August 19, 2020 - German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung explains to its readers that a large part of the Croatian coast has a small number of newly infected people and that Zagreb and Dalmatia are recording their growth.

"The decision is based on real trends, not the current picture," the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement regarding the introduction of measures against the spread of the coronavirus for people coming from Croatia, Jutarnji List reports.

The statement was quoted by the renowned Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), which concluded: "So German tourists do not have to face mandatory tests at the moment."

In this regard, the newspaper reminds that "those at risk are those in which more than 50 newly infected people per 100,000 are counted for seven days in a row", while the rest of the country is not problematic: "Large parts of favorite coastal areas are recording extremely low numbers."

In the article entitled "When the party-tiger roars", SZ also reminds of the cases of German tourists, mostly young people, who obviously brought the coronavirus from their Croatian vacation back home.

"Croatia, with its countless islets in the Adriatic Sea, actually seems ideal for avoiding the masses and escaping the virus. Apartments are more widespread than large hotels. It is known more as a paradise for campers and sailors than as a destination for parties," the German newspaper points out. It is also stated that the average age of those infected in Croatia is 34 years.

It also reminds of the fact that Croatia had a minimal number of infected people before the borders opened, and that in order to facilitate the entry of tourists into the country, it organized registration online, and quotes Croatian doctor of infectious disease, Alemka Markotic, who points out that the situation is under control and that Croatian healthcare is well prepared.

However, the highest-circulation German newspaper Bild considers the situation in Croatia worrying because, in its online edition, it asks: how much longer will we be able to spend our holidays in Croatia?

The article primarily provides information for potential German tourists about the situation and regulations in Croatia, but like SZ, it states that an increasing number of new infections have been registered in the Split and Zagreb regions and that infections are most widespread at parties and nightclubs.

However, it points out that the Split area, with an average of 46.45 new cases a day in the last seven days, has almost reached the limit of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

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As more and more countries begin adding Croatia to their list of ''no go'' or ''red list'' countries as a result of the rise in infection rates, Germany keeps Croatia on its list of safe countries. The German RTL has released a map with a detailed overview of the risk and safety of countries when it comes to the new coronavirus, published by the German Federal Office of Foreign Affairs.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of August, 2020, under the title "Holidays in Spain, Turkey, Croatia - where it's safest", the German RTL.de published a text and a "coronavirus map" showing the countries to which it is safe to travel for German nationals and residents, but also those that are currently on Germany's "red list" .

Croatia is still marked in green, meaning that it is one of the safe countries for holidays for Germans.

The description of Croatia RTL.de states that Croatia allows entry to all citizens of EU member states. But after entering the country it is necessary to leave contact information.

''In order to avoid long waits when crossing the border, the Croatian Ministry of the Interior recommends that you fill in the appropriate form online in advance. There is no obligation to quarantine, nor is there any obligation to test for coronavirus,'' writes the German RTL, RTL.de, and reports Felix magazine.

They note that almost all of Spain is marked as a risk area for coronavirus, but the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs withdrew warnings for some Turkish provinces back in early August.

As some begin to suspect that the warnings being issued by some European countries against travel to Croatia has more of a political nature than it does of health, it is encouraging to see that Germany isn't condemning Croatia in the way Austria recently has. For the the current status in individual countries published by the German RTL, click here.

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August the 19th, 2020 - There has been an unfortunate increase in the infection level in Croatia, and while some government figures plead with the countries placing Croatia on their ''no go'' or ''red'' lists for travel to divide Croatia up into different regions to reflect the infection rate rather than condemning the entire country, many European countries are continuing to make things difficult as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Austria is the most recent country to make very bold moves in warning their nationals not to travel on holiday to Croatia, rejecting the aforementioned plea to divide the country up, and many have been complaining about the price of the coronavirus test some countries are asking for upon return from Croatia. On top of that, the second complaint has been that there aren't enough facilities at which to get the necessary tests which more and more countries are now demanding. This has resulted in huge crowds of people waiting to have their tests performed.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of August, 2020, on Tuesday morning, there were large crowds waiting for coronavirus tests in front of the  Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute in Zagreb, which came to the forefront during the pandemic as being a ''drive through'' testing facility in which people didn't need to leave their cars.

The number of tested people has been growing even though the cost of the test is at the testee's expense, and since prices have been reduced. There has been pressure in Zagreb for several days now due to the large number of people who want to be tested, so three additional locations will be opened in health centres that will work from 08:00 to 20:00.

Fewer people are being tested on weekends because such facilities work part-time or don't open their doors at all over the weekend, reports N1.

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Not one person from the beautiful green region of Gorski Kotar has been infected with the new coronavirus in the six months since the pandemic reached Croatia. No resident or guest is infected, nor have they become infected in Gorski Kotar. Naturally, the locals are very proud of their ''zero''.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of August, 2020, back at the start of the pandemic, the levels of fear were high. The elderly population who live in Gorski Kotar, for whom the virus remains the most devastating, needed to be protected from it. Spring, quarantine, work from home and popular picnic areas have made Gorski Kotar an ideal place to escape from the crowds, which posed a danger of importing the new coronavirus.

"At the beginning, we were really concerned, at one point we had to ask all our dear guests, our friends who come from Rijeka and Zagreb not to bother, we needed to see what it was all about. When the National Civil Protection Headquarters said that they could come, we thanked them and invited them to come,'' said the mayor of Fuzine, David Bregovac, in a report brought by Dnevnik Nova TV.

Preserving health was and remains the main task. Even when gatherings across the country, and especially Mass celebrations were re-approved, in Gorski Kotar, they still held on a bit longer. In recent weeks, the focus has been on young people. The number of infected people has increased due to people going to nightclubs on the Adriatic, and especially in Dalmatia. In Gorski Kotar, they have no problems with such forms of entertainment.

"We ride bikes, we play football, take care of the elderly, wear masks, and we go to the store for the elderly," said Lorena Buric, a girl from Ravna Gora.

The border area and daily migrations of the local population who, due to their respective daily needs, cross from Slovenia into Croatia and vice versa didn't endanger this area. The protection is double because the recommendations of epidemiologists on both sides of the Kupa are being followed.

"That's right, the measures are respected, our dear Slovenian friends come here every day to Brod na Kupi to our store, our bakery, our hospitality facilities because they don't have anything over there on their side," says Davorin Klobucar, president of MO Brod na Kupi.

The proximity of the Croatian-Slovenian border has actually become a plus for Gorski Kotar

It is the proximity of the border with Slovenia that has quickly become something good for Gorski Kotar. Istria and Kvarner are the most successful Croatian regions in terms of the number of guests this season. In Gorski Kotar, from August the 1st until today, a little more than 2,900, both Croatian and foreign, have visited. Given the frequent changes in the colours of Croatia on the lists of various European countries, the proximity of the border crossings is a great relief for tourists.

"Our guests are mostly oriented to nature and to the top of Risnjak and the source of the Kupa, they want some peace and quiet, and since it is close to the Slovenian border, even if the borders are closed, they can be out of Croatia in 10 minutes and can return to their countries," says Marko Cicavica, a local landlord.

There was one new case in Istria County yesterday, while in Primorje-Gorski Kotar, there were two newly infected people. Due to the good epidemiological picture, despite the large influx of foreigners, they are calling for the introduction of measures by region.

"Gorski Kotar is truly a godsend in the sense that it is a large area with low population density, so visitors who come don't really change the epidemiological situation and therefore it is still coronavirus free," says Vladimir Micovic, the director of NZJZ Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

Autumn and winter, and thus the cold season, are at the door. We now all need to make sure we're well prepared so that the discipline and effort and also the positive experience of the first coronavirus wave don't simply go to waste.

"The closest KBC to this part of Croatia is in Rijeka, where there are 53 respirators available for as many as three counties, which fortunately are still excellent with their coronavirus numbers. The people of Gorski Kotar hope that they will still have zero infected people by then and that there will be no need for such medical help.

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On a recent episode of HRT's Dnevnik, the Minister of Health, Vili Beros, didn't specifically reveal the possible new epidemiological measures for Croatia this autumn, but when speaking about the obligation to wear protective masks outdoors, he said that it would make sense to introduce something similar in Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of August, 2020, Minister Vili Beros emphasised that the National Civil Protection Headquarters has daily discussions on the anti-epidemic measures they must take, but they do so in constant accordance with the epidemiological situation of the time.

''At this moment in time, it isn't possible to conclude what will happen in the autumn,'' said Vili Beros. He added that the wearing of masks outdoors in the French capital of Paris is done in places where a lot of people are grouped and where no physical distance can be kept.

''It would make sense to introduce something similar in Croatia in those places where more people are grouped together, that is, on trams, in waiting areas for buses, where there are certain tourist groups, but we'll carefully monitor the situation and bring in new measures in the way we did before,'' Beros explained.

Commenting on the decline in the number of newly infected people in Croatia, ie answering the question as to whether this is a trend or a short break, Vili Beros said that it wasn't possible to say. It was a weekend and not all family doctors were working, meaning they weren't referring any patients for coronavirus testing, but the epidemiological service is working hard.

''It is a controlled pool and in that way the spread of the virus is prevented. So it's possible that these measures of ours - of course, with an emphasis on personal responsibility - will indeed cause these numbers to be smaller and smaller, but it isn't possible to conclude anything,'' he said.

Beros also said that a meeting of the expert group of the crisis staff of the Ministry of Health would be held soon and that it was possible to start some training of junior doctors from the epidemiological profession so that they could join in with the field work.

The Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Split asked the National Headquarters to specify more clearly the conditions and measures that must be observed by catering and service facilities. Beros said that the National Headquarters would respond to their request and that talks should always be held. He added that people in the local community know all the specific circumstances of certain areas.

''Specifically, here at my place in Hvar, after the closing of night clubs and coffee bars, a problem arose with the grouping of young people in front of certain stores. Therefore, local employees can best notice this problem,'' he noted.

As for the teaching model, Beros stressed that it would be best - if the epidemiological situation allows it - for all children to be back at school, but some other models are being prepared that may be a combination of school attendance and online teaching.

''I want to say that all of us who are participating in this process, parents, teachers, healthcare workers, but also us politicians, must look at this problem in full from all aspects and try to find the most opportune solution at that moment,'' concluded Vili Beros, adding that the concept and proposal will come very soon.

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August. 18, 2020 - After the Croatia water polo team held preparations in Korcula from August 10 to 15, news has now broken that one player, Ante Vukicevic, tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Federation issued a statement, which is transmitted below. 

"The COVID-19 virus, which has unfortunately been present all over the world for half a year, did not bypass the Croatia water polo team, which was preparing on Korcula from August 10 to 15, with all the precautions taken.

All players and members of the professional staff have acted to prevent it, and in agreement with Dr. Krunoslav Capak, director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, a certain measure of isolation has been recommended, although some were not in close contact with the person who tested positive and is not part of the HVS delegation," the Croatian Water Polo Federation said in a statement.

Over the past 5 days, as the experts suggested, coronavirus testing was carried out, a positive result was found in the sample of national team member Ante Vukicevic, part of the results of several players was negative, while the test results of the remaining players and members of the professional staff are expected within 24 hours.

Incorrect information circulated in some media, and Barakuda coach Ivica Tucak released a statement to set the record straight:

"First of all, I kindly ask that misinformation not be spread. It is true that within the Croatia water polo team we have a player positive for the coronavirus, which unfortunately has infiltrated all sports and the rest of regular life all over the world. But the players of our water polo team were not, and could not have been, at any birthday party that is said to have spread the virus. Namely, it took place on August 6, and the national team only gathered on Korcula three days later, i.e., on the evening of August 9," coach Ivica Tucak began, and added:

"As part of the preparations and training on Korcula, on Wednesday, August 12, we played an exhibition match at an improvised swimming pool in the sea in front of Moro Beach bar in Stupa, where we had a short gathering with lunch organized for the Croatia national team in the open. Immediately after lunch, the national team returned to the hotel. Also, it is true that on Tuesday, August 11, we played an official friendly match against our junior national team, but not in the sea, but in the KPK pool in Korcula. On Friday, August 14, at a time when none of the players showed any symptoms of infection, but bearing in mind that some other people outside the national team, who were previously in contact with us, are now positive, we reacted promptly and responsibly by stopping training in Korcula.

A day later, on Saturday, August 15, in the morning in agreement with the Croatian Water Polo Federation and the Epidemiological Service, we disbanded the national team under strict supervision, not wanting to risk anything. It is important to note that no one has any symptoms, nor did they recommend any isolation measures due to the nature of the contact, but as a precaution, we entered self-isolation," Ivica Tucak concluded.

Source: HRT

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August 18, 2020 - Health Minister of Slovenia, Tomaz Gantar, said on Monday that he would propose that the government introduce quarantine for Slovenes returning from Croatia by the end of the week, stressing that this was the "unique opinion" of medical experts.

T.portal reports that if the government makes such a decision on Wednesday or Thursday, then tourists from Slovenia who want to avoid quarantine would be given "another two or three days at most" to return home, Gantar said on television.

The minister does not believe that this could change in the event of a drop in the influx of coronavirus through Slovenian tourists spending their summers in Croatia, or if a decrease in the number of daily infected occurrs, because Croatia "already has an exponential growth" of the coronavirus infection recently.

He also pointed out that it is not possible to introduce a "selective" approach, according to age and quarantine, only for those aged 15 to 35 who are most often infected or to those who come from epidemiologically less risky counties, for example from Istria.

Gantar explained that the first would be irrational because most families with children travel to Croatia, while regarding the second option, he said that Slovenia has always applied a single criterion by country, not region, to compile a list of risky destinations.

However, he failed to say that a month ago Slovenia put the whole of the Czech Republic on the "red" list, and after a letter from Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, it kept the warning for only one mining region where infections jumped.

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August 18, 2020 - Italian newspaper Il Giornale published an article stating that Croatia has found itself under the magnifying glass of Europe after the increase in the number of new coronavirus infections, although Croatian figures are significantly below the number of new cases in Italy.

T.portal reports that the Italian newspaper claims the most probable cause of the deteriorating health situation in Italy is the return of those who decided to spend a few relaxing days on the Adriatic.

"But what are the real numbers in Croatia? First of all, we must emphasize that the number of new daily infections is significantly below the values recorded in Italy. On Sunday, Croatia had 151 new infections, while in Italy, there were 479, or more than double. This gives rise to debate: Are Croats really a time bomb, or has someone exaggerated? The real answer could be the latter. And for a straightforward reason. Infections in Europe have risen almost everywhere. Croatia did not have to fight with significantly higher numbers, as is the case with Spain or France. But it still ended in the middle of a storm," writes Il Giornale.

On August 15, as reported by the Adnkronos agency, Croatia recorded 162 new cases of infection and two deaths. Admittedly, the current numbers are worse than in February, during the first wave. But on the other hand, it is a reduction in numbers given that there were 208 infections on August 14 and 180 on Thursday. The peak of the first wave, discovered on April 1, stopped at a maximum of 96 newly infected in one day.

Minister of Health Vili Beros was very clear in explaining the situation to RTL: "We consciously accepted the risk and decided to continue our life with tourism. Without tourism, one of the key sectors for Croatia, things would be worse for us."

President Zoran Milanovic is of the same opinion. In order not to lose control of the situation, a decision was made that bars, restaurants and nightclubs must close at midnight.

The number of confirmed cases since the beginning of the epidemic has exceeded the threshold of 6,500 people, while the number of deaths is a total of 166. There are 1,062 active cases, while for comparison, in Italy, there are 14,404. This shows that it makes no sense to consider Croatia a dangerous destination. 820,000 foreign guests are indeed in Croatia, and the movement of these tourists may spread the infection from one country to another. But figures show that the risk is not higher than in other locations.

Infections of returnees from holidays or from abroad can be a cause for concern. Several young people who returned home from Croatia transmitted the coronavirus to relatives and friends, creating real hotspots. This was also the reason for the alarm and the decision of the Italian government to introduce measures for the return of tourists from Spain, Greece and Croatia.

"But what is indisputable is that we need to emphasize the attitude of some of the tourists, both in Croatia and in other countries. Several young Italian men said that only a few wear masks in clubs in Croatia. Some of them, as in the case of young people with whom Tg1 spoke on Pag, show that they significantly reduce the real danger of coronavirus. In any case, it would be good to silence the alarm towards Croatia," they concluded.

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August 18, 2020 - A look at how Austria, one of the tourist champions of Europe, has tried saving their season by hurting Croatian tourism. 

Saving the tourist season threatened by the coronavirus pandemic is not only a priority for Croatia this year, but also for other European countries whose tourism revenues have a significant share in GDP.  

Index.hr reports that one of them is undoubtedly Austria, a country without a sea, which is one of the tourist champions of Europe in terms of earnings and in which tourism revenues make up about 15 percent of the GDP. Furthermore, 13 percent of employed Austrians work in the tourism sector, so saving the tourist season is also a matter of saving jobs.

Back in May, Kurz declared Austria the safest country for tourists

Authorities in Vienna have not hidden at all since the first corona lockdown lifted and said they would do everything they could to save the Austrian tourist season.

Thus, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz promised at a press conference in Vienna in late May that a holiday in Austria, despite the coronavirus, would be as safe as in any other country in the world. He explained that he would invest in testing and test as many people as possible who are in contact with travelers.

"I am glad that we will provide both domestic and foreign guests with a safe and beautiful holiday," Kurz said in May.

Austrian campaign: "Like Croatia, only without sea urchins"

Austria not only wanted to attract foreign tourists this summer but also keep Austrians in the country, as tourism minister Elisabeth Köstinger has repeatedly stressed. She invited Austrians to spend their summers in their homeland, and the Austrian delay in opening the borders when the time came was significant. There was even an advertising campaign inviting Austrians to spend their holidays in Austria, with posters that read, for example, "Like Croatia, only without sea urchins. Spend your summer vacation at home."

The ruling party's campaign spilled over to the Austrian media, so the Austrian tabloid Heute published the news of the fecal spill into the Croatian sea at the beginning of June, calling it "Disgusting". The goal was obviously to disgust Austrians with the idea of vacationing in Croatia, but there was only one problem - the news was a year old, and Heute presented it as current.

Already in early June, Slovenia publicly protested against Austrian behavior, and its Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, stated that he had the impression that Austria wanted to keep its citizens vacationing inside the country.

Quick decision to put Croatia on the list of high-risk countries

After everything that has happened in the meantime, it can be said that this impression is not deceiving at all.

After an increase in coronavirus infections was recorded in Croatia, Austria hastily decided to prevent its citizens from traveling on holidays in the Adriatic.

How that decision was made is also significant. In the morning, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober from the Greens refused to say at a press conference whether stricter measures would be taken against Croatia, proposing that the decision be made in agreement with neighboring countries. Schallenberg, close to Kurz, sent a press release about putting Croatia on the list of unsafe destinations. The decision within the Austrian government has done nothing to establish health security, but it has created traffic jams as panicked Austrian tourists have started returning en masse from the Adriatic to Austria.

There is no doubt that the epidemiological situation in Croatia worsened last week, but did it really worsen enough to require drastic Austrian measures?

The goal is to deter Austrians from coming to Croatia

From today, returnees from Croatia will also have to present a negative coronavirus test, which forced many Austrians to return home on Sunday and avoid the testing they have to pay out of pocket. In contrast, others were deterred from the very idea of vacationing in Croatia.

"There is a huge influx of viruses from Croatia," Kurz said on Saturday, adding that the increase is not surprising given that the holidays are underway.

"The current numbers are worrying," says Kurz. "We must do everything we can to stop the virus without introducing new comprehensive bans."

While Austria puts Croatia on the red list, Israel has lifted the obligatory quarantine for travelers from Croatia

Nearly 230 new infections were recorded in Austria on Saturday, compared to a record 282 the day before. If other EU members were guided by Austrian logic, it could easily end up on the list of countries to which travel is not recommended.

At about the same time as Kurz speculated about a "huge influx of viruses from Croatia," Israel lifted mandatory quarantine upon arrival at Tel Aviv airport for its citizens returning from 20 "green" countries, including Croatia, as well as for citizens of those countries, which was published on the website of the Israeli government.

The list of those countries, which Israeli authorities consider low-risk countries in terms of coronavirus spread, includes 15 European countries - Croatia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia, as well as five other countries, including Canada and New Zealand. The list excludes, for example, France and the United States.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Israel imposed mandatory 14-day self-isolation for every person entering Israeli territory and pursued a very strict epidemiological policy, but now considers both Croatia and Austria safe countries, while Austria treats Croatia as the corona's worst.

The lukewarm reaction of Foreign Minister Grlic Radman

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman predictably took a conciliatory tone towards Austria. On Friday, he stated that Austria would consider changing the decision by which it warned its citizens not to travel to Croatia due to the possibility of coronavirus infection, and that he had already heard about it twice with his Austrian counterpart Schallenberg.

"We report daily on the situation in Croatia, so on a daily basis, it is submitted to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. When it comes to the number of infected, it is generally more prominent in the east than in the Adriatic regions, so we reported the Austrian side," the minister told reporters in Baska Voda.

"The Austrians will now consider reversing their decision," Grlic Radman announced on Friday, but the announced decision came into force on Sunday at midnight, and so far, there are no signals from Vienna about a possible change of attitude.

Die Presse: The end of summer holidays in Croatia

Austrian newspaper Die Presse clearly stated on Friday evening what the Austrian authorities' decision meant when they declared Croatia a country where one should not travel and introduced mandatory tests for those returning from Croatia. "End of summer vacation in Croatia", reads the title of the article, which summarizes the consequences of the Austrian authorities' decision.

Austrian selfishness within the European Union is actually nothing new, but one of the frequent features of Austrian European politics, especially since the key figure in it is the popular and young Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Austria was also recently among the fiercest opponents of European Union aid to the member states most affected by the pandemic, resulting in a marathon summit in Brussels at which the proposed grant amounts were significantly reduced or converted into loans.

Remember how Austria spread the coronavirus all over Europe?

After all, even at the very beginning of the pandemic, it turned out that in Austria, many think first of their own benefit and then of the common good. Recall, the popular Austrian ski resort Ischgl became one of the largest foci of the coronavirus, which spread from Ischgl throughout Europe, from Scandinavia to Croatia.

"Tourists from all over Europe became infected with the virus in bars in an Austrian ski resort in the Paznaun valley in Tyrol, but despite growing evidence of what was happening, everything remained open until recently," the German newspaper Der Spiegel wrote in mid-March.

The Vienna-based Der Standard described the behavior of the Tyrolean authorities and the tourism industry at the beginning of the pandemic as "Greed and ruin in Tyrol", stating that the cable cars and ski lifts in the Paznaun Valley remained working even in quarantined parts. The goal was to extract the last euros from the tourists present, although it was known that the infection was spreading.

Meanwhile, the whole affair was being investigated by the police, and Ischgl reopened to tourists at the end of April, this time, as Chancellor Kurz said, as a place where tourists can be as safe as anywhere else in the world.

The increase in the number of infected in Croatia is an occasion for Austria to realize its plans

In any case, since the end of May, it has been clear that Austria has not looked favorably on their tourists spending holidays in Croatia, as it is the closest and most desirable destination. Months later, they have shown that some dubious moves are being made to achieve this goal.

The increase in the number of infected people in Croatia last week was a good reason for Austria to put Croatia on the red list, but when you look at the whole story, it is hard to believe that this is the only reason.

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Due to the collapsed operations of Zagreb's Franjo Tudjman Airport as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there was immediate speculation that the concession agreement might be terminated, leaving a 196 million euro loan on the back of the state. Croatian airports on the whole have suffered catastrophic losses.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 16th of August, 2020, on average, 94 percent fewer passengers passed through Croatian airports in June than at the same time last year. Globally, air traffic fell nearly 97 percent in June. Croatia's main airport, Zagreb Airport, was eerily empty in early April. Four months later, however, there's a slightly more positive picture.

"In July, we recorded 78,000 passengers, which is still at about 21 percent of what it was when compared to July last year, a slight increase has been felt in August, but we're somewhere at 25 percent of passenger traffic in this period," said Lidija Capkovic-Martinek, a spokeswoman for Zagreb's Franjo Tudjman International Airport.

As stated, due to the collapsed operations of Zagreb Airport as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there was immediate speculation that the concession agreement might be terminated, leaving an enormous loan on the back of the already enfeebled state. However, such a scenario has been vehemently rejected by the competent Ministry.

"Throughout this crisis, the main topic of conversation between the representatives of the concession grantor and the concessionaire were possible measures to ensure the long-term survival of this project throughout the concession, and there was no discussion on the possible termination of this concession agreement," the ministry said.

The 2012 concession agreement prescribes the conditions and circumstances under which both the concession grantor and the concessionaire may terminate the contract in the event of force majeure. Air traffic in Croatia, on the other hand, currently depends mostly on the national airline, Croatia Airlines.

"Planes fly from Zagreb to fourteen European destinations and five Croatian airports. We connect Split Airport with eleven European destinations, Dubrovnik Airport with seven European destinations and Rijeka Airport with Munich,'' said Slaven Zabo, Director of Commercial Affairs of Croatia Airlines.

The most traffic of all Croatian airpotts was recorded by Zagreb Airport, which still suffered a drop of 87 percent. They are followed by the airports of Split and Rijeka with a respective drop of 95 percent in traffic. Dubrovnik, as a well-known air destination, has experienced a drop of 97 percent, with Zadar seeing a 98 percent drop. The worst of all Croatian airports is Pula Airport with a tragic drop of 99 percent.

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