November 5, 2021 - Among the new measures announced due to the rise in positive cases in the country, Davor Božinović announced that COVID certificates will be introduced as of January 4, and if the situation does not improve, they will only be valid for those who have recovered and/or vaccinated.

The National Civil Protection Headquarters announced when a new record of 6,932 new cases was broken in Croatia, that the use of covid certificates will be expanded from November 15, which will be mandatory for users and employees of public and state services, and gatherings will be further restricted from tomorrow, reports Index.hr.

From tomorrow new measures for gatherings

"To prevent the spread of the infection, it is necessary to act in three directions: to achieve as much vaccination as possible, to limit gatherings and to achieve as much security as possible when conducting business that will not be limited," said National Staff Chief Davor Bozinovic at a press conference.

He announced that new epidemiological measures would be introduced as a result, gatherings would be restricted from tomorrow, and the use of covid certificates would be expanded from 15 November.

Thus, a certificate of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test from mid-November will be mandatory for all employees of state and public services, as well as for citizens who will use their services and come to their premises. 

If the numbers continue to grow, from November 15, confirmations for cafes, shopping centers ...

The Headquarters announced on Thursday that covid certificates will be used even more widely from mid-November if the number of newly infected continues to grow, and then they will be introduced in catering facilities, such as cafes, restaurants, gyms, recreational and fitness centers indoors. 

Bozinovic announced that testing will be possible only in registered institutions and that, for a start, the cost of testing will be borne by the employer at the request of employees. 

As of January 4, certificates only for those vaccinated and those who have survived COVID-19

He pointed out that, if the situation does not improve, they will introduce covid-certificates from January 4, which will be available only to those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, and those who have been tested will no longer receive them.

"That gap has been left because it is enough time for all those who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated by the beginning of next year," Bozinovic said. 

Details of new measures

With a new decision coming into force tomorrow, Saturday, November 6, the headquarters further restricted gatherings indoors and outdoors.

From tomorrow, all public gatherings indoors with more than 50 people are prohibited, except for those attended by people who have a covid-certificate, but from now on it will be mandatory to wear masks and maintain distance. 

Events above 100 participants can only be organized at open-air public gatherings if all participants have an EU digital covid-certificate. Exceptionally, events over 100 people will be able to be held outdoors only with the approval of the CNIPH, which will develop an epidemiological framework. 

All gatherings are limited to 24 hours, with the exception of cinema screenings that begin at 11 pm and wedding ceremonies where everyone has a covid confirmation. The weddings must end no later than 2 o'clock after midnight, and they will consider additional time limits, announced Božinović. 

Congresses and conferences will be able to be held provided everyone has a Covid certificate, wears a mask, and keeps a distance.

Sports competitions will be able to be held in the presence of spectators indoors only if everyone has a Covid certificate and is required to use face masks. Sports participants will also have to have certificates, but they will not have to wear masks, Bozinovic said.

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ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš announced on Thursday that the national COVID-19 crisis management team would introduce a new package of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, including wider use of COVID certificates, but there would not be a new lockdown.

"We are completely clear that we must react. A new package of measures is being hammered out and it will be presented at a press conference tomorrow. Epidemiologists will this time again put forward measures which will be agreed on with the goal of preventing the spread of the infection, a further rise in the number of new cases, and ensuring the stability of the health system," Beroš told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

He confirmed that the new measures included a wider use of COVID certificates, although he "certainly hopes that we wouldn't need a COVID certificate to go for a coffee or to a shopping center".

"There are a number of other measures with which we can try to prevent the further spread of the virus. We'll see everything tomorrow," said Beroš, noting that the new measures sought to strike a balance between restrictions and normal life.

He underscored that the citizens who had been vaccinated had been taken into account in the new package of measures.

"There cannot be a new lockdown. Those who are truly protected, those who have recovered from the infection and been vaccinated, we cannot restrict their lives," Beroš said.

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ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - Five members of the government's scientific council -  Andreja Ambriović Ristov, Nenad Ban, Petra Klepac, Branko Kolarić, and Igor Rudan - warned on Thursday that measures against the COVID-19 epidemic are not sufficiently effective and should be adjusted to prevent the further rise in new infections.

"Croatia is faced with the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with a relatively low rate of vaccination compared to other EU countries. This wave is dominated by the Delta variant of the virus which is significantly more contagious than the variants in the preceding three waves, and somewhat more dangerous for all age groups. Any increase in the number of cases from week to week is a sign that the epidemiological measures in force are not sufficiently effective, so they need to be adjusted in scope to prevent the further large rise," the scientists said in a press release distancing themselves from statements by another member of the council, Gordan Lauc.

The scientists said that many countries in the world have shown with their example that it is possible to protect people's lives and preserve the healthcare system through crisis management, confidence in the profession, and the unity of society in understanding the situation, vaccinating as much of the population as possible and the timely introduction of a series of available anti-epidemic measures.

"That experience acquired is not being sufficiently applied in Croatia, while misinformation spread by incompetent people who systematically undermine the seriousness of this pandemic continues to be the main source of information for a large number of citizens. That is why over the next few weeks Croatia will record a very large number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths and will become one of the countries in the world hardest hit by the pandemic," the scientists added. 

They called on citizens to inform themselves from experts and to adhere to measures that can prevent the spread of the contagion, urging those who haven't been vaccinated to do so and in that way help relieve the burden on the health system, which is currently in an extremely difficult situation.

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ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday that statements by individuals about the deterioration of the health system were not true and that all COVID and non-COVID patients were being taken care of without delay.

"I wish to appeal to the media that statements by individuals about the deterioration of the health system are simply not true. Indeed, large resources are being redirected towards the treatment of COVID patients, which could have been avoided by timely vaccination. However, all COVID and non-COVID patients are being taken care of without delay," Beroš told a cabinet meeting.

National COVID-19 response team considering a possible new set of measures

The head of the national COVID-19 response team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, said that they were considering a possible new set of measures to contain the spread of the virus. He said that interdepartmental talks were ongoing and that the public would be informed of any new measures in due course.

Beroš said that today's number of 6,310 new cases in Croatia was by far the largest daily number recorded to date.

"The causes of this surge lie in ourselves alone, in our refusal to comply with the basic epidemiological measures, and in our insufficient awareness of the benefits of vaccination," Beroš said.

7 in 10 new cases and 8 in 10 patients on ventilators unvaccinated

He said that the test positivity rate was 43.90 percent, and 233 infected people had been hospitalized in the 24 hours alone. In the past week, of the total number of new cases, 72.8 percent were not vaccinated, and 77.2 percent of the patients on ventilators were not vaccinated, he warned.

"However, the newly-awakened interest among citizens in getting vaccinated is encouraging. As many as 14,379 persons were vaccinated yesterday, the largest number in a single day to date," the health minister said.

Beroš said that 29,627 people had so far received a booster shot against COVID-19, adding that three percent of children aged 12-14 and 18.6 percent of young people aged 15-19 had been vaccinated to date.

"Insufficient compliance with the epidemiological measures and refusal to get vaccinated are the main causes of the rapid spread of the virus. We are seeing consequences at all levels of the health system," Beroš warned and once again appealed to citizens to get vaccinated.

He said that the ministry had instructed local coronavirus response teams to ensure additional capacities for medical treatment in their counties.

Božinović said that 11,578 inspections had been carried out in the past week to check compliance with the epidemiological measures. He said that the irregularities mostly concerned the provision of catering services after midnight and failure to wear face masks and maintain a physical distance in enclosed spaces. He said that 27 infringement notices, 176 written warnings, 14 oral warnings, and 17 fines had been issued in that regard.

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ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - After Croatia saw a record high daily number of new coronavirus cases, GLAS parliamentary deputy Anka Mrak Taritaš on Thursday called on the government to ramp up the vaccination campaign, saying it was high time for restrictions to be imposed on the unvaccinated.

"The campaign should be further intensified, but that will not suffice. Now is the right time to tell people that they cannot get to work or to cafes and restaurants and shops if they are not vaccinated."

She criticized the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the government for being lenient and failing to take serious steps to encourage people to get vaccinated.

"By next spring we will have the same number of COVID fatalities as the deaths in the Homeland War. Our COVID-19 fatality rate is among the highest in the world," Mrak Taritaš said.

Andreja Marić of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) also called for better immunization.

"People, get vaccinated, trust your doctors and experts," she said, accusing the government and the COVID-19 crisis management team of not doing their job well.

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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.

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ZAGREB, 4 Nov 2021 - As of Monday, November 8, primary and secondary schools in Zagreb will go back to face-to-face classes, the city's education office said on Thursday. 

In case the epidemiological situation in a school worsens, the city office will, in cooperation with the "Andrija Štampar" Teaching Institute for Public Health, consider switching to online classes.

The city office for education said this decision was made in line with a conclusion of the city's COVID-19 response team of November 4.

This week, after All Saints' Day, schools have been holding online classes.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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