ZAGREB, March 29, 2020 - Police have established 865 cases of self-isolation violations and there have been 3,290 reports, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Saturday, adding that all those who violated self-isolation would be fined.
"We are entering a critically important period in the next few weeks. We must endure this regime", he said at the afternoon press conference of the national civil protection authority, which called on citizens to stay home despite the nice weather.
"Most citizens behave in line with the instructions. The situation at farmers' markets and specialised shops is good. We've had no reports of violations of epidemiological measures," Božinović said, adding that the decision to reopen those shops as of today "seems to have been a well-considered measure."
He said the government had launched a programme for everyone wishing to donate for the fight against COVID19, including money, food and medical equipment, and that all official and relevant information was available at koronavirus.hr.
Reporters were told that 20,070 people are self-isolating, including 3,135 close contacts of positive patients and 542 medical staff.
The head of Zagreb's Fran Mihaljević Infections Diseases Hospital, Alemka Markotić, said Croatia was recording what other countries were too, an increasing number of COVID-19 patients who are elderly and have chronic conditions.
She said there had been no new patients on ventilators since this morning but that more were to be expected.
Asked if politicians were violating coronavirus measures, for example those visiting the parts of Zagreb damaged in a recent earthquake with dozens of advisors and journalists, Božinović said "the public's daily focus should not be only on coronavirus."
"We have constant consultations with epidemiologists who have recommended that we reduce contacts for the safety of the people who work in the (national civil protection) authority and journalists," he said, adding that politicians should show by example how one should behave.
More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
