In 2020, the A1 Hrvatska telecommunications company generated a revenue of €428.1 million, which is 1.1% less than in 2019, while its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) dropped by 1.2% to €143.4 million, A1 Hrvatska reported on Wednesday.
Apart from unforeseeable extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic affecting A1 results, the performance of this telecom, which is part of A1 Telekom Austria Group, was also exposed to the consequence of devastating earthquakes in Zagreb and Sisak-Moslavina County, A1 noted.
The fall in the company's EBITDA mostly resulted from a decreased revenue from visitors using roaming and the poorer value of the kuna currency as well as from an increase in risky uncollectible debts.
The last year's delay in 5G network spectrum projects prevented the implementation of significant investments that had been planned for that network. Therefore, a lower level of investments were registered in 2020 amounting to €49.6 million, A1 said.
With the good results in the mobile phone segment and demand for wireless fixed (landline) Internet connections, the company achieved a mild 1.2% increase in the market share and an increase of 5.3% in the number of mobile phone users. However, it also registered a fall in the number of fixed services (TV, Internet and telephone) of 2%.
The A1 Hrvatska management board president, Jiří Dvorjančanski, was quoted as saying that 2020 was the hardest year since the company had started doing business in Croatia, adding though that the disasters caused by the earthquakes and pandemic were an additional motivation to turn to the community and users.
HNS Sacks Entire Croatian Football Referees' Committee?
February 10, 2021 - For the second time in four years, Damir Mišković has allegedly managed to overthrow the Croatian Football Referees' Committee.
The Referees' Committee of the Croatian Football Federation is being abolished, and a new one will be formed, which is the epilogue of yesterday's HNS meeting, according to numerous Croatian media, including Sportske Novosti, Index.hr and HRT.
The Referees' Committee, consisting of Ante Kulušić (president), Domagoj Vučkov (member and head of VAR education), Draženko Kovačić, Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović Jr., Vlado Svilokos and Igor Pristovnik thus ceases to exist, and a new Committee will be formed later.
Namely, five regional centers, Split, Rijeka, Varazdin, Zagreb, and Osijek will nominate candidates for the new Committee, and the Executive Board will appoint the new Committee probably in March. That is the plan at the moment.
The meeting was convened by the executive director of the HNS, Marijan Kustić, and the decision to dissolve the Committee was accepted by all present, except Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović, the first vice president of HNS, who demonstratively left the meeting, Sportske Novosti writes. The executive board members must also state officially by 3 pm today whether they are in favor of dissolving the Committee, but it seems that this is just a formality.
"There's not much to say that you don't already know. The executive board has to confirm the decision by 3 pm, but there won't be any problems from that side. It's just proof that a lot is changing in the Federation and that we really want to have healthy football. This is just the beginning of the necessary changes," a source from HNS told Index.
Ivan Novak will continue to delegate referees for First League matches, and from now on he will also appoint VAR referees, which was done by Ante Kulušić as the head of the Committee. It will be up to Kulušić to send controllers to the matches until further notice.
Thus, for the second time in four years, the President of Rijeka, Damir Mišković, managed to overthrow the Referees' Committee. After the Rijeka-Šibenik match at Rujevica, which ended in a 2:2 draw thanks to a VAR debacle in the final minutes, Mišković called out the refereeing organization, attacking the VAR referee Goran Gabril from Split. The president of Rijeka announced changes, and it seems that he succeeded.
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Manager of Zagreb City Centre One Takes Over Another Croatian Shopping Mall
February the 10th, 2021 - The manager of the popular Zagreb City Centre One shopping outlet, which (in pre-pandemic times) drew in many bargain hunters on a daily basis, has now made a bold business move and taken over yet another Croatian shopping centre.
As Ana Blaskovic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, CC Real, the manager of the Zagreb City Centre One shopping centre, is set to take over the management of the Max City shopping centre in the beautiful Istrian city of Pula, which is under that company's umbrella. The company specialising in property management is taking over the strategic and operational management, accounting and mediation in renting the largest shopping centre in Istria with the "intention to improve all processes in everyday work".
Pula's Max City otherwise covers more than 27,000 square metres of retail space and 800 covered parking spaces. Opened back in November 2018, it employs several hundred people, among about 60 of the brands present among the shopping centre's tenants are names like H&M, Mango, Stradivarius, Bershka and Pull & Bear, Reserved, Mohito and Sinsay, Elipso, L’Occitane and the CineStar multiplex. Along with them are, among others, gastronomic offers of various kinds, cafes, a children's playroom, and even a charging station for electric cars.
"We believe that our motivated team of professionals, with their general and industry knowledge, as well as their vast local and international experience will contribute to the growth of Max City in cooperation with the tenants, partners and suppliers," said CC Real director Davorin Profeta.
CC Real has otherwise been operating since back in 2006, and through three City Centre One shopping centres, including the one in the capital, it has invested more than 435 million euros in Croatia in total. Despite two changes of ownership of the Zagreb City Centre One East and West, CC Real continued to manage them well. Back at the end of 2012, the business was expanded to Austria, then to Hungary and even further afield to Finland.
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New Technology Designed by Engineers Comes From Koprivnica Company
February the 10th, 2021 - One Koprivnica company has thought up some new technology which will work to meet the demands of new railway infrastructure, which has been a topic of investment conversations in Croatia for a while now.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, due to investment projects for the renovation and construction of railway infrastructure across Croatia, there was a need for the creation of various products that require new technologies, which was a demand met by the Koprivnica company Igma d.o.o., a member of the Nexe Group from Nasice, which has developed a new technology for the production of prefabricated platform elements made of cast concrete.
This new way and new technology was all designed by this Koprivnica company in close collaboration with technologists and engineers in the construction and mechanical engineering professions.
As explained in more detail by the director of the aforementioned Koprivnica company, Karlo Sisl, the order has raised a number of challenges, but the improvements, he says, are evident when compared to the classic design of concrete elements by vibro-pressing, earth-wet concrete, which they have used in production so far.
“The structure of cast concrete is uniform and its reinforcement protection is improved. With concrete additives, we can achieve a high level of resistance to water absorption and resistance to frost and salt," explained Sisl.
The Croatian Government continues to build and renovate transport infrastructure throughout Croatia in this, the so-called European Year of Railways, and new products have been installed on the reconstruction projects of Stupnik, Blinjski Kut and Laslovo - Korodj stations, and are currently being produced and delivered for the Virovitica railway construction, as well as the reconstruction project which involves the Pitomaca, Zapresic - Zabok sections, as well as the reconstruction of Sesvetska Sopnica station.
Prefabricated platform elements made of cast concrete are all made in accordance with the provisions of the standard HRN EN 15258: 2008 according to the 2+ system and this product has a Factory Control Certificate, a Declaration of Performance and remains under constant certification supervision.
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Croatian Government Meeting Today: Are Cafes and Restaurants Due to Open?
February the 10th, 2021 - A Croatian Government meeting with the country's scientific council is set to take place today amid a mixed bag of news. Could Croatia's fantastic downward coronavirus infection rate trend be ruined by the appearance of the new, rapidly spreading British variant? Will restaurants and cafes be allowed to open their doors on the 15th?
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, today, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic will hold a session with the Scientific Council of the Croatian Government, at which, among other things, the possiblity of easing the country's current anti-epidemic measures on February the 15th will be discussed. First of all, this will be of enormous interest to caterers and those working in the wider hospitality sector, who have been calling for weeks to be allowed to work, or to at least serve food and drinks on their outdoor terraces.
Namely, the Croatian Government and the National Civil Protection Headquarters announced earlier that the current measures could be relaxed next Monday, if the positive trends that Croatia currently has continue, and that means a continued significant drop in the number of people suffering from the novel coronavirus.
However, exactly what measures should be relaxed and by how much is still very much unknown with a lot of speculation circulating, and many European countries are gradually lifting some of their own restrictions, but it should be noted that these are restrictions that Croatia didn't even have, such as a curfew.
However, the revolt in Croatia due to the measures is becoming more and more pronounced, and among those who are especially dissatisfied are business and enterprise owners, especially caterers, who protested last week in Zagreb, claiming that their issue isn't with the protection of public health during the pandemic, but a plethora of other political problems which face business owners.
Croatian epidemiologists and indeed those from across the world, on the other hand, are constantly warning of new mutated strains of the novel coronavirus that have appeared and are calling for caution to be properly looked at at the scheduled Croatian Government meeting.
Just this morning, reports emerged that the new British variant of the novel coronavirus, referred to as VOC-202012/01 (also known as lineage B.1.1.7, 20I/501Y.V1), has now been identified in Croatia, despite all of the attempts to keep it out. How this piece of sad news will affect what is decided at today's Croatian Government meeting is yet to be seen.
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PHOTOS: Outstanding Contemporary Croatian Architecture of the Year
February 10, 2021 – 10 of the most outstanding examples of contemporary Croatian architecture have been selected by the Association of Croatian Architects to compete in the extremely prestigious Mies van der Rohe Awards. Held only once every two years, they are the European equivalent of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture.
The Mies van der Rohe Awards are a really big deal. The greatest works of European architecture compete for recognition in the competition. The greatest success of Croatian architecture in the awards was attained by UP studios' Toma Plejić and Lea Pelivan, who received a special award for upcoming architects and had their high school in Koprivnica named the best building in that category in 2009. The success has had a considerable impact on their careers since.
Being held only once every two years, Croatian architecture projects completed since the closure of entries for the 2019 awards are eligible to be submitted. Here are the outstanding examples of contemporary Croatian architecture that will represent the country in 2022.
Cinema Urania Zagreb
An old neighbourhood cinema built into the back streets near Kvatric. In their redesign, 3LHD preserved the best features from this early example of concrete engineering in Croatian architecture. They added a glass pavilion at the entrance, atriums and skylights, flooding the former darkness with the natural light needed for its new purpose as an event and work space.
© Jure Živković
Grand Park Hotel, Rovinj
Sprawling widely across six stepped levels, the new luxury Grand Park Hotel and spa could easily have looked a long swipe of concrete. But, by places greenery on each of its staged roofs, architects 3LHD have ensured that no matter where you are in the 500-guest-capacity building, your view places you within a garden, looking out onto Rovinj Old Town and the expanse of the Adriatic. Croatian architecture at its most breathtaking.
© Alukoenigstahl hr
Ivanja Reka Elementary School, south Sesvete, east Zagreb
If every elementary school looked as pretty and was as well equipped as Ivanja Reka Elementary School in the south of Sesvete, eastern Zagreb, you could well believe daily attendance would never drop below 100%. Designed by a team of architectural authors (SUBMAP studios Marija Burmas and Ivo-Lola Petrić, and Jakša Kalajžić from JKA Arhitekti), the multi-level main building sits centrally, surrounded by sports, recreation and other facilities creating an impressive view for both those outside and within.
© Ivanja Reka Elementary School / Domagoj Blažević
Roxanich Wine & Heritage Hotel, Motovun, Istria
The view is unmistakably Istria. Vineyards carpet the land below and - rising above - the picturesque hilltop town of Motovun. Helmed architecturally by consistently bold Rijeka designer Idis Turato, this multi-level, multi-purpose redesign retains the traditional feel of its existing stone building and its purpose – there's a huge wine cellar beneath – but has opened up the space to give stunning views, not least over a sun deck that spectacularly reflects the sunrise and sunset. This is an active winery, with works and equipment all housed within its lower floors, not that you could tell from the 25 person capacity boutique hotel, restaurant and wine shop upstairs.
© Roxanich.hr
Four Houses for Four Brothers, Diklo, Zadar
Judging from a theme of project titles used by architects Iva Letilović and Igor Pedišić, we're not sure that Four Houses for Four Brothers was actually commissioned by four brothers or that four live there. But, you could well believe they could. The ultra-modern set of independent houses, located next to a beautiful stretch of coast in a north Zadar neighbourhood, was specifically designed to address a distinctly Croatian reality – how to open up some of your dwelling to seasonal guests while you remain at home. The design separates the buildings clearly into separate quarters which allow privacy, comfort and minimal encroachment for both visitors and residents.
© Igor Pedišić
Galić Winery, Kutjevo
Award-winning outfit Zagreb-based studio Dva arhitekta have an existing, jaw-dropping design for a rural winery commissioned by famous makers Galic. However, that project, as yet, remains unrealised. But, their winery for Galic in the centre of Kutjevo town is complete. Melding the traditional and the contemporary, the upper section of the building is a bold and unblemished red brick, adorned with the winemaker's unmistakable logo. Beneath, concrete arches invite your eyes into the actual wine cellar – neat rows of barrels, protected behind glass walls that are set back from the facade. Brilliant!
© Damir Fabijanić
Seecel Centre, Zagreb
Designed as a regional centre for the development of entrepreneurs and its construction costs generously part-funded by European money, the Seecel Centre arrived long overdue and does not house its intended inhabitants. Such matters are best left for different articles as, here, we're concerned with the undeniable finery of this building's architecture and appearance. Holding space for accommodation, offices, communal collaboration, education and presentations, the five-floored building uses ultra-modern building materials and construction methods to make it low-energy, its great blocks of covered concrete, with glass windows set further back, echoing old fortifications. It was designed by Igor Franić who, in Croatia, is perhaps best known for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb and completed by him and his team at SZA / Studio za arhitekturu d.o.o.
© Site Project d.o.o.
Trg Poljana, Šibenik
Not a small amount was asked of project architects Atelier Minerva from Dubrovnik in the task to create Trg Poljana in Šibenik. The site had long been earmarked for a much-needed, official town square – a place for events and public gatherings. But, the town was also woefully short on parking. By burying a multi-level car park beneath the open space, the architects successfully met both demands. Triangular shapes sit at an angle above shaded seating, echoing the inclines on the roof of the Juraj Šižgorić City Library opposite. Clever.
© Ervin Husedžinović / Eccos-inzenjering
Homestead on Hartovski vrh, Žumberak, Zagreb County
A collection of multi-purpose rural buildings, Homestead and Meditation Centre on Hartovski vrh was commissioned and designed for use by the Buddhist Center Zagreb. Their aim was to relocate activities such as chan, yoga, meditation, healthy living and teaching to a peaceful retreat outside of the city. Architects Branimir Rajčić and Mariela Žinić began the project in 2015, with the completed site arriving in 2019. Modern building materials are used, but not so the striking collection seems out of place within a partially agricultural setting. The set of buildings includes a residential dwelling and a larger hall for meetings and activities, both of which use large windows to allow the light and nature to flood in.
© Robert Leš
Square of Traditional Crafts, Varaždin
A tricky task was given to architects Studio Konntra – how to enliven and modernise a traditional old square in the centre of one of Europe's best-preserved Baroque Old Towns. They did this by constructing transportable kiosks to house small outlets for local artists and craftsmen that cater to visiting tourists who come to the square. When occupied during the day, the plain wooden interiors allows the crafts to take centre stage. But, after closing time, the outsides of the wooden doors are brightly coloured and adorned with paintings, a welcoming environment for residents to use at night.
© Studio Konntra
