ZAGREB, 26 Nov 2021 - Croatia's COVID-19 crisis management team decided to impose a 14-day quarantine and mandatory testing for Croats returning from South Africa, Botswana, Lesoto, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Congo, and to ban arrivals of foreigners from those countries, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Friday.

The ban and restrictions are in line with the European Commission's recommendations to all European Union member states following the appearance of a new variant of coronavirus in South Africa.

Brussels is mulling EU-wide flight restrictions due to concerns over the new COVID-19 variant.

The head of Zagreb's Infectious Diseases Hospital, Alemka Markotić, informed the news conference about studies showing that the new variant had not yet been detected outside Africa.

The head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), Krunoslav Capak, said that it was still to early to predict the rate of the spread of that variant of the virus, having in mind the fact that the vaccination rate in southern African regions is below 10%.

Božinović told the news conference that European Union member states have to date issued 650 million COVID certificates, and currently talks are being conducted on the period of the certificate's validity after full vaccination.

The European Commission on Thursday updated its rules on the validity of EU Digital COVID Certificates for a period of 9 months since the primary vaccination series. The Commission presented draft recommendations for safe and free movement in the EU which should take effect as of 10 January next year.

Capak: The vaccinated transmit the virus to a lesser extent

Capak warned about misinterpretations of scientific papers concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

If one reads a scientific paper, they should also be able to interpret it correctly. A vaccinated individual can contract the virus and develop symptoms, however, the vaccinated get sick to a much lesser extent. It has been also proven that the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in their nose quickly lessens, Capak said, adding that vaccines provide a high level of protection against serious illness and death.

Also, the instances of the virus breaking into healthcare institutions are rarer now than in the first waves before the vaccination rollout.

For more news on travel, CLICK HERE.

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.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

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.

November 26, 2021 - Today, the National Civil Protection offered a coronavirus update through a press conference in which they commented on the latest related to COVID-19 in the country, from the number of infected in the last 24 hours, the COVID certificates, the tests, and the variant discovered in South Africa.

As reported by Telegram.hr, the National Civil Protection Headquarters held a press conference at which new data on the situation with coronavirus in Croatia and the world were presented. The conference was delayed by about 15 minutes. First, data on newly infected people were presented, so it was said that today we have 5,460 new cases, and 75 people have died. "Among the dead are 14 vaccinated, one with three doses and one partially," it was said.

Krunoslav Capak presented data on those infected on this day two weeks ago. "We have 10 percent more new cases this week than last. The incidence average is 1619.17. The share of positives in those tested today is 39.6%. In the last seven days, 40.1% and since the beginning 17.4%", he said.

Speaking about the dead, Capak said that out of 75 dead, 60 were not vaccinated with any dose, and 61 did not complete the vaccination in total. “Of the 37 deceased, over the age of 80, 34 were not vaccinated, or 92 percent. In the last 24 hours, 34 people were put on a respirator, 26 of whom were not vaccinated,", he added.

Božinović talks about COVID recommendations

Davor Božinović announced a special decision on border restrictions with regard to the new variant of the virus, as well as that a recommendation from the level of the European Commission will follow. “This applies to people coming from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Hong Kong,” he said. He said that entering Croatia from those countries would either be banned or that our people coming from them would have to be quarantined for 14 days, and stressed that the new detected strain has the potential to be more contagious than the delta.

Božinović continued to talk about COVID certificates. Yesterday, the European Commission proposed that certificates after vaccination should last for nine months, and Božinović said that we currently apply 12 months after the booster dose because it is not known how long the immunity will last. The ECDC also announced yesterday that new guidelines are being worked on for COVID certificates, which would also look at the percentage of those vaccinated with regard to those infected.

What about those who got over it and got vaccinated

Journalists asked when it would be decided on the COVID certificates, to which he said it would likely be mid-December. He also confirmed that for all those who have COVID certificates valid for one year, there will be a period for receiving a booster dose.

Some new decisions for Advent are not currently being considered, he confirmed, because it is an outdoor event after all. The journalists also asked what happened to the people who got sick and got vaccinated, what happened to their confirmations. "If someone is vaccinated with two doses after recovering, it is counted as if he received three doses and he is issued aCOVID certificate for one year. "I don't know what the EU practice will be, but we will, if it is mandatory, harmonize with the EU," he said.

Markotić explained the new strain

Alemka Markotić answered questions about the new strain, according to which it is a danger considering the measures that are being introduced and how it affects the vaccine. "Several cases have occurred in several countries, it is known that there are more than thirty different mutations at the spike protein level and that is why all countries are concerned, and the WHO is preparing certain meetings to discuss what this could mean. This large number of mutations, especially on the spike protein, can affect its binding to receptors or the effectiveness of the vaccine'', she said.

Markotić indicated that everything should be examined quickly. "All measures will certainly be taken to obtain results, at least in laboratory conditions. It is good that there are not many cases outside Africa or in Africa itself,” concluding that she hoped to learn more about the virus in the coming weeks.

Capak: 'We only had seven cases of delta plus'

Capak first said that so far we have had only seven cases of delta plus variants and that it does not have a great potential for spread, and for the latest strain he said they could mean that it could have a much higher potential for spread.

"The question is how it will spread from South Africa to countries with more vaccination, the fact that it broke into Hong Kong does not mean that it will be the same in other countries," he said, adding that the best protection is entry bans for foreign nationals from those countries and 14 days of quarantine for our citizens with testing prior departure.

Long debate on amendments to the Act

The journalists also asked about the amendments to the Law, which is in public consultation, and which contains an article according to which the sanitary inspector could order vaccination of persons exposed to the virus. They asked how it was, and they did not receive a concrete answer from the Headquarters, Božinović only said that the law was in consultation and that everything would be analyzed.

When asked to further clarify this, he replied: "We are dealing with other, more urgent aspects, I did not participate in the amendments to the law." Asked if it is not unbelievable that they do not know what is written in the amendments to the Law, Božinović said that he would get an answer to that question during the day. “We can’t give you an answer to that question,” he said, adding that he would clarify that later.

Božinović and Beroš managed to clarify everything

Somewhat later, Božinović returned to this issue, saying that the issue was not clearly formulated, so he explains that two points were added to the Law. "My colleague received an answer in the meantime, it says that I can order the implementation of the security measure of the obligation to present evidence, which means that you have to show COVID confirmation that you have been tested, vaccinated, or recovered. We can also order the removal of people who have entered certain areas", he said.

“If you had seen what I read now, you would have seen that it relates to the obligation to present evidence,” he said. The floor is taken by Minister Vili Beroš, who says that the journalist is commenting on an earlier article that already exists in the Law. "It is not at all a tendency for a sanitary inspector to order someone to be vaccinated. This article exists when a sanitary inspector can order it for hepatitis for example. But, as there is no obligation to vaccinate, no one will be able to order compulsory vaccination to anyone", said Beroš, adding that he thinks that everything has been explained.

Božinović concluded that no one plans to introduce a coronavirus vaccination obligation. The journalists were also interested in whether they were considering changing the recommendations with regard to the new strain of the virus and self-isolation, to which Capak said that he was not thinking about it yet.

Beroš: 'We support testing but it is not the best'

Beroš was asked if there were any plans to expand testing in the health system, to which he said that all the circumstances were taken into account and that the third dose was therefore emphasized. "We support testing, but it is not the best. Only through a combination of recovery, vaccination, and testing can we give a guarantee, but even that is not absolute", he said and added that COVID certificates protect those who fight against them, the unvaccinated.

Capak also referred to the theses that appear in public, especially among the protesters, that the vaccinated and the unvaccinated transmit the virus equally. "It's not true, we need to be aware of that," he said. He added that scientific papers if read should be cited and said that vaccinated people did not transmit the virus during the alpha variant, in the delta they can carry the virus on the mucosa but they are not contagious.

However, he added that they can get sick and transmit the virus or have a virus on the mucous membrane that increases and can be transmitted, and stressed that it is all far less than in the unvaccinated. "People who are vaccinated transmit the virus less, the number of virus particles on their mucous membranes drops very quickly, and thus the contagion. This is scientifically proven," he said, adding that no country in the world tests all health workers on admission to hospitals. In the end, Božinović called on everyone to adhere to basic measures, wearing a mask, distance, ventilation, and maintaining personal hygiene.

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

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.

November 25, 2021 - After a first year where the European Commission introduced them to control travel within the continent during the pandemic, the EC proposes Digital COVID Certificates to be valid for 9 months.

The European Commission proposed on Thursday that digital COVID certificates be valid for nine months after receiving the recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

The Commission on Thursday presented a proposal for recommendations for safe travel within the EU, which should apply from 10 January next year.

The Commission calls on the Member States to take the necessary steps immediately to ensure access to the vaccine for those who will soon be nine months away from the last recommended dose they received.

As for additional, booster doses, the Commission says that there are currently no studies on the effectiveness of booster doses in terms of virus transmission and that it is therefore not possible to determine the period of validity of certificates after vaccination.

"However, given the data that emerge, protection from booster doses can be expected to last longer than protection from the first batch of vaccinations," the Commission said, adding that it would closely monitor new scientific evidence and, if necessary, propose appropriate the period in which the digital certificates would be valid after receiving the booster dose.

Persons holding a valid digital covid certificate should not, in principle, be subject to additional restrictions and requirements, such as testing and quarantine, regardless of where in the EU they travel within the Union. Persons without such certificates may be required to be tested before departure and after returning from the trip.

The Commission is also proposing changes to the color-coding of the Europe map, which is mainly for information purposes but can also be used to coordinate measures. The combination of new cases of infection and vaccination rates would be taken into account when marking individual areas with colors.

There should be no restrictions on travel from areas marked in green, while travel from dark red zones should be discouraged, and people traveling from these areas who have not been vaccinated or have survived covid-19 should be tested before traveling and go to quarantine upon arrival.

Exceptions to the proposed measures should apply to people living along the border they cross daily, to children under 12, and to people traveling for important reasons.

For more news related to travel updates to and from Croatia in times of pandemic, be sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

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.