ZAGREB, November 6, 2020 - In the past 24 hours, Croatia registered a record 2,890 new coronavirus cases and 34 deaths, the national COVID response team said on Friday.

The number of active cases is 15,567, including 1,307 hospitalised patients, of whom 135 are on ventilators.

Since February 25, when the new virus was first registered in Croatia, 62,305 persons have been infected, of whom 717 have died and 46,021 recovered, including 2,645 in the past 24 hours.

Currently 33,467 persons are self-isolating.

To date 541,605 persons have been tested, including 9,317 in the past 24 hours.

ZAGREB, Nov 5, 2020 - Croatia has registered 2,848 new cases of the coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, but a weekly analysis shows that the number of new cases is not doubling, and the number of active cases has dropped by 1,051 in the last four days, Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday.

The increase this week is 22%, Beros told reporters after a government session.

The number of patients in hospitals is on the rise, as is the number of fatalities, which is expected as those numbers follow the increase in new cases.

Beros said he would talk with representatives of doctors' associations which yesterday called for the introduction of stricter measures against coronavirus.

I fully understand their demand, but we must achieve a balance between maintaining the economy and doing what is most important to preserve health, he said.

He said that some countries had introduced a complete lockdown yet they had not seen a decrease in the number of new infections.

Beros thanked primary care doctors for becoming involved in tracing the contacts of persons infected with coronavirus.

Commenting on the opposition's demand for his resignation, Beros said that he was doing everything he could to fight the epidemic, adding that in the end everything he has done will be analysed.

ZAGREB, Nov 5, 2020 - In the past 24 hours, Croatia registered a record 2,848 new coronavirus cases and 29 deaths, the national COVID response team said on Thursday.

The number of active cases is 15,356, including 1,278 hospitalised patients, of whom 122 are on ventilators.

Since February 25, when the new virus was first registered in Croatia, 59,415 persons have been infected, of whom 683 have died and 43,376 recovered, including 2,306 in the past 24 hours.

Currently, 31,677 persons are self-isolating.

To date, 532,288 persons have been tested, including 8,906 in the past 24 hours.

November 5, 2020 - Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic with the latest on COVID-19 in Croatia.

Slobodna DalmacijaSlobodna Dalmacija reports that Davor Bozinovic said on Thursday that the number of newly infected had risen every week on Wednesday, which could be attributed to weekend behavior, and called for private gatherings to be reduced.

"Weekend days are approaching when people usually relax in the company of relatives and friends. Unfortunately, the data show that the number of newly infected grows every week from Wednesday onwards, which can be partly attributed to weekend behavior," Bozinovic said at a government session.

He warned that it is especially important in those days to reduce, as much as possible, social activities, private celebrations, gatherings from which the infection most often spreads within the household and family, and then in the workplace.

Since the last session of the Government, a decision has been made to extend the existing rule of crossing the Croatian border until November 19. Decisions were also made on necessary epidemiological measures for Brod-Posavina, Zadar, Karlovac counties, and the City of Zagreb, he reminded.

On Wednesday, given the complex epidemiological situation in Varazdin County, and at the county headquarters' suggestion, they intensified measures related to limiting public gatherings to 30 people, religious gatherings, cultural and sports activities to 50 and limiting the work of restaurants until 10 pm.

Inspectors of the Directorate of Civil Protection, in cooperation with inspectors of the State Inspectorate and police officers, inspected 23,221 business entities, catering facilities, and public gatherings, Bozinovic reported.

They issued 1,137 warnings and 25 misdemeanor warrants in the total amount of HRK 630,000 for exceeding midnight, not pointing out the notice of observance of hygienic measures and not maintaining physical distance, and wearing face masks.

Members of the State Civil Protection Intervention Unit continued to equip health and other facilities with containers and tents.

Since the last session of the Government, 1.12 million items of protective equipment have been issued, which is about 58 tons, of which 26 tons were delivered to the Arena sports hall.

There are about 13.6 million different items or 1350 tons of protective equipment in the Directorate of Civil Protection in Jastrebarsko and regional warehouses. Bozinovic emphasized that the protective equipment and means issued to the users are being promptly renewed.

The directorate also mobilized a home for the elderly in Novi Marof as an outpatient facility for the treatment of the sick in the Varazdin County, which currently houses users of the Home for the Elderly and the Infirm Zavojna from Varazdin.

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ZAGREB, Nov 5, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said at a government session on Thursdaythat the pressure on the health system because of the corona crisis was strong, but that the health system was successfully dealing with it and had capacities ready for all scenarios.

"We continue to get great help from citizens whose behaviour can affect how the infection will continue to spread," Beros said.

He said that public opinion polls had shown that citizens were mostly not for a complete lockdown and that most citizens continued to support measures and decisions by the national COVID-19 response team.

There are currently 14,843 active COVID-19 cases in Croatia, and 1,221 patients are being treated in hospitals. There are 930 cases of the infection among health workers, and 965 are in self-isolation.

Lately, the average number of coronavirus tests performed in a day has been 8,152, and 27.28% return positive.

According to Beros, the main goal is to strengthen the health system so that the virus does not spread to other hospitals and so that other patients could receive adequate health care.

For now, 111 health workers from other health institutions have been transferred to the KB Dubrava hospital in Zagreb, which has been admitting only COVID patients since November 2.

On Tuesday, antigen tests were introduced in Zagreb, Beros said.

Final-year medical students and 157 doctors working under supervision are helping epidemiologists.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Tina Lakic writes on the 4th of November, 2020, two popular Croatian hotels have introduced a new "Work from Hotel" offer at the Valamar Diamant Hotel 4 * in Porec, Istria, which will be valid for the period from November the 1st, 2020 to March the 20th, 2021. The offer includes a 15 percent discount on accommodation for a minimum of three nights.

The pleasant and peaceful environment offered by the hotel is ideal for guests who want to move their office to the coast and for all those who want to extend their holidays and spend the upcoming period in a hotel atmosphere with many facilities at their fingertips.

As part of the ''Work from Hotel'' offer, guests will be able to choose from comfortable suites overlooking the sea or the park and enjoy the many benefits of the "Workation Deal", which has become a popular global trend since the pandemic took hold. As part of this new Valamar offer, a hotel room in one of the most famous hotels in Porec will become an ideal workplace for maximum work performance because it offers the comfort of a spacious living room and work space, high-speed internet, direct dial telephone, a coffee maker and of course - room service. Guests can also book a meeting room equipped with projectors, a conference call system and a printer, should they so wish.

In order to adapt to the new situation in the tourism sector caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Plava Laguna also decided to introduce new offers at the Hotel Bonavia Plava Laguna in Rijeka. This is a "home office in a hotel" service in which customers are offered packages for the use of hotel rooms for the office during working days. The package includes a quality Wi-Fi connection, a welcome breakfast in the room and the use of the gym, and after a hard day's work, guests get the opportunity to use the wellness oasis within the hotel.

The ''Work from Hotel'' concept offers those who have needs for meetings one of the conference rooms, and the use of the room is free for a hotel guest for two hours a day.

"Given the current situation with the pandemic, it's up to us in the hotel sector to adjust our existing offers, especially for the post-season period. Thinking about everyday needs, we came to the conclusion that this is exactly the offer that Rijeka, and many other cities lack, and we decided to offer the market something between "an office outside" and the comfort of home. So, we combined the need for people to work outside of their homes, with all the benefits offered by a hotel - from food and beverage services to the use of meeting rooms to relaxing in wellness or fitness at the end of a hard day,'' said the hotel's director, Vlatka Stanic.

In addition to the classic sales channels, the innovative new ''Work from Hotel'' offer will also be available on specialised online channels, and there is also a classic daily package, a five-day package, as well as their premium versions that include the use of wellness centre, sauna and 30 minutes of relaxing massage, as well as a lunch package and a discount on drinks and desserts at Cafe Dante within the hotel itself.

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ZAGREB, Nov 4, 2020 - Head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health Krunoslav Capak on Wednesday said that more stringent epidemiological measures, like a lockdown or a curfew that have been introduced in neighbouring countries, have proved to be ineffective and that the current measures in Croatia are good.

"We think that our measures are good. We appeal to citizens to adhere to them and if they do, we are certain that we will curb these numbers," Capak told reporters.

Despite doctors calling for more stringent measures, Capak claimed that the curfews and lockdowns that have been introduced in other EU countries are not bringing any results one week after they were introduced as the numbers in those countries are continuing to grow.

"We think that those measures are not effective," he underlined.

Six doctors' associations today called on the government to urgently introduce more stringent epidemiological measures, otherwise the health system could collapse, seeing that hospitals are already at the "breaking point."

Capak claimed that the problem of a possible lack of equipment or shortage of staff can be resolved with redistribution to those areas where they are more needed.

"We have a sufficient number of ventilators, there are more than 70,000 people working in the health system. I am certain that we will protect the health of our citizens," said Capak.

ZAGREB, Nov 4, 2020 - During the Advent season, Zagreb will be decorated and illuminated for Christmas and the New Year, however, there will be no traditional format of the Advent in Zagreb event due to the epidemiological circumstances.

Mayor Milan Bandic said on Wednesday that some cultural events would be scheduled, Advent and Christmas decorations would be set up and several stands would also be installed for local service businesses in the city center.

However, there would be no traditional format of the Advent in Zagreb, he told local radio.

The epidemic of coronavirus also forced the city authorities to cancel the Interliber book fair. The fair will be organized online, and the mayor promised financial support to the publishers and bookshops.

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ZAGREB, Nov 4, 2020 - Social Democrat MP Pedja Grbin on Tuesday asked whether Croatia would reconsider its HRK 40 million intended for the remdesivir purchase since a World Health Organisation report questioned its efficiency in treating COVID-19.

Grbin raised the issue during a parliamentary debate on the report by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on the meetings of the European Council in October.

Grbin also wondered whether there was a plan for vaccination against coronavirus since the vaccine will not be available to all Croatian citizens.

He welcomed the EU-wide agreement on lockdown, wondering how it would affect the freedom of movement and the functioning of the Schengen border regime.

PM Plenkovic said that he was satisfied with the EU's joint action and the European Commission's support to efforts to strengthen the economy and protect jobs in the coronavirus pandemic as well as resilience to possible future crises.

MP Stephen Bartulica of the Homeland Movement said that Croatia was facing an 8% GDP drop and a budget deficit of more than HRK 30 billion.

"The economic reality is grim and difficult, and green policies cost and require big investments. Our industry should stay competitive and transition should be equal and balanced," he said.

He also asked what was being done to prevent Islamist fundamentalism or would European leaders continue to just express condolences to innocent victims' families.

Regarding the latest terrorist attack in Vienna, PM Plenkovic said that work was underway on joint activities to prevent such incidents.

MP: Croatia should be represented by the president, PM

MP Dalija Oreskovic (SSIP, Pametno, GLAS) warned that the law was not being respected because Croatia should be represented in the European Council by the president of the republic and the prime minister, which is now not the case.

The rule of law cannot be based on what leaders of big parties agree because if the law and the Constitution stipulate that the president of the republic and the prime minister create foreign policy together, that should then be so, said Oreskovic.

Hrvoje Zekanovic of the Croatian Sovereignists asked the PM how much Croatia's contribution to the EU budget would increase, noting that Croatians should be aware that the country would have to pay a billion kuna more.

He believes Croatia should therefore be entitled to greater EU assistance, warning that it would have to borrow money.

Plenkovic said that Croatia's annual contribution to the EU budget was €400 million and that the amount would increase by around €100 million a year.

He explained that HRK 28.5 billion (€3.8 billion) had already been taken and that in the next ten years Croatia would get HRK 173 billion (€23.06 billion) from the EU budget.

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ZAGREB, Nov 4, 2020 - In the last 24 hours, 2,480 new coronavirus cases and 26 related fatalities have been confirmed, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Wednesday.

There are currently 14,843 active cases, including 1,221 patients who are receiving hospital treatment and of whom 118 are on ventilators.

Since February 25, when the first case of coronavirus infection was confirmed in Croatia, 56,567 people have been infected, of whom 654 have died and 41,070 have recovered, including 1,690 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 29,404 persons are in self-isolation.

To date, 523,382 people have been tested, including 9,206 in the last 24 hours.