ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Thursday that closing schools will not contribute to stopping the virus from spreading, underscoring that only an adequate vaccination rate can help achieve that.

"I will repeat for the 155th time, closing schools will not contribute to stopping this situation God knows to any extent. That can only be done with vaccination," Minister Fuchs told reporters after a ceremony at which Law School of the Unversity of Zagreb marked its day.

If not enough citizens are vaccinated, underscored Fuchs, "we will continue to have reservoirs that will keep generating the virus from the unvaccinated population."

Fuchs believes that there is no need to adopt any special measures in the education system for the time being. "We can exchange opinions about that and will reach an agreement with the COVID-19 crisis response team related to perhaps ramping up the obligation of wearing masks in schools but at the moment we will remain as it is and I think that is good," said Fuchs.

As far as universities are concerned they have had a different set of epidemiological measures from the start as recommended by the Croatian Institute for Public Health (HZJZ). They can organize lectures as they think best.

Last year some subjects were taught exclusively online, "but that certainly isn't the solution."

"They are students and there is no obstacle for them to be vaccinated and universities will adopt the necessary measures. They may even apply a model of COVID certificates and testing," said Fuchs.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - This year, Croatia's tourist industry has achieved excellent results, however, the fact that Croatia is currently red on the ECDC map could adversely affect preparations for the next season, Tourism Ministry State Secretary Tonči Glavina told the parliament on Thursday.

"This year's tourist turnover has reached about 75% of the turnover in the record-high year 2019. We are preparing for the next tourist season, however, the fact that we are red on the ECDC epidemiological map causes concern," Glavina said during a discussion on amending legislation regulating the hospitality industry.

He explained that preparations and bookings for organized tourism are made in winter and that therefore all should do their best to improve Croatia's epidemiological situation.

Concerning the draft amendments, he said that they would extend the validity of temporary permits for the legalization of properties and premises for hospitality businesses until 31 December 2024.

 For more on politics, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - There have been 6,310 new coronavirus infections in Croatia in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily number of new cases in a single day since the start of the pandemic, Croatian Television said on Thursday, citing unofficial reports.

On Wednesday Croatia logged 4,573 new infections and 41 related fatalities.

The number of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients has been increasing as well. On Thursday 1,643 patients needed hospital care, including 198 who were on ventilators.

Official data on the number of infections and deaths are expected to be released later in the day.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 1 Nov 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 1,126 new cases of coronavirus infection and 31 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Monday.

The number of active cases today stands at 22,884, including 1,496 COVID patients in hospitals, 183 of whom are on ventilators.

There are currently 29,240 people in self-isolation.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, a total of 471,474 people have been registered as having contracted the novel coronavirus, 9,251 of them have died, while 439,339 have recovered, including 3,349 who have recovered in the past 24 hours.

To date, a total of 3,110,312 people have been tested, 3,567 of whom over the past 24 hours.

As of 31 October, a total of 3,616,491 vaccine doses have been administered, and 47.11% of the total population, that is 56.42% of the adult population, has been vaccinated.

A total of 1,911,657 people have received at least one shot, while 1,798,069 people have been fully vaccinated, which is 53.18% of the adult population.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 29 Oct 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has registered 4,392 new coronavirus cases and 26 patients have died, the national coronavirus crisis management team said on Friday.

There are currently 23,751 active cases, including 1,311 hospitalized patients, of whom 171 are on ventilators.

Since the first registered case of the infection on 25 February 2020, a total of 462,482 people have become infected and of them, 9,168 have died.

A total of 429,563 people have recovered, including 2,997 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 35,229 people are self-isolating.

So far a total of 3,085,825 people have been tested, including 12,207 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 3,599,586 vaccine doses have been administered and 46.92% of the total population has been vaccinated, including 56.21% of the adult population.

A total of 1,903,995 people have received at least one shot, and of them 1,791,056 have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for 52.98% of the adult population.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 28 Oct 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Thursday people not vaccinated against COVID were getting sick, urging people to get vaccinated to avoid another lockdown and saying that children should get vaccinated too and go to school as distance education no longer made sense.

Speaking to the press in Delnice, the president said he sympathized and understood, but added that the situation was much more different than a year ago.

As for Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's statement that he would not interfere in the retirement of Honorary and Protection Battalion commander Elvis Burčul, Milanović called it childish and said the problem could not be solved by the Minister of Defence but the Prime Minister.

"The conditions for retirement are clear and as long as I am the president and the (Armed Forces) commander in chief, no one will be harassed by petty politicians," he said, referring to Defence Minister Mario Banožić, who sent Colonel Burčul into early retirement.

As for illegal drugs in the military, including dealing, Milanović said he would consider irresponsible all commanders who did not pay the most serious attention to the problem.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 28 Oct 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday 33.77% of coronavirus tests were positive and that hospitals would be additionally mobilized, including the reopening of the Arena Zagreb center for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Beroš said 74.5% of those infected and 75% of those hospitalized over the past week had not been vaccinated, and that among today's new cases 27% were under 20 and 60% were aged 20-40.

"The health system is preparing for new, additional burdens," he said, adding that experts of the Health Ministry's crisis management team concluded yesterday that it was necessary to increase the number of beds and intensive care units in Zagreb.

The ministry has instructed county civil protection teams and health centers to reopen COVID departments to relieve the pressure on hospitals.

Beroš said there was increased interest in vaccination, with 3,790 more people receiving the first dose in the first three days of this week than last week.

He said 56% of adults and over 88% of doctors have been vaccinated and urged everyone, notably the elderly, to get vaccinated. More than 14,000 persons have received a booster shot, he added.

The head of the national COVID-19 crisis management team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, said the increase in new cases showed that people did not comply with COVID rules as much as they should.

That is why police, civil protection, and state inspectors will step up the monitoring of compliance in public transport, hospitality establishments, shopping centers, and at public gatherings, including weddings, he added.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 28 Oct 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has registered 4,154 new coronavirus cases, 26 patients have died and 11,320 vaccine doses have been administered, it was said on the government's website koronavirus.hr on Thursday.

There are currently 22,382 active cases, including 1,231 hospitalized patients, of whom 160 are on ventilators.

The number of new cases in the last 24 hours is lower than on Wednesday when Croatia registered 4,571 new cases, the second-highest daily number of new infections since the start of the epidemic. That number was nonetheless higher than on the same day last week when there were 3,053 new infections.

Since the first registered case of the infection on 25 February 2020, a total of 458,090 people have become infected and of them, 9,142 have died.

A total of 426,566 people have recovered, including 2,391 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 34,954 people are self-isolating.

So far a total of 3,073,618 people have been tested, including 12,300 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 3,586,560 vaccine doses have been administered and 46.78% of the total population has been vaccinated while 52.83% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated.

On 27 October 11,320 vaccine doses were administered, including 4,327 that were administered as first shots.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 27 Oct 2021 - MP Renata Sabljar-Dračevac (Social Democrats) said on Wednesday there was no longer any trust in the national COVID-19 crisis management team and called for its resignation.

Due to the high COVID-19 mortality rate and extreme irresponsibility, we call for the resignation of the national COVID-19 crisis management team and the appointment of serious experts who would restore the trust of citizens with consistency and expertise, achieving thus a better vaccination rate, the MP said.

According to unofficial data, Croatia has 4,400 new cases today, there have been 30 deaths over the past 48 hours, and the number of active cases is nearly 18,000 yesterday, Sabljar-Dračevac said.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 27 Oct 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has conducted 13,083 coronavirus tests, and 35% of them, that is 4,571, have turned out to be positive, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Wednesday.

The COVID-related death toll has increased by 26 to 9,116.

Currently, there are 20,645 active cases, and of them 1,207 are receiving hospital treatment, including 153 patients placed on ventilators.

Since the first registered case of the infection with coronavirus in Croatia on 25 February 2020, a total of 3,061,318 tests have been conducted showing that 453,936 people have contracted the virus. Of them, 423,175 have recovered from the disease so far, including 1,844 in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has applied over 3.57 million vaccine doses against this disease under its vaccine rollout plan, and to date, 52.70% of adult citizens have fully been vaccinated.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.