ZAGREB, 2 Dec 2021 - In the last 24 hours, 13,928 coronavirus tests have been conducted in Croatia and of them, 38.3% (5,341) have returned positive, whereas another 76 COVID patients have died, bringing the COVID-related death toll to 11,043, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Thursday.

In the last 15 days, the coronavirus infection has claimed roughly 1,000 lives in the country.

Currently, there are 32,603 active cases, and of them 2,391 are receiving hospital treatment, including 311 patients on ventilators.

Since the first registered case of infection with the novel virus in Croatia on 25 February 2020, 619,255 persons have caught the virus and 575,609 of them have recovered from the infection, including 4,676 in the last 24 hours.

So far, 54% of the total population have been vaccinated, and 57.63% of adults have been fully vaccinated.

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ZAGREB, 29 Nov 2021 - In the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 1,031 new cases of coronavirus and 67 COVID-related deaths, the national COVID response team reported on Monday.

There are currently 29,891 active cases, including 2,598 hospitalized patients, 308 of whom are on ventilators, while 21,971 people are self-isolating.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a total of 604,347 cases of coronavirus have been registered and the death toll has climbed to 10,826, while a total of 563,630 people have recovered, including 5,399 over the past 24 hours.

A total of 3,437,227 tests have been conducted to date, including 3,466 in the past 24 hours.

As of 28 November, a total of 4,115,040 doses of a vaccine has been administered, with 53.62% of the total population or 63.99% of the adult population having been vaccinated.

A total of 2,176,068 people have received at least one dose, while 1,931,878 have been fully vaccinated, which is 57.06% of the adult population.

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ZAGREB, 28 Nov, 2021 - In the last 24 hours 3,339 coronavirus cases and 64 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national crisis management team said on Sunday.

There are 34,326 active cases, including 2,538 hospitalised patients, of whom 330 are on ventilators, while 22,900 persons are self-isolating.

To date 3,433,761 persons have been tested for the virus, including 9,010 in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has registered 603,316 coronavirus cases to date as well as 10,759 related deaths and 558,231 recoveries, of which 3,502 in the last 24 hours.

To date 53.59% of the total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, including 63.95% of adults, 57.01% of whom have completed vaccination.

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November 28, 2021 - The director of the KBC Sisters of Charity, one of the most important hospitals in Zagreb, spoke about the new coronavirus strain, hospitals situation, and protests against epidemiological measures in the capital, confirming that one of those who protested is hospitalized, and another young man in Dubrava as well.

The director of KBC Sisters of Charity Hospital, Davor Vagić, commented for N1 the appearance of a new variant of the coronavirus called omicron. Scientists consider this variant the most significant so far because the vaccine could be less effective, and it also seems to spread faster than delta strains, reports Net.hr.

"I am not worried, but I am careful. We analyze all the new information we get and see what needs to be done next. It definitely shows that this virus is not harmless, it is very dangerous and one should be careful not to spread and not get worse and this is a very serious situation", said Vagić the appearance of a new strain.

The president of the Homeland Movement, Ivan Penava, said the other day that ''bioterrorists'' are entering hospitals with COVID certificates, but Vagić claims that the measures in the hospitals are appropriate at the moment.

"The system is under a lot of pressure. The biggest pressure is on employees, COVID patients are difficult patients, they have difficulty moving, they need special health care and what we see now is the biggest pressure on nursing staff because it is one of the ones we have the least. There is huge pressure on the doctor as well. These people are doing hard and responsible work and in these two years we can say that in a way they are our heroes. If we talk about doctors, about 95 percent of them are vaccinated in Croatia. There is very little transfer of the virus, we don’t even see it and we can say that in some way hospitals are safe. Occasionally a transfer may occur, but this is negligible. The COVID confirmations are absolutely good", thinks the director of KBC Sisters of Charity.

“The health care system will certainly endure, rest assured. But it will be a huge burden, that's for sure", he added.

As for another protest against epidemiological measures taking place, he says he is saddened by it. "I don't think such things are necessary and that endangers the health of people who are protesting. They endanger themselves and others. We hospitalized one person from the protest, one young person was hospitalized in Dubrava as well. People can have an opinion, and the task of the profession, media, is to report what is best, what is true, to give people key information. The patient, the person must have all possible information. In the end, they are the ones who decide. There is perhaps too little talk about responsibility'', Vagić said.

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November 27, 2021 - A new coronavirus strain was detected this week in South Africa. Referred to by the WHO as ''Omicron'', it is highly infectious and may have already reached Europe. Minister Beroš addressed the media to update on the situation in Croatia and focused the blame on the unvaccinated.

Minister of Health Vili Beroš sent a statement to the media about a new coronavirus strain that has started to spread and which the WHO called Omicron, reports Index.hr.

"We are monitoring the situation in the world and in Europe. We are in constant communication with all relevant departments in order to be maximally prepared for a new strain of the virus.

At this time, the final effect of these 30 mutations on the spike complex of the virus is still unknown, ie whether it represents an improved version of the delta virus in terms of infectivity and level of resistance to the vaccine.

The announcement of pharmaceutical companies, known from before, promises that they can adapt the vaccine in a shorter time.

But let's not forget, basic epidemiological measures are also effective against this virus: distance, masks, disinfection, ventilation, and avoidance of gathering! And against new mutations - vaccination!

It was a large pool of unvaccinated that gave life to a new strain of the virus. We’re smarter than that, it’s not too late to turn around! Let's listen to the profession, respect epidemiological measures, and get vaccinated", concluded Beroš.

In the last 24 hours 5,502 coronavirus cases and 51 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national crisis management team said on Saturday.

There are 34,553 active cases, including 2,506 hospitalized patients, of whom 324 are on ventilators, while 28,272 persons are self-isolating.

To date, 3,424,751 persons have been tested for the virus, including 13,372 in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has registered 599,977 coronavirus cases to date as well as 10,695 related deaths and 554,729 recoveries, of which 5,629 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 53.43% of the total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, including 63.77% of adults, 56.85% of whom have completed vaccination.

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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 Nov, 2021 - In the last 24 hours 5,502 coronavirus cases and 51 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national crisis management team said on Saturday.

There are 34,553 active cases, including 2,506 hospitalised patients, of whom 324 are on ventilators, while 28,272 persons are self-isolating.

To date 3,424,751 persons have been tested for the virus, including 13,372 in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has registered 599,977 coronavirus cases to date as well as 10,695 related deaths and 554,729 recoveries, of which 5,629 in the last 24 hours.

To date 53.43% of the total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, including 63.77% of adults, 56.85% of whom have completed vaccination.

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ZAGREB, 27 Nov, 2021 - Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter on Saturday strongly condemned calls for violence that could be heard at a protest against the COVID-19 certificate mandate last weekend, stressing that citizens must not be enemies to one another because coronavirus and the pandemic are the enemy.

Speaking in an interview with Croatian Radio, Šimonović Einwalter said that violence  definitely must not be a way to deal with problems.

Citizens are tired, dissatisfied, frustrated and want this situation to be over as soon as possible and one should have understanding for that, she said, adding that the right to assembly was guaranteed by the Constitution, laws and international treaties but that gatherings must be peaceful and not violent.

"What we witnessed was an attack on reporters, calls for violence, war, formation of a military unit - those are extremely serious things that worry me," she said, stressing that one should most strongly condemn calls for violence.

"Citizens must not be enemies to one another in this situation, the virus and the pandemic are the enemy. More responsibility and more solidarity is needed in the fight against the pandemic," she said.

COVID-19 certificates are an instrument that is far from being perfect and citizens have the right to question and critically think about them just as they have the right to question any decision made by the government, she said.

Commenting on plans to collect signatures for a referendum on the abolishment of COVID-19 certificates and on the work of the national COVID-19 response team, Šimonović Einwalter said that the Constitutional Court should state its position on the constitutionality of referendum questions before the collection of signatures starts, to avoid polarisation in society.

"It would be much better to know in advance, before the entire referendum process is set in motion, if a referendum question is in line with the Constitution," she stressed, calling for making changes in that regard.

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ZAGREB, 27 Nov, 2021 - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has called, in the context of detection of Omicron, a variant of coronavirus considered a variant of concern, for stepping up primary vaccination, applying a booster dose for people above 40 as well as for stepping up other hygiene measures.

Based on currently available genetic information, the risks of this variant of concern are high, according to preliminary data, the ECDC said on Friday evening.

The B.1.1.529 variant, first detected in southern Africa, is the most divergent variant that has been detected in significant numbers during the pandemic to date, raising serious concerns that it may significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and increase the risk of reinfections.

"Today we are releasing a threat assessment on the emergence of a new Sars-COV-2 variant of concern. There is still considerable uncertainty related to the transmissibility, vaccine effectiveness, risk for reinfections and other properties of this variant. At this stage, based on our experience with previous variants we must be proactive and implement measures as a precaution to buy time until we gain more knowledge. Therefore, I would like to reiterate the three key recommendations from our rapid risk assessment from the 24th of November. Firstly, it is imperative we close the immunisation gap. Secondly, booster doses should be considered for all adult individuals, prioritising persons above 40 years of age. Finally, due to the uncertainties involved with this situation, the timely reinforced implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions is now more important than ever," said ECDC director Andrea Ammon.

The non-pharmaceutical interventions include the appropriate use of face masks, teleworking, operational modifications that reduce crowding on public transport, ensuring adequate ventilation in closed spaces and maintenance of hygiene measures that can be implemented immediately. Setting limits for the number of participants in social and public events during end-of-year celebrations will support physical distancing efforts.

Ammon said countries are again urged to give utmost priority to individuals initially targeted by COVID-19 vaccination programmes that remain unvaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated. Increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage in all eligible age groups, but particularly in the elderly, in the vulnerable, and healthcare workers should remain the priority for public health authorities.

Public health authorities should identify those with an epidemiological link to cases with the new variant or travel history to areas known to be affected to control or delay the spread of the new variant, she said.

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November 26, 2021 - In addition to the extension of the validity time of digital COVID certificates, the European Commission is proposing to EU member countries a ban on unvaccinated travelers in case they wish to enter the European Union, in addition to other possible measures to guarantee safe freedom of movement in the territory.

Yesterday, the European Commission announced a proposal according to which all members of the European Union would allow only vaccinated, recovered, or necessary travelers to enter, reports HrTurizam. In light of the expected progress in vaccination campaigns around the world, the Commission, from 1 March 2022, proposes a simplified approach, which depends entirely on the status of the passenger and not on the country of departure.

In addition, visitors entering one of the EU countries will have to prove that they were vaccinated no more than nine months ago. Namely, the Commission proposes a standard acceptance period of nine months for vaccination certificates issued after the end of the primary vaccination series. The nine-month period takes into account the guidelines of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on the use of six-month doses and provides for an additional period of three months.

Those who have recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days before the trip and have either an EU digital COVID certificate or a certificate considered equivalent, should also be able to travel to the European Union from 10 January 2022.

The revised rules clarify that children between the ages of 6 and 17 should be able to travel to the EU with a negative PCR test done before departure even if they have not been vaccinated. Member States could require additional post-arrival testing, quarantine, or self-isolation. Test and vaccination are not required for children under 6 years of age.

The Council's recommendation covers all Member States (except Ireland), as well as the four non-EU countries that have acceded to the Schengen area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Coordinated approach for safer travel

“Based on our common tool, the EU digital COVID certification, which has become a true standard, we are moving to a person-based approach. Our main goal is to avoid different measures throughout the EU. This also applies to the issue of boosters, which will be essential to fight the virus. Among other measures, we propose that the Council harmonize the standard validity period of vaccination certificates issued after the primary batch,” said Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders.

“EU digital COVID certification and our coordinated approach to travel measures have greatly contributed to safe free movement, with the protection of public health as our priority. We have vaccinated over 65% of the total EU population, but that is not enough. There are still too many people who are not protected. In order for everyone to travel and live as safely as possible, we urgently need to achieve significantly higher vaccination rates,” added Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

What the European Commission proposes:

• Focus on the “person-based approach”: a person holding a valid EU digital COVID certificate should in principle not be subject to additional restrictions, such as tests or quarantine, regardless of where you leave the EU. Persons without an EU digital COVID certificate could be required to undergo testing before or after arrival.
• Standard validity of vaccination certificates: to avoid different approaches. The Commission proposes a standard acceptance period of nine months for vaccination certificates issued after the end of the primary vaccination series.
• Additional (booster) vaccination: for now there are no studies that specifically dealt with the efficiency boosters to transfer COVID-19 and is therefore not possible to determine the period of acceptance for them. However, given the new data, it can be expected that protection against supplementary vaccination may last longer than that resulting from the primary vaccination series.
• The EU traffic-light map has been adapted: combining new cases with the use of vaccines in the region. The map would mainly serve for information purposes, but would also serve to coordinate measures for areas with particularly low, green, or particularly high, dark red levels of virus circulation. Special rules would apply to these areas, derogating from the "person-based approach". No restrictions should apply to travelers from "green" areas.
• Exemptions from certain travel measures should apply to cross-border travelers, children under the age of 12, and emergency travelers. The list of necessary passengers should be reduced as many who were included in the current list have meanwhile had the opportunity to be vaccinated.
• Simplified “emergency braking” procedure: an urgent procedure designed to delay the spread of possible new variants of COVID-19 or to address particularly serious situations should be simplified and more operational.

In order to allow sufficient time for the implementation of the coordinated approach, the Commission proposes that the innovations be applied from 10 January 2022.

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ZAGREB, 26 Nov 2021 - Croatia has registered 5,460 new coronavirus cases and 75 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Friday, noting that 60 of the people who died were not vaccinated.

The number of deaths in the last 24 hours is the highest in the fourth wave of the epidemic, while since the start of the epidemic the largest number of deaths in a single day was recorded on 16 December 2020, when 92 people died.

Currently, there are 34,731 active cases in the country. Of these, 2,496 infected people are being treated in hospitals, including 325 who are on ventilators. A total of 27,732 persons are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 594,475 people have been registered as having contracted the novel virus, of whom 10,644 have died and 549,100 have recovered, including 5,607 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 3,411,379 people have been tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including 13,771 in the last 24 hours.

As of Thursday, 4,073,744 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 53.26 percent of the total population, or 63.57 percent of the adult population, having been vaccinated.

To date, 2,161,370 people have received at least one dose of vaccine, of whom 1,918,691 have been fully vaccinated, which is 56.68 percent of the adult population.

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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.