ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - Over the past week 390 people have died of COVID-19 in Croatia and 273 of them (70%) were not vaccinated while ten were under the age of 50 and were not vaccinated, Health Minister Vili Beroš said at a government session on Thursday.
The largest number of COVID-19 patients are hospitalised in the hospitals in Split, Rijeka and Zagreb's Dubrava hospital, while the latter hospital and the hospitals in Split and Osijek have the largest number of patients on ventilators, he said.
Hospital capacity for COVID patients is being increased as needed while other non-essential procedures are being reduced, and in the coming weeks an influx of severe cases is expected, which means further reduction of services for non-COVID patients, Beroš said.
"The increased interest in vaccination has continued, and more than 120,000 people have received their first shot over a period of one week," he said.
So far 3.8 million doses have been administered, and 61.15% of the adult population has been vaccinated. A total of 98,024 persons have received a third, booster dose, he said.
Mandatory testing helps identify 1,411 positive cases
After mandatory testing was introduced for unvaccinated employees of government and public institutions earlier this week, over the past few days 64,462 people were tested and 1,411 positive cases were identified.
We are continuing to register a large number of new infections due to the prevalence of the fast-spreading Delta and Delta plus variants, the minister said, noting that the introduction of COVID-19 certificates was a measure proportional to the current epidemiological situation.
Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said that the decision on mandatory testing for employees in government and public services did not mean compulsory vaccination and that the first day of the COVID certificate mandate had passed well.
"Even though there were individual incidents and protests, the first day went well and I believe that the quiet and conscientious majority has accepted it with understanding," he said.
