ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - PM Andrej Plenkovic has said that Croatia is entering the most difficult stage in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic but that even though forecasts are a thankless task, judging by the current trends, the country seems to be slowlymoving away from the exponential growth of new infections.

"It is essential that our citizens understand that we are possibly entering the most difficult stage of the fight against the pandemic," Plenkovic told a press conference after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Plenkovic said that the number of new cases in the past few weeks had been increasing rapidly, that it was still growing significantly but that in the past few days the increase was a little slower than in the past few weeks.

"It seems that, judging by the current trends, we are slowly moving away from the exponential curve. The coming days and weeks will show whether that trend will continue. Unlike Germany, Italy and Austria, where that growth is much faster, our numbers are growing, but at a slower rate," he said.

He added that the latest anti-epidemic measures were proportional to developments regarding the epidemic and that the government wanted all citizens to be aware of the need to adhere to those measures.

"If they do, I believe that these indicators... will lead to a gradual decrease in the number of new cases and curb the epidemic in the next few critical weeks," underscored Plenkovic.

 A total of 2,776 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Croatia in the last 24 hours, the largest number in a single day since the outbreak of the epidemic, and 18 people have died, the national coronavirus response team reported on Thursday.

ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Thursday that any new epidemic measures would only be more restrictive that those currently in place, but did not specify whether and when they would be imposed, saying that this would depend on further developments.

"Any new measures that may be adopted in the coming days or longer may only be more restrictive considering the present epidemiological situation, but I will not be more specific because you more or less know the direction in which new measures would go," Bozinovic told the press ahead of a regular cabinet meeting.

He was asked whether and when restrictions such as those imposed in France and Germany could be expected in Croatia.

Bozinovic recalled that the national coronavirus response team had adopted a set of measures earlier this week to contain the coronavirus epidemic. Possible new measures would depend on the numbers of new infections, the infection growth rate and the burden this puts on the healthcare system, he added.

The minister also commented on the gathering of hundreds of Hajduk Football Club fans in Split on Wednesday evening to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Torcida fan club. Asked who was responsible that the gathering took place despite the restrictions in force, Bozinovic said that the responsibility lay with those who assembled there.

"We know that any gathering of more than 50 people has to be reported in advance. I believe that, if the gathering wasn't reported to it, and I presume it wasn't, the local coronavirus response team will take the measures provided for under the law," the minister said.

Bozinovic noted that "we will have a problem as long as there are people who think it is all right to gather together in large numbers and have close contacts without maintaining a distance."

He concluded by saying that other measures could be used to prevent such behaviour, but "repression should be a last resort."

ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - There are indications that the epidemiological measures in place have started to work, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, appealing to citizens to adhere to the measures to help contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic and avoid tougher restrictions.

"Although the numbers are continuing to grow as expected, there are indications that the measures we have adopted are starting to work. If this continues, we can expect the epidemic to reach its peak in two or three weeks," the prime minister said.

"The numbers of new infections and deaths are increasing and we are seeing a two-digit number of fatalities every day," he said. He added that countries in a worse situation than Croatia were imposing tighter restrictions and that Croatia had also tightened the measures to restrict public gatherings and reduce the rate of the spread of the infection in the population.

The prime minister said that the number of hospitalisations was also growing and that a sufficient number of beds had been ensured. He stressed the importance of adhering to the measures in place to prevent the further spread of the epidemic and avoid tighter measures.

"It depends on every one of us whether we will save hundreds of lives, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and whether we will manage to keep the economy going. I appeal to all fellow citizens to demonstrate maximum responsibility and solidarity," Plenkovic said.

"The least we can do as a society is to be responsible and to reduce our private and family gatherings, maintain a distance, wear face masks indoors and where we cannot maintain a distance, to regularly air out enclosed spaces and take care of hygiene. These are no big sacrifices, and we are protecting lives and jobs," Plenkovic said, expressing confidence that Croatia can do this.

ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - A total of 2,776 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Croatia in the last 24 hours, the largest number in a single day since the outbreak of the epidemic, and 18 people have died, the national coronavirus response team reported on Thursday.

The number of active cases currently stands at 14,031, including 985 people being treated in hospitals for COVID-19. A total of 71 hospital patients are on ventilators.

Since February 25, when the first case was confirmed in the country, 43,775 people have tested for positive for the novel virus and 511 of them have died. A total of 29,233 infected persons have recovered, including 1,463 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 21,592 people are in self-isolation. To date, 475,994 people have been tested for coronavirus, including 9,679 in the last 24 hours. 

October the 29th, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has taken firm hold once again across Europe, with numbers soaring and the number of patients infected with the new virus requiring hospitalisation on the rise. As many countries across Europe re-introduce stricter lockdown measures, Croatia's minister of health, Vili Beros, has stated that he's more interested in finding a balance.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of October, 2020, when commenting on the rising number of new cases of infection across Croatia, Health Minister Vili Beros said that the collapse of the already enfeebled Croatian health system was indeed a possibility, but that he was also working to enable maximum good functioning.

"It's excellent that a large number of retired doctors and students are stepping forward, so I'd like to appeal to everyone to join in with these joint efforts to suppress this epidemic," Vili Beros said.

He says he will continue to try to find the right balance between maintaining public health and not damaging economic activities. In some countries that have introduced curfews, there has been no reduction in the number of new infections, he noted, indicating that this appears a wasted effort in many cases.

"I respect, and I listen to everything, I understand the epidemiologists who say that they need stronger measures, but we should also look at businessmen for whom these measures are too much… We need to find a balance," said Vili Beros, clearly highlighting his awareness of how the economy is suffering, which is something he and others have previously been accused of not caring enough about.

He stated that Croatian epidemiologists are "a step ahead" of the coronavirus, so the Zagreb Arena is also ready to receive patients should that be necessary, as it was back in March when the new coronavirus first penetrated the country's line of defense, although it will be a long time before patients are admitted there.

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ZAGREB, Oct 28, 2020  - Homeland Movement leader and member of Parliament Miroslav Skoro tests positive for COVID-19, he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

"I have developed mild symptoms. I am following doctor's orders and expect a speedy recovery," Skoro said.

He said he has been in self-isolation since October 16 when he attended a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs and National Security and was in contact with Committee member Franko Vidovic (Social Democratic Party) who later turned out to be infected. "In the meantime, this virus has been confirmed in me too," Skoro wrote.

After the Committee meeting, two SDP Committee members and four clerks have been ordered to self-isolate. The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the State Attorney's Office, the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) and the police.

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ZAGREB, Oct 28, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Wednesday that there were 12,736 active coronavirus cases in Croatia and that the number of COVID patients in need of hospitalization was growing, currently standing at 932 or 155 more than on Tuesday.

Sixty-eight people are on ventilators, 14 more than yesterday. Twenty-three people have died in the last 24 hours, and the death toll now stands at 493, Beros said ahead of an inner cabinet meeting.

The minister said that the respiratory support and intensive care unit of the KBC Split hospital was working at 50.68% capacity. Seventy-five patients are currently receiving treatment there, and if their number increases, the entire hospital block in the city's Krizine neighborhood will be converted to accommodate COVID-19 patients, he said.

The occupancy rate in the KBC Rijeka hospital is 30.43%, with 21 coronavirus patients, KBC Osijek's occupancy rate is 51.38% with 93 patients, while Zagreb's "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" hospital for infectious diseases has long been operating at more than 90% capacity and cannot admit new coronavirus patients.

Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital is operating at 90.20% capacity and an additional 200 beds are being set up. On Tuesday, ten new ventilators arrived and today another 20 will arrive as will new medical staff - 39 nurses and five anesthesiologists, said Beros.

"We will do our best so that the health system functions as long and as well as possible. We do not have a crystal ball to foretell a collapse which I read about in media reports. It is possible but as a responsible person I will do my best to make the system function in the best possible way," the minister said, adding that the health system at the moment still functioned one step ahead of the needs.

General practitioners must contact and inform people who have tested positive for coronavirus as well as their contacts, he said.

"Many countries are imposing a lockdown, but those measures are not yielding results. We will continue to issue recommendations that constitute a balance between health protection and keeping the economy going," said Beros.

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October 28, 2020 - As part of their classes, students of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine applied for volunteer work and assistance in performing all activities related to coronavirus.

As HRT reports, in the new situation related to the epidemic, additional educations were approved, as well as student work, and about 300 students from the Zagreb School of Medicine applied.

Coronavirus Information Call Center phones ring every second and students patiently respond and give callers epidemiological instructions, all of which are part of their practical classes in college.

"It's really good. We have a feeling that we are helping people. They call, they are worried. There are a lot of infected people. It is difficult to explain the self-isolation to them - who needs it, who doesn't, what a close contact is, and so on. I think this is very useful," says student Adela Ranogajec.

The questions are all sorts, says student Luka Ostojić. People who do not have a question related to COVID-19 are also calling.

"Students here acquire knowledge and skills that will be more than useful to them tomorrow or in a few months when they start working. That is why they consider this very important and they are extremely satisfied," says the teacher at the Zagreb School of Medicine, doc. dr. sc. Vera Musil.

In addition to epidemiological work and patient triage upon entering the hospital, students applied for assistance in taking samples and working in tertiary centers. They will undergo training and be assigned to checkpoints run by the Croatian Institute of Public Health in Novi Zagreb and at the institute in Rockefeller Street, announces the dean of the School of Medicine, prof. dr. sc. Marijan Klarica.

Students of the anesthesiology section participate in the pre-run at the entrance to Sveti Duh Hospital. They are enrolled depending on their abilities and schedule in college. So far, everything is going well, and if someone gives up, they have a replacement ready, says Lester Toni Dobrić from the Student Section for Anesthesiology and Resuscitation at the School of Medicine.

They work in shifts of 8 hours and are satisfied, and in addition to gaining useful knowledge, they help staff and relieve the system.

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ZAGREB, Oct 28, 2020  - Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic has made a decision to introduce free parking around health institutions in the city.

"The coronavirus epidemic has entered a dramatic stage, with the health system being under extreme strain, so with this decision I want to make the situation at least a bit easier for citizens who seek medical assistance," Bandic said in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening, calling on other towns to do the same.

The decision will be in force until the epidemiological situation normalizes.

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ZAGREB, Oct 28, 2020  - In the last 24 hours 2,378 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia and 23 persons have died, the highest daily number of fatalities since the start of the epidemic, the national COVID-19 response team said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a record 18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported.

The number of active cases is 12,736, including 932 hospitalized patients, of whom 68 are on ventilators.

Since February 25, when the new virus was first registered in Croatia, 40,999 persons have been infected, of whom 493 have died and 27,770 have recovered, including 930 in the past 24 hours.

Currently, 14,924 persons are self-isolating.

To date, 466,315 persons have been tested, including 8,589 in the past 24 hours.