Italians on Cafe and Restaurant Ban in Croatia: 'You Will Die Without Tourism'
February 8, 2021 – "The rules are awful," "You will die without tourism," commented Italians on the cafe and restaurant ban in Croatia.
The Italians, our loyal guests who are getting out of the lockdown, were asked by the journalists of Glas Istre what they think about the ban on the work of cafes and restaurants in Croatia.
The Italian government has determined the rhythm of vaccination by region. The region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, visited by Glas Istre journalists a few days ago when cafes and restaurants reopened, is due in mid-February. The plan is to vaccinate the population older than 80 years first, then the younger age group, but still older than 55.
Italians' opinions regarding vaccination are divided. The older population believes in the effectiveness of the vaccine. About two million Italians have been vaccinated so far.
"If the vaccines are free, then I will get vaccinated, and if not, I will carefully think about it," one middle-aged Italian told them.
"No, I'm not going to get vaccinated. I just don't trust the vaccine," one young Italian told them.
"When it's our turn, we'll get vaccinated," one married couple told them.
With masks required, reporters enjoyed a walk around town. If you do not have a mask, passers-by will immediately warn you that it is mandatory to wear. By doing so, they automatically realize that you are a foreigner unfamiliar with their law, but also with draconian punishments.
Thus, in a walk through the city, they witnessed a lively and loud discussion of two gentlemen, typical of Italians. After concluding their political discussion, they introduced themselves to them, and the conversation began.
"Your Croatian rules are awful now. It's unbelievable that without a test I can't go to Umag, that beautiful city whose bars and restaurants overlook the sea, and those same bars and restaurants are now closed. You will die without tourism, my people. I even called a Croatian consul, I protested, but he is also powerless. We can buy tests here for 25 euros in a pharmacy. Your government is really not normal, because even when I get tested, what should I do in Umag when everything is closed," said retiree Paolo.
The Italian government intends to vaccinate the entire nation by June, citizens claim. Then we guess there will be a final normalization, both for them and us.
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Croatian Headquarters Does Not Extend the Midnight Rule for Bars and Clubs
September 7, 2020 - Big news today, as the Croatian Headquarters does not extend the midnight rule for bars and clubs.
As Index.hr reports, at midnight, the National Civil Protection Headquarters' decision, which limited the working hours of bars and clubs, expired.
According to that decision, bars and clubs were allowed to work only until midnight. Since the Headquarters did not extend the decision, from today, clubs and bars can work as before the decision made on August 14 and extended on August 27.
The midnight ban for bars and clubs was introduced after clubs, primarily those on the Adriatic, proved to be places where the coronavirus spread.
"I have to point out a few related facts about these 180 newly infected. It’s an even younger age group than yesterday, averaging 31 years. Most of them can be connected with gatherings on the Adriatic coast," said the head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, in mid-August. He added then that the competent inspections would continue to control the work of caterers.
In the meantime, the Headquarters did not explain the situation with clubs in terms of coronavirus spread. It is only known that the decision to limit the work of clubs until midnight was presented as a measure to reduce the spread of coronavirus among young people, because these situations have often been cited by the Headquarters as epidemiologically particularly risky.
But it is also a decision that had very negative consequences. Last week, a post by Jure Karamarko from Zadar spread on Facebook, as he published a letter to the National Civil Protection Headquarters in which he told them that he had just lost his job in a Zadar nightclub and ironically thanked them for it.
As he wrote, the employer informed him and his entire team that they had been deregistered. He wrote that he does not blame the employer at all and that it is clear to him that someone cannot pay salaries and contributions to someone who earns zero, but he sees the blame in the Headquarters to which he sent very direct messages about their decisions.
He said that his team, which has now lost its job, has served tens of thousands of people without a single infected person, and that they have complied with measures that were not prescribed, and introduced thermometers in the club. He also accused the owners of clubs who were silent.
He called the Headquarters "corrupt scum" who succumbed to pressure and put all the blame on clubs. He said that because of the Headquarters, his people and their families would not have anything to eat tomorrow.
It was also warned that the decision to limit working hours was violated in various ways, such as restaurants that are actually clubs, or party boats on the Adriatic, but, despite the fact that they announced it themselves, the Headquarters never made any decisions to regulate it, so the only problem for the Headquarters were clubs and bars.
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