February the 5th, 2021 - Croatian epidemiologist Goranka Petrovic has discussed the situation with the ongoing pandemic in Croatia, as well as the current state of vaccination against the novel coronavirus across the country.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, new strains of coronavirus are threatening not only Croatia but all other countries which are yet to register any cases of the typically more infectious strain, and new doses of the vaccine are frustratingly still not arriving as planned. What exactly is the vaccination rate in this country?

Epidemiologist Goranka Petrovic said that confirmation came from AstraZeneca a couple of days ago that the first shipment of their coronavirus vaccine, which comes in the amount of a little less than 9,000 doses, should be received by Croatia during the next week, most likely on February the 9th. They also confirmed further doses - a total of about 150,000 doses of the vaccine coming throughout the month of February.

"At the moment, the first coronavirus vaccinations are underway, not the second dose of vaccination. About one and a half percent of the population of Croatia has received one or two vaccine doses, and a total of about nine thousand doses of vaccine were used,'' she told HTV, stressing that further vaccination will go more quickly because deliveries will stabilsze, Pfizer vaccines are set to come even in larger quantities during March.

Asked whether the AstraZeneca product would be used to vaccinate the elderly in that case, Goranka Petrovic replied that the European Medicines Agency had approved and registered the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged eighteen and older and had not given an upper age limit.

She only mentioned that there is not enough data on the effectiveness of this particular vaccine on people over the age of 65, which doesn't mean that it is not effective, but that there was simply a smaller share of those people in the research.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, 4 February 2021 - A new shipment of coronavirus protection equipment, worth $207,000, has arrived in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka from China, the government said on Thursday.

The ship Rabelais, sailing under the Maltese flag, brought about 14 tonnes of protective gear, including 590,000 surgical caps and 80,000 suits. The equipment was purchased from the Chinese companies MEHECO and Sinopharm.

ZAGREB, 4 February 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday that although the epidemiological situation in Croatia continued to be stable, more and more persons had post-COVID syndrome, pathological conditions following coronavirus infection.

More than 1,000 post-COVID patients have been processed by 1 February and they mainly required the care of pulmonologists, cardiologists and other internists as well as neurologists and psychiatrists, Beroš said at a cabinet meeting.

Post-COVID syndrome research being considered

The gravest patients with post-COVID syndrome are hospitalised, while the majority are treated in post-COVID or other specialised outpatient facilities.

Due to more and more such cases, day hospitals in six medical centres serve only for the treatment of patients after acute COVID-19.

Beroš said a research was being considered to find out the extent, incidence and duration of this syndrome because little was known about it.

The number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalisations is decreasing on a weekly basis. The number of active cases has dropped to below 3,000, a decrease of 46% over the past month.

In the past 24 hours, 8.70% of the tests have come back positive.

Speaking of vaccines, Beroš said Croatia received 104,130 doses of Pfizer's and 8,400 of Moderna's between 27 December and 3 February, during which time 91,956 doses were administered, while 32,642 people also received the second shot.

To date 46,271 doses have been administered in hospitals, 37,046 in care homes and 7,874 in earthquake-hit Sisak-Moslavina County. Also, 535 milder side effects have been reported.

Beroš said a delivery of larger quantities of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which the European Medicines Agency approved last Friday, was expected in the shortest time possible.

He said that under new epidemiological instructions for care homes, residents who received both vaccine shots or recovered from COVID-19 could leave the premises.

ZAGREB, 4 February 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday called for patience and caution in bringing the life and the economy back to normal, and said that there would be no hesitation in relaxing the anti-epidemic rules provided that the trends were good.

"We are trying to overcome these (remaining) weeks of the winter and in the spring, immunisation, the responsible behaviour of citizens and the measures we are taking will make it possible for us to have a normal life, to bring the economy to life and to have a tourist season, also," the premier said at the start of his cabinet's meeting.

Plenković said that he had understanding for frustration and discontent, however, he called on the Croatians to have patience for some time still and then they could be looking forward to a normal life.

He explained that 15 February will be a new date for the assessment of the whole situation and if the trends were still good, restrictions could be relaxed.

Commenting on Wednesday's rally organised by the Voice of Entrepreneur business association, when an estimated few thousand restaurateurs and business owners gathered to protest against the restrictions which they deemed discriminatory, Plenković recalled that many European Union member-state had tightened their restrictions, while Croatia was able to gradually ease some of the measures and allowed the return of students to schools.

Protests and demonstrations are normal in a democracy, the government is at ease with that, Plenković said. 

However, the same protagonists who recently tried to pressurise the government to impose a total lockdown, now want the immediate reopening of everything. This is impossible, not because we do not want that but because it is not realistic, he said.

ZAGREB, 4 February 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has conducted 5,930 coronavirus tests, and of them, 516 (8.7%) have returned positive, while there have been 18 deaths linked to COVID-19, the country's coronavirus crisis management team reported on Thursday.

Currently, there are 2,974 active cases, including 1,196 hospitalised patients, of whom 101 are on ventilators.

Croatia's COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 5,106.

Since the outbreak of this infectious disease in Croatia in late February, 1,212,302 tests have been performed, and 234,153 persons have tested positive.

To date, 226,073 people have recovered from COVID-19, including 450 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

A total of 14,218 people are self-isolating.

February 4, 2021 - Interior Minister and Civil Protection Chief Davor Bozinovic said on Wednesday that if the favorable epidemiological situation continues, opening cafes in Croatia on February 15 will be discussed.

"We will talk. We will see under what conditions," said Bozinovic for RTL when asked if catering facilities can be expected to open on February 15.

He argued that the Civil Protection Headquarters is "first" to open anything if the numbers of newly infected and hospitalized are good and that no time will be wasted around the decision "if such is the assessment."

Commenting on the criticism of the inconsistency of anti-epidemic measures, that at the same time, while cafes are not allowed to do so, coffee-to-go can be bought in bakeries, shops, and gas stations, Bozinovic reiterated that these facilities are not closed because they sell essential products and have previously sold coffee, so now they have not been banned from such a sale.

"The point here is not about selling coffee-to-go but about gathering. When you get to the gas station, you refuel, possibly take that coffee-to-go, put it in the car, and drive. And when you come to a cafe, you sit, hang out, and that is an epidemiological risk," said Bozinovic.

Bozinovic also said that there were no double standards in implementing anti-epidemic measures, claiming that the police arrested the owner of the gym who opened on Monday, despite the work ban, and that at Wednesday's protest, they were primarily concerned with public order and peace.

"At such gatherings, the police always take care, first and foremost, of public order and peace, and that is their basic task. Of course, when you have a few thousand people,  it’s not the same as some individual situation. In both cases, the police acted following the law," says Bozinovic.

Bozinovic stated that Croatia did not make a mistake when it relied on the joint procurement of vaccines with the European Union. Otherwise, we would be in a much more unfavorable situation. He also said that Europe is currently discussing procuring Russian and Chinese vaccines, which is, above all, a message to AstraZeneca.

"If Europe allows the Russians, and perhaps tomorrow the Chinese, to enter the European market, I think that is first and foremost a message to AstraZeneca," he said.

Bozinovic also commented on the election of Martina Dalic as the President of the Management Board of Podravka, emphasizing that she will be a great gain for the company and that her resignation as Deputy Prime Minister is now history.

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

February 3, 2021 - Thousands descended on Zagreb's main square this morning for the UGP Croatian entrepreneur protest. TCN was there with a foreign eye. 

It was a feeling I have not had for 25 years. Walking to the event with a sense of anticipation, with everyone else walking in the same direction. It took me right back to 1996, the last year I had a season ticket at Villa Park to watch Aston Villa. Most of those walks of anticipation to watch Villa ended in disappointment. Would this too, my first attendance at a protest in Croatia?

In truth, I was not sure to expect. Permission to hold a protest by the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association (UGP - Udruga Glas Poduzenika) had not been granted, and so a call to action was issued instead, inviting entrepreneurs and the public to come to the square and voice their grievances on air via a live stream by the Johann Franck cafe on the corner of Ban Jelacic square. 

After weeks of inconsistent measures and double standards, followed by the arrest and alleged fining of a gym owner for opening his gym earlier this week, frustration has been growing among the entrepreneur community in recent weeks, and UGP has become a focal point both for raising the concerns of its entrepreneurial members, as well as demanding appropriate economic measures and a lessening of the parafiscal burden. 

As expected, there was a police presence, but it was at a distance. The entrepreneurs came in peace wanting to makes their voices heard, and I don't think there was any expectation that there would be any trouble. In any event, there was none.  

While the police presence may have taken a back seat, there was a sizable Croatian media presence, with this man very much in demand - Andrija Klaric, the 51-year-old gym owner who was recently released after being arrested for opening his gym. More on that story in Gym Owner Released from Custody, Called on Prime Minister to Resign. 

After weeks of closed cafes and restaurants and very little 'normal' social life, the gathering performed different functions for different people. For some, it was an opportunity to vent their frustrations via megaphone and chanting. Others were clearly enjoying the social aspect of it all, catching up with friends from other parts of the country with a drink or two. The frustration was ubiquitous, the methods of expressing it varied. 

Former Minister of Culture Zlatko Hasanbegovic was among those in the crowd.  

The messages were simple - Just let us work. Cafes, gyms and restaurants remain closed in Croatia, while it is ok to buy a takeout coffee from a bakery, but not a cafe, then sit on a park bench next to a closed cafe terrace. Read more in As Gym Owner Faces Prison, the Virus Must be Laughing at Croatia's Inconsistent Measures.

Return VAT to 13%.  At 25%, Croatia has the second-highest VAT rate in the EU after Hungary.

Enough Andrej. A reference to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

Plenkovic: F*** video surveillance, fines, repression... just kill me now. 

Racketeering: it mixes in everything. A depiction of Plenkovic and the slogan of leading Croatian food seasoning condiment, Vegeta. Podravka, the company which makes the world-famous brand,  yesterday presented Plenkovic with his own branded Vegeta. It coincides with the appointment of Martina Dalic, Plenkovic's former Deputy Prime Minister, as the new head of Podravka. Dalic was forced to resign due to the Agrokor scandal a couple of years ago.  'It mixes in everything' is the Vegeta slogan. 

The UGP plan of events to form a line to give statements to the live feed was somewhat hijacked by other attendees, some of them with megaphones, who came to give their own messages and to vent their frustrations. Drazen Orescanin, one of UGP's founders, encouraged people to express themselves by giving statements to the live feed, which was the original plan.  

So how many people showed up? I haven't seen an official number yet, but it was certainly in the thousands and more than the 1-2,000 that UGP had been expecting. Half of the square ws reasonably full, and I think about 5,000 would be a good estimate.  

Most wore masks, but by no means all.  

A view from a taller building on the other side of the square gives a different perspective.  

And not everyone was focused 100% on the protest, for there was ice cream to be had, even in this colder weather.  

UGP had their volunteer marshalls helping things along. 

As I looked around, I saw a lot of angry and frustrated people, but also a lot of exceptional people who have the potential to make a great difference in Croatia. Several of Croatia's leading entrepreneurs were there - and how many more leading entrepreneurs would there be if this wealth-creating sector of society were treated less as the enemy, and instead encouraged to grow with progressive rather than regressive taxation and red tape. 

Orescanin was a focal point for the media the entire time (and he kindly found time for a TCN interview in English, which we will be adding to the end of this article as soon as it is edited), but he was not the only one.  

It was nice to bump into familar faces, including the two men from Sveta Nedelja who have provided a blueprint of how administration can work in Croatia, and how encouraging entrepreneurs with tax cuts and incentives, rather than burdening them with yet more obligations, can have the right results. Mayor of Sveta Nedelja Dario Zurovec and his (until recently) Deputy Mayor Davor Nadji, have succeeded in 3 short years where others have failed. 

In an age of emigration, economic downturn and rising unemployment, under their guidance, 20% more jobs have been created since 2017, the population of Sveta Nedelja has grown more than 10% since the last census, unemployment is an enviable 3.9%, and they have just introduced free buses for all - just one of many measures to improve the life of the people they serve. In addition to that, they run the most transparent and accountable administration in Croatia, slashing taxes for businesses. No wonder, perhaps, that Sveta Nedelja has been named best medium-sized town in Croatia for the economy for the last three years in a row, as well as one of the top 5 places in Croatia for quality of life. If you are interested in more on the Sveta Nedelja phenomenon, check out some of TCN's coverage.  

Davor Nadji (talking to the press, above) is no longer the deputy mayor of Sveta Nedelja. He has formed a political party, Fokus, has taken his seat in Parliament, and is standing for election to be Mayor of Zagreb. 

Seeing people like this at the protest wherever I looked was an overwhelming positive reaction to the day's events. While Croatia has its problems, it also has an abundance of very capable people who are fighting for a better Croatia. And if the current system can be changed, Croatia has a very bright future indeed, led by progressive people.

Meanwhile, back to reality. Entrepreneur after entrepreneur gave their input to the live feed.   

This was not a protest about epidemiological measures, but rather about the injustice of the divide between the two Croatia's Orescanin described with UGP co-founder Hrvoje Bujas in an interview earlier this week - Bujas and Oreščanin: Why Should You Come to Zagreb Protest? Because There are Two Croatias.  

UGP has been campaigning for months for the removal of the numerous parafiscal taxes that exist in Croatia. One major battleground has been the obligatory monthly payment of 42 kuna a month for small companies (more for larger companies) each business must pay monthly to the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK). After paying my mandatory contributions for 17 years now, I am still trying to figure out what exactly HGK does for businesses like mine. I documented my experiences with HGK a few years ago in Welcome to Uhljebistan: the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Beyond Useless. 

The 42 kuna has become a symbolic battlefield, even more so after Prime Minister Plenkovic wondered why sort of entrepreneur would have a problem paying such a paltry sum each month - they are not entrepreneurs.  

(Nik Titanik)

As legendary cartoonist Nik Titanik captured, the 42 kuna is just the tip of the iceberg of the parafiscal burden of Croatia's entrepreneurs. 

If the 42 kuna each month was contributing to the greater good, then perhaps there would be less resentment, but HGK is one of many state institutions which is impervious to recession or crisis. For these are State institutions, and pay cheques are guaranteed. 

Ask a local how HGK money gets spent, and it will not be long until you hear about the safari hunting successes of Nadan Vidosevic, who used to run HGK.  

(Photo Instagram/Index.hr)

Salaries can't be bad in the present crisis, as Index discovered in an article a few days ago about two senior HGK employees enjoying the high life in Dubai, as many back home wonder where the next pay cheque is coming from and when they will be allowed to earn money again. HGK informed Index that the Dubai trips were not at HGK expense, which may be the case, but it still left a poor taste to many struggling on meagre incomes in a cold Croatian winter. 

Indeed, salaries seem to be rather good at HGK, as Index found out with a little research. Current HGK boss Luka Burilovic brings home 56,000 kuna a month, which (headline above) 'I know might seem a lot to some, but I have been working 30 years.'

The focus on HGK reform has been a hot topic in recent weeks, as the opposition sense the possibility of change. A vote on obligatory contributions was pulled at the last minute by Plenkovic last week, as it seems the government did not have enough votes to protect the current status quo. Since then, it has been interesting to watch the statements of certain MPs who once railed against HGK and are now defending the need for its existence in current format. A lesson in Croatian political horse-trading, which is holding this country back for years now. 

But there is a wind of change, and promises for HGK reform have been made - as I understand it - a vague plan to implement a phased introduction of change in a few months. Conveniently after the local elections.  There is very little trust left these days, and if the government was sincere, it has the ability to introduce rapid change. Just look at the digital nomad visa, for example. Plenkovic introduced amendments to legislation in Parliament the day after he announced it, and five months later, American Melissa Paul became the first recipient of Croatia's digital nomad visa. 

I was glad that I made the effort to go to not only show my support, but also get a better understanding of the issues. 

And, the eternal optimist about Croatia's future, I will sleep a little easier tonight. Yes, the mountains are huge, and the resistance is large, but so too is the determination for change. There are a lot of inspiring people pushing in the same direction. The twin viruses of technology and transparency will eventually prevail, perhaps later than sooner, but change is coming. 

I look forward to the month soon when I have 42 kuna more to spend on my business each month. 

February 3, 2021 was a good day. 

Interview with Drazen Oreascanin at the Zagreb protest. You are advised to turn on the subtitles, as the sound quality is not the best (my apologies, the interview was impromptu).

For the latest from UGP, follow the dedicated TCN Glas Poduzetnika section.   

ZAGREB, 3 February 2021 - A survey in the health sector indicates that 73% of health workers in Croatia plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or have already done so while 10% do not plan to even though they did not have COVID-19 and are not protected with anti-bodies.

So far, 24% of health workers have been vaccinated and the plan is to vaccinate another 49%. The level of confidence in the safety of vaccines amongst health workers is high and amounts to 76%, shows the survey, conducted in January before the start of a nation-wide vaccination campaign.

Almost 9,000 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, midwives, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists, and other medical personnel participated in the survey.

"It is interesting to note that 2 out of 10 respondents had contracted COVID-19. Just over half of the respondents (56%) believe they could get infected while almost as many (55%) consider COVID-19 to be a dangerous disease," a press release said.

Health workers were asked to evaluate, on a scale of 1 to 7, their stance regarding several psychological predictors that are crucial to deciding about getting vaccinated. People willing to be vaccinated have a tendency to consider vaccines to be safe, do not underestimate the danger of the disease, weigh the pros and cons less, and have a greater level of collective responsibility.

The majority of health workers who have been vaccinated or plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19 have in the past five years also been vaccinated against the flu.

Health workers assessed the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine with a score of 5.4 on a scale of 1 to 7. They gave the same mark for the importance of analysing the risks and benefits of vaccination prior to making a decision.

There are 73,000 people employed in Croatia's health system.

ZAGREB, 3 February 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Wednesday that Croatia was among more liberal European countries in terms of COVID-19 restrictions and that there was no room for easing the measures in place.

"People's yearning for the old way of life is understandable, but we must not make a wrong move. We are among more liberal countries in Europe in restricting different rights," Beroš told a press conference, noting that 17 European countries had imposed a curfew and 20 were in some sort of lockdown.

"There is no room for relaxing, we must continue to be cautious. There is no curfew, no lockdown, face masks are not mandatory outdoors, shops and services are open except for cafes and restaurants, cinemas, theatres, galleries, and museums. If we look at cultural activities and gyms, they are closed in more than 20 EU countries and cafes and restaurants in 24 countries," the health minister said.

Commenting on today's protest rally by business owners because they cannot work, the head of the national coronavirus response team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, said that most of the businesses were operating now.

"In Croatia, there are 215,000 registered businesses, and approximately 18,000 are closed now, which means that a majority of them are open. We are doing all we can so that as many businesses as possible can reopen at a minimum risk," Božinović said, adding that the next moves would be considered before 15 February when the present set of measures expired.

He said that the criticisms addressed to the national response team were unwarranted given that Croatia had one of the most liberal epidemiological measures in Europe. "We are aware that people whose businesses are closed are in a difficult situation, but the decisions by the national response team are taken in consultation with professionals and can be compared to other countries."

The Director of the Croatian Public Health Institute, Krunoslav Capak, said that the number of new coronavirus cases had declined by 15% from last week.

To date, 59,064 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, for which 87,929 doses of vaccine have been administered. 30,199 people have received one dose and 28,865 have received two doses. 535 reports of side effects have been reported for the Pfizer vaccine and 15 for Moderna's.

As for vaccine deliveries, Capak said that 19 boxes of the Pfizer vaccine were expected to arrive on 15 February and 20 boxes the week after that. Moderna will deliver 8,400 instead of 10,000 doses, while deliveries of AstraZeneca's vaccine should start on 9 February, with 156,000 doses expected to be provided in three tranches.

Capak said there were no obstacles to the Russian vaccine being registered in the EU following the publication of a study on its effectiveness. The approval procedure at the European Medicines Agency takes about two months.

February 3, 2021 - Thousands gathered at the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association protest held today at Ban Jelacic Square in Zagreb. 

Lifting discriminatory measures, regularly paying compensation for employees, canceling parafiscal taxes and mandatory membership fees, and the departure of Economy Minister Tomislav Coric were the demands heard at the protest organized by the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association (UGP) in Zagreb's Ban Jelacic Square.

Jutarnji List reports that between five and ten thousand people gathered at the protest today.

Although the UGP called for adherence to epidemiological measures, many did not wear masks, and it was difficult to maintain a distance.

Some of the banners read: "What is the plan?", "Why can't Croatia be economically strong?", "Andrej, it's enough!". 

Entrepreneurs and citizens from all over Croatia came to protest. As the executive director of UGP Dražen Oreščanin said at the press conference, several buses arrived from Dalmatia, Kvarner, Bjelovar, Varaždin, and Vinkovci, to name a few.

UGP President Hrvoje Bujas was not able to attend the protest because he tested positive for COVID-19. 

Oreščanin said that everything UGP does is out of any policy and that it is about advocating for a better life and entrepreneurs' rights, who in Croatia are, in his words, "second-class citizens."

"This morning I spoke to the Minister of Labor Josip Aladrović and suggested that all ministers and others from the public sector receive a salary of 4,000 kuna until the end of this year, to which he replied that it was a quality proposal and that he would consider it," Oreščanin said. 

He added that until the opening of the now-closed facilities, UGP asks the Government and the Civil Protection Headquarters for any compensation, even a one-time compensation, because "people literally have nothing to live on anymore."

His statements were accompanied by chanting and approval of those gathered at the Square, and when he asked them what they had to say to the Minister of Economy Tomislav Ćorić, it was mostly: "Resign!" and "Enough is enough!".

The slogan of the protest is "Enough is enough" and "Why Croatia?". The latter, Oreščanin explained, relates to entrepreneurs who are wondering why Croatia cannot be a competitive, successful and country of satisfied people, and said that the government and politicians should respond.

The representative of the catering segment, Ana Lisak, told Hina that they have recorded a drop in turnover of more than 70 percent and that it means nothing to them what they can deliver when only one percent of the business does so.

"Let everyone know that we are financially on our knees, but it is as if no one cares much about it because it is a pandemic, and we have to be patient. We are patient, we have not worked for almost a year, and many of us who have some funds pay workers and additionally above the state 4,000 kuna, because we do not want to lose them as well as our companies," said Lisak.

The president of the Independent Association of Zagreb Caterers, who attended the protest in front of the National Association of Caterers, Zaklina Troskot, told Hina that they are not satisfied with the measures of the headquarters and the government because they are "discriminatory and totally unfair."

"The Government's expectation that two activities - the catering and fitness industry, will save people from a pandemic, is completely unacceptable for us, and people are therefore desperate. If we do not get tax relief and any compensation, it will be difficult for us to work when we open because we will then face a lack of money to purchase, equip and pay the bills," Troskot said, adding that any help would come in handy.

At around 11 am, the protesters calmed and stopped chanting, but they did not disperse or intend to for the next few hours.

The caterers from the Square brought them "coffee-to-go" on trays. Some commented that no coffee, not even open restaurants, will help them survive this year without support and fair government measures.

To read more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.