ZAGREB, Sept 10, 2020 - Over the past 24 hours 291 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia and two persons have died, the national COVID response team said on Thursday.

The number of active cases is 2,567, including 320 hospitalized patients, 27 of whom are on ventilators, the team said in a press release.

Since February 25, when the first case was recorded in Croatia, 12,917 persons have been infected with the virus, 208 have died, and 10,142 have recovered.

Currently, 8,711 persons are self-isolating.

A total of 205,256 persons have been tested to date, including 4,118 over the past 24 hours.

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September 10, 2020 - Split-Dalmatia County extends coronavirus measures until September 24 as the county continues to record the most cases in Croatia.

On Wednesday, necessary epidemiological measures introduced on August 27 for Split-Dalmatia County have been extended until September 24, 2020, by the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia.

On August 31, the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia, at the suggestion of the Split-Dalmatia County Headquarters, revoked the decision to suspend the work of gyms, fitness centers, and other forms of recreation, noting that special attention will be paid to training and sports and recreational recommendations, activities in closed sports facilities, but also other prescribed epidemiological measures.

Necessary epidemiological measures are:

- mandatory face masks or medical masks indoors in catering establishments until food, drinks and beverages are consumed;

- a maximum of 50 people can be present at wedding ceremonies;

- a maximum of 20 people may be present at other private ceremonies and celebrations;

- a maximum of 50 people can be present at funerals, without maintaining gatherings, and condolences to the bereaved must not be expressed through close contact;

- at all social gatherings (events, performances, masses, rituals, exhibitions and other social gatherings), it is obligatory to adhere to all prescribed epidemiological measures, and if they are held indoors, it is obligatory to wear face masks or medical masks and maintain a physical distance of at least 2 meters;

- organizers of all social gatherings and owners of catering facilities are obliged to perform intensified supervision of compliance with the prescribed epidemiological measures;

- sports competitions can be held only without the presence of spectators;

- visits to and departures from nursing homes and other social welfare institutions are prohibited, and it is recommended that work be organized in shifts, whenever possible.

After the number of new coronavirus patients jumped to 341 on Wednesday, and Zadar County counted 18, at the suggestion of the local Civil Protection Headquarters, the Chief of National Headquarters and Minister of the Interior, Davor Bozinovic, extended some measures in Zadar County until November 1.

Until then, there is a ban on visits to nursing homes, holding organized entertainment gatherings on boats, and wedding ceremonies with more than 50 people.

It was added that "a maximum of 25 people can be present at other private ceremonies, celebrations, and gatherings".

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As Hina/Novac writes on the 9th of September, 2020, the Croatian state budget can withstand the crisis, there's no need to panic, PM Andrej Plenkovic assured on Wednesday on the Croatian Radio show "A sada Vlada/And now the Government", adding that he believes in a quick recovery of the Croatian economy.

When asked how much space there is in the budget and how much more it can endure in this crisis, PM Andrej Plenkovic said that it can endure it all and that there shouldn't be any panic. He added that those in the public space and the media space should stop creating panic.

"Recently we had a discussion at a meeting of exporters. Not only my message, but also the message of ministers and governors (CNB, op.cit.) Is: ''Let's not create something that doesn't exist''. We've had the biggest economic crisis in the last hundred years and we solved it so that we have practically the same level of employment, ie unemployment is as it was before the crisis, and the tourist season managed to happen in the best possible way,'' said the Prime Minister.

He added that the fall in Croatia's GDP is likely to be smaller than the first projections during the spring, and he expects its growth next year. According to him, the government "fought well" for 22 billion euros from European Union funds from the new seven-year budget.

"We've dealt with all the preconditions. We're continuing to help vulnerable activities with 4,000 kuna, micro-enterprises with 2,000 kuna, and there is a measure for part-time work in the amount of 2,000 kuna per worker. That will cost us about 800 million kuna by the end of the year. The government has been making decisions on time, sending out a message of security and predictability to the private sector. For the budget, we've solved everything properly, gone to domestic and international financial markets, and we've contacted international financial institutions and secured what we've been lacking," PM Andrej Plenkovic said.

According to him, Croatia is more resistant to the current crisis than it was to the one which occurred back in 2008 and 2009.

"Therefore, let's not panic. We're working very seriously and responsibly, and it is up to the businesses to do the best they can in this framework. We'll ensure stability, and it is up to them to fight. Enterprises are fighting in other countries, and we were quicker with our national measures than some other larger EU members who were waiting for European solutions,'' the prime minister stressed.

Commenting on the articles according to which Croatia is undercapacitated to withdraw EU money, he pointed out that it is easy to problematizs this when someone else fights for 22 billion euros.

He added that from the current financial perspective for 2014-2020, Croatia contracted 101 percent, and more than 40 percent of the available funds were paid out, and that money can be spent for another three years.

"The absorption capacity isn't the same in 2013 and in 2020, now, the mechanisms are faster, people are more established, projects are better and things are going much more concretely," assured Plenkovic.

He added that he is personally leading a group of ministers tasked with preparing Croatia's recovery and resilience programme which is based on EU guidelines.

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ZAGREB, Sept 9, 2020 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has recorded 341 new coronavirus infections and three fatalities, the national COVID-19 management team said on Wednesday.

The number of active cases is currently 2,587 and 8,688 people are self-isolating. There are 299 patients in hospitals, including 24 on ventilators.

Since February 25, when Croatia registered its first case of coronavirus infection, a total of 12,626 people have contracted the disease. Of them, 206 have died and 9,833 have recovered.

To date, 201,138 people have been tested for the virus, including 4,172 in the last 24 hours.

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ZAGREB, Sept 9, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday that the European Union has secured 300 million doses of vaccine against the coronavirus for EU citizens, adding that any vaccine will be made available to Croatia, as soon as it is scientifically verified.

"The moment a vaccine is scientifically verified as the right vaccine against the coronavirus, we will have it at our disposal, just as Germany, France, and other EU member states will," Plenkovic said in an interview with Croatian Radio.

He said that decisions made by the government benefited the Croatian citizens both in terms of healthcare and economically.

Asked if the vaccine would be paid for by the government or citizens themselves, Plenkovic said this process was ongoing. "News came in this morning that AstraZeneca is also verifying (its vaccine). When all this becomes more clear, we will try to make it as cheap as possible and even free of charge, but at this point, we have not discussed details yet. What is important is that when it becomes available, our citizens will have it at their disposal," the prime minister said.

Plenkovic expressed satisfaction with the work of the national coronavirus response team. "My support to them is clear and firm and will remain so," he said, recalling that the national team is an institution of the central government.

"The national team is a government institution. It was established by the government based on the law and regulations passed by parliament. They are here to work on protecting public health. I am pleased with their work and think that they have done a great job," he added.

Commenting on the number of coronavirus cases in Croatia, Plenkovic said he expected it to decline, stressing the importance of self-discipline.

Government likely to adopt about 30 amendments to the post-earthquake reconstruction bill

Regarding the bill on the reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs after the March 22 earthquake, which will be discussed by the inner cabinet today, the prime minister said that about 30 amendments could be adopted.

Recalling that the damage was estimated at over €11 billion, Plenkovic said that the government was right in not rushing the bill. He said that the reconstruction of the central part of Zagreb was very complex and challenging and that the government had decided to take part in it by securing funds from the budget and from international sources.

He said that the government had received €89.9 million from the EU for that purpose, noting that this was the largest advance payment ever made from the EU Solidarity Fund.

"I think the total amount will surpass €500 million," Plenkovic said. He added that the government was in talks with the World Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank, and other international financial institutions and that the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development would also have special programs for that purpose.

He said the government would like the bill to be adopted with the greatest possible consensus because the reconstruction process would take a long time and would involve the City of Zagreb and many experts.

"At the inner cabinet meeting, we will adopt any proposal we think will help make the reconstruction process effective and transparent ... regardless of which political party it comes from," Plenkovic said.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 8th of September, 2020, so far, 534 companies registered in Croatia with a total of 24,192 employees have applied for Croatian Government subsidies to cover their employees as they make the increasingly popular decision to shorten their working week.

Croatian Government subsidies will ensure the payment of all of them up with up to 2,000 kuna per employee, and the measure will be applied by the end of the year. Companies and enterprises from particularly vulnerable industries who have experienced a pandemic-induced drop in their income of more than 60 percent when compared to last year will be able to count on 4,000 kuna in state aid for their employee salaries by the end of this year, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced last week.

The move was formally adopted on Monday at a session of the Administrative Council of the Employment Service, according to a report from Vecernji list.

The extension of Croatian Government subsidies in the full amount of 4,000 kuna especially applies to companies operating in the sectors of passenger transport, catering/hospitality, tour operators and enterprises related to recreation, culture, business and sport events, as well as enterprises and activities that won't be able to operate due to possible decisions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters in regard to work bans.

The Croatian Government subsidies also include a write-off of all related contributions. It is estimated that the extension of these state grants will cover approximately 70,000 employees in total, for which the state will additionally provide around 800 million kuna. In total, support for employment could reach ten billion kuna this year, most of it having been financed from the state budget, but the government has made sure to assure that part of the funds will be compensated from various European Union sources.

''I see the extension of these measures as a purchase of time over the next few months, to see what's going to happen and think about where it is wisest to invest. If this situation continues, there will be a greater need to invest in people and new technologies,'' stated Danijel Nestic, an analyst from the Zagreb Institute of Economics.

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During the first part of the summer season, Croatia managed to open its doors for tourism more quickly than other countries which also rely heavily on it did, and positioned itself better on its emitting markets. But what year would be the most comparable to the 2020 Croatian tourist season?

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 8th of September, 2020, in a year in which tourism will lose at least a trillion dollars in revenue globally, setting the sector back 20 years, Croatia has so far come out with a slightly better result, especially when compared to competitors from the Mediterranean.

With about 46 million overnight stays realised from the beginning of the year to the end of August, the 2020 Croatian tourist season is currently at about 51 percent of the number of overnight stays realised when compared to last year, and the total annual result could reach the level of 2005 when the country had 51 million overnight stays, with 6 billion euros having been earned. Revenue this year will depend on the structure of spending, about which there are no estimates so far, and last year it stood at 12 billion euros.

The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) published a comparison of the results of the 2020 Croatian tourist season for the usually hit month of July on Monday, and the official figures are currently also in in Spain, Turkey, Cyprus and Portugal. In July, Spain accounted for only 25 percent of last year's turnover, Portugal accounted 17 percent, Cyprus 12 percent and Turkey 14 percent.

Although the figures for August aren't yet official, all these countries with tourist traffic started later this year than Croatia did, and saw some significant traffic in the eighth month of 2020, but this was abruptly stopped by the closing of various borders and introducing quarantine in the last week of August. For comparison, Croatia realised about 2.5 million foreign arrivals in July (50 percent of what was realised back in July 2019), as well as almost 15.7 million foreign overnight stays (60 percent). In the first seven months of 2020, the country realised about 26.3 million foreign overnight stays, 42 percent of last year's traffic. August was even better for the 2020 Croatian tourist season according to the latest official data, as Croatia had about 2.3 million arrivals and 17.6 million overnight stays by August the 23rd, which is 67 percent of last year's result. By the end of August, it was estimated that a total of 20 million overnight stays had been acheived.

The Greek tourism sector estimates that it will end this year with tourism revenues of about 3 billion euros, which is 6 times less than it realised last year. Italy expects a loss of 36.7 billion euros in tourism, with a drop in consumption from foreign tourists of 82 percent when compared to last year, equal to an astounding 100 million euros a day, according to the World Tourism Council (WTTC). The CNTB pointed out that in the first part of the summer season, Croatia managed to open up to tourists much faster than what was the case with other countries. At the same time, it positioned itself better on emitting markets than all the countries covered by the analysis.

"The CNTB responded in a timely manner, directing its promotional activities and information campaigns to the most important emitting markets. That such a decision was correct is also confirmed by the results achieved by Croatian tourism in July and August, where we've recorded the most arrivals and overnight stays from the markets of Germany, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary,'' the CNTB pointed out.

They also believe that very close and continuous communication with representatives of Croatian tourism associations, the Croatian Government and government institutions, as well as diplomacy was crucial.

''Considering the circumstances and the available budgets, we believe that we have all done an excellent job together,'' the CNTB concluded when looking back at the 2020 Croatian tourist season.

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September 8, 2020 - Kvarner and Istria residents sent a public appeal to the Slovenian Government to change the entry measures of Slovene and other citizens coming from Croatia.

HRTurizam reports that in their appeal, they believe that the classification of the whole of Croatia in the red zone is not correct or justified, especially the inclusion of the Kvarner and Istria regions, since they recorded low numbers of infections for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic:

"In these regions, the prescribed anti-epidemiological measures are being conscientiously implemented; people are responsible and disciplined. That’s why we all feel safe here. Kvarner and Istria border directly with the Republic of Slovenia; the people who live here are firmly connected on both sides of the border. Families live in our two countries, and people travel to work across the border every day. Traffic to Slovenia from inhabitants of Kvarner and Istria is intensive due to the purchase of various goods and the use of various services, as is the traffic of the inhabitants of Slovenia to Kvarner and Istria for the same reasons. Joint EU projects from various spheres of interest are also being implemented in this area. Slovenes have their own houses and boats in Kvarner and Istria, and together with friends from Croatia, they go fishing, sailing, and maintain real estate and movables.

We socialize and cooperate in a way that preserves our health, but also our good relations. Please consider the possibility of monitoring and classifying the Kvarner and Istria regions separately, regardless of the situation in the whole of Croatia. Visits to Kvarner and Istria can be checked in the eVisitor registration system and via the mobile application "Stop COVID -19".

Finally, we are aware of the dangers of conscientious and responsible people who adhere to mandatory anti-epidemiological measures. All this is confirmed by the positive COVID-19 results in Kvarner and Istria and the transmission of the virus on both sides of the border. We believe that there is no valid reason for Kvarner and Istria to be classified in the red zone for COVID-19 infection,” appealed the residents of Kvarner and Istria.

Finally, they conclude that omitting Istria and Kvarner from mandatory measures related to high-risk areas will help its citizens, friends connected with Kvarner and Istria, and add a new wind to better relations between Slovenia and Croatia now and in the future.

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As Jozo Vrdoljak/Novac writes on the 7th of September, 2020, the Split County Chamber of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) analysed the operations of the economy in Split-Dalmatia County during August and the first eight months of this year by looking at the value of fiscalised receipts and the unemployment rate.

According to the Tax Administration of the Split Regional Office, the value of fiscalised receipts from taxpayers based in Split-Dalmatia County over August amounted to 2.1 billion kuna, which is an encouraging 15.6 percent higher than it was in July, but 21.6 percent lower when compared to last August, which is obviously to be expected given the current pandemic-dominated situation.

In the first eight months of this year, receipts totalling 9.7 billion kuna were issued, which is a decrease of 19.5 percent when compared to 12.1 billion kuna recorded in the same period last year. The value of the receipts issued last month accounted for 21.6 percent of the value of all receipts issued for the entire eight-month period of this year.

The only activity in Split-Dalmatia county in the period from January to August this year to have achieved an increase in the monetary amount on issued receipts when compared to the same period back in 2019, was the activity of information and communication, with growth marked at 5.8 percent. The activities in Split-Dalmatia which recorded the largest decline in the monetary value of issued receipts, (of more than 50 percent) when compared to August 2019, are the arts, entertainment and recreation, which are down by a concerning 57.5 percent, construction 54.4 percent, transport and storage -52.9 percent and administrative and support service activities, which are down by 50.5 percent.

These are also the activities that, in addition to real estate/property, experienced the largest decline in the value of receipts issued in the first eight months of this year in Split-Dalmatia when compared to the same period last year.

Considering the representation of accommodation and food preparation and serving in the central Dalmatian county's economy, it should be emphasised that the value of the receipts issued in that activity last month amounted to 606.4 million kuna, equal to 30.7 percent less than what was recorded back in August last year.

"Despite the current epidemiological situation, when we look at the activity of providing accommodation and food preparation and serving in Split-Dalmatia in August when compared to July, the value of fiscalised bills increased by 37.8 percent," stated the president of HGK's Split County Chamber, Joze Tomas.

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September 7, 2020 - Contrary to this morning's news, Minister of Interior Davor Bozinovic announced this afternoon that the National Civil Protection Headquarters would extend the midnight ban on bars and nightclubs because the epidemiological situation in the country had not improved. 

"Unfortunately, we cannot say that the epidemiological situation has improved. This then presupposes that the decision to ban nightclubs and bars after midnight will be extended," Bozinovic told reporters during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Lucko Anti-Terrorist Unit, as reported by Index.hr.

The ban on clubs after midnight was introduced after clubs, primarily those on the Adriatic, proved to be places where the coronavirus spread.

"I have to point out a few related facts about these 180 newly infected. It is an even younger age group than yesterday, averaging 31 years. Most of them can be connected with gatherings on the Adriatic coast ", said the head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, in mid-August.

According to that decision, bars and clubs were allowed to work until midnight. The decision was initially made on August 14 and extended on August 27 with a validity period until September 7.

Regarding the possible abolition of visas for the United States for Croatian citizens, he reminded that in the last two or three years Croatia has worked intensively to meet the conditions for entering the system of exemption from the need for Croatian citizens to have visas to enter the United States.

He has personally been to the U.S. twice, where several agreements have been signed, and a number of bilateral agreements and arrangements have also been signed, he said.

The abolition of visas for the United States requires the number of denied visas to fall below three percent, so Bozinovic appealed to Croatian citizens to contribute to reducing the number of denied visas in relation to the number of applications submitted below three percent. “I believe we will fulfill that task,” he said.

Asked if he would refinance the costs to civil servants who encourage them to get a visa, he said he knew how some states did it so it would be nothing new.

"As far as that is concerned, I am sure that it is one of the foreign policy interests, and even a priority, and it is certain that the state will help as much as it can," he said.

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