The argument of ''to wear or not to wear'' when it comes to masks has been going on ever since the coronavirus pandemic penetrated Croatia's borders. While some are die hard fans of masks, in the firm belief that it will help to at least prevent some transmission of the new coronavirus, others are staunchly against their use, for their own reasons. 

Following the introduction of Croatia's formerly stringent anti-epidemic measures, a lot of misunderstanding took place, with some people reporting that certain shops, banks and in particular post offices, weren't allowing people to even enter without either wearing a mask or covering their nose and mouth with some sort of material. This wasn't the law, yet it happened anyway and the decision seemed to fall on owners and management.

Crikvenica, however, was the only town in all of Croatia to actually make the wearing of masks in public mandatory. As of today, that rule has been scrapped.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of May, 2020, the measure in Crikvenica was initially passed back in late March, but it has now been repealed due to the improved epidemiological situation in the county, but also across the entire country.

At its regular meeting at the end of March, the Civil Protection Headquarters of Crikvenica adopted special measures for the area of the Crikvenica, and it was stated that an decision has been introduced which made it mandatory to wear a face mask in open spaces and public spaces (such as in shops, various institutions, etc.).

Given the overall situation with the coronavirus in Croatia and especially in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, which has so far had some very good results, yesterday, at a meeting of the Civil Protection Headquarters of Crikvenica, they decided to abolished the obligation to wear masks and it has now been reduced to the level of recommendation.

Make sure to follow our lifestyle page for more.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of May, 2020, during the first week of the easing of the measures to combat the spread of the new coronavirus, from May the 11th to the 17th, eVisitor registered about 8,700 tourist arrivals and 84.5 thousand overnight stays in Croatia, most of which (34 percent of them) were realised in private households.

Data from eVisitor shows a certain shift in tourist trends over the past week when compared to the time before the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus epidemic were put in place. For example, for the entire month of April this year, a total of 9,500 tourist arrivals and 392,000 overnight stays were recorded in Croatia.

Last week, according to data from eVisitor, most tourists in Croatia were domestic tourists, making up 74 percent of the total, followed by tourists from neighbouring Slovenia, making up 15 percent, and the rest came from other countries.

In terms of Croatian counties, 18 percent of the total number of tourists came to destinations in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, then 15 percent went to Istria and 14 percent went to Zadar County, while 10 percent went to the capital - Zagreb.

The first set of data show that tourists, in contrast to the previous few weeks, stayed more frequently in commercial than in non-commercial accommodation, meaning that as many as 34 percent of them stayed in accommodation in households, followed by 26 percent who chose hotels, while 20 percent of the total number who came to Croatia last week stayed in non-commercial accommodation.

Responding to Hina's inquiry, the CNTB has announced that campaigns for Croatian tourism are ready for foreign markets, which go in two directions - towards markets whose citizens are likely to be able and willing to visit Croatia, which are mostly neighbouring and closer countries (Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, the Czech Republic), and to other important markets, from which tourists (due to the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic) will not be able to travel to Croatia in a rush (USA, China, South Korea and so on).

"Campaigns for neighbouring and closer markets, with direct call communication, will be activated on each market as soon as the clear conditions are met. On top of that, the preparation of a special online communication platform that will serve as a kind of communication 'window' not only for the CNTB but for all other stakeholders in the tourism industry in Croatia, who will be able to easily use it for their own promotion, is underway'' stated the CNTB.

When asked if they will run a campaign for the domestic market as well, the CNTB says that they will, and that ''this is, if it can be called that, the third direction of the [aforementioned] campaign".

For more, follow our travel page.

May 20, 2020 - A Croatia COVID-19 overview of the latest health, travel and stats news on the coronavirus crisis, with live updates in English, powered by Index.hr.

There are currently 2234 officially confirmed Croatia COVID-19 cases and two new cases since yesterday afternoon. 1978 patients have recovered. 96 people have died. 10 patients are on ventilators. There are 169 active cases.

You can now track the progress of the curve of cases and recoveries on the official koronvirus.hr homepage. (You can also follow it into the English version here, which has less content but covers the essential information).

Note that koronavirus.hr is now mapping cases by county instead of town/city. Koronavirus.hr will update their map after the 14:00 CET daily press conference.

Index has now added two more stat counters - unemployment numbers and a more detailed look at the curve with new cases by day. 

You can see many more detailed charts regarding COVID-19 in Croatia on the Velebit.ai website.

More than 324,961 people are dead from the virus, which originated in Wuhan City, China. Over 4,989,061 cases have been confirmed globally. The USA has the highest number of recorded cases (1,570,583) as well as the highest number of deaths (93,533) deaths.

UPDATED: May 20, 2020 - 08:00 CET - With apologies in advance if the translations are not perfect. With very limited resources and plenty of pressure, we are trying to get the updates done as quickly as possible, so a little help from Google Translate is necessary. We thank you for your understanding. 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to lack of resources, rather than the live feed service so far, we will be updating this page in the morning by 08:30, then again at 11:30, then at 14:00 when the National Civil Protection. Headquarters releases the latest data. We thank you for your understanding.

14:20: In Požega-Slavonia County, there are currently 5 active cases of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), 4 people are in home isolation, and one person is hospitalized. There are currently 4 people in self-isolation, 14 samples were sent for analysis, and a total of 1,015 people were tested. Today is the 8th day without newly ill people in Požega-Slavonia County.

14:00: The National Civil Protection Headquarters announced:

Currently, there are 2234 coronavirus cases in Croatia, which are two new cases in the last 24 hours. Ninety-six people have died in total, and the 1978th person recovered. 8 people are currently on a ventilator.

A total of 57,021 people have been tested so far, and 1221 people were tested in the last 24 hours.

13:55: 70 people were tested in Karlovac County yesterday. So far, 55 negative findings have been received. The rest of the findings are still pending. 31 people were tested through the drive-in today. There is another person under self-isolation measures.

13:00: Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on this day records another cured patient from COVID 19.

At the moment, there are only 10 positive patients and 61 cured in the county. This continues the good trend of the epidemiological picture in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, which was the only one to have its own "corona-free zones" throughout the epidemic, namely Gorski Kotar and the Kvarner islands of Lošinj and Rab.

12:49: In the last 24 hours in Brod-Posavina County, there are no new cases of COVID-19, but during the day more results are expected from some swabs taken yesterday, reports SBonline.net.

The total number of sick people in Brod-Posavina County is 37, 15 people are still cured, and with 1 person who died earlier, there are currently 21 active infections.

12:10: According to information from the Civil Protection Headquarters of Zadar County, there are no new cases of coronavirus today. Yesterday, 54 samples were tested, and 2511 samples since the beginning of the epidemic.

There are 8 inhabitants in self-isolation, and the supervision has expired for 3861 people.

11:51: There are still no newly infected people on Brač

According to the report of the NZJZ SDŽ, out of a total of 148 processed tests from the area of ​​Split-Dalmatia County, there are no newly diagnosed persons today. Out of the total number of processed tests, 66 tests are from the island of Brač. A total of 434 people have been cured in Split-Dalmatia County so far.
28 people are hospitalized. 27 health professionals are in self-isolation. 5 people are on ventilators - 3 from Split-Dalmatia County and 2 from Šibenik-Knin County. 1 person is in the quarantine of the hotel Zagreb on Duilovo.

So far, 558 cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in Split-Dalmatia County, the Split-Dalmatia County Civil Protection Headquarters reported.

11:38: Zagreb County has no new infections

According to the data of the Zagreb County Public Health Institute in Zagreb County until Wednesday by 11:00 a.m., 129 individuals had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. Compared to yesterday's data, this is the same number, which means that there are no new cases in the Zagreb County for 22 days in a row. The number of cured also remained the same. So far, a total of 116 people have been cured and four have died.

11:33: Međimurje County is still without the coronavirus.

After 36 days without new cases, Međimurje is a "corona-free" county for 12 days - according to the report of the Civil Protection Headquarters of Međimurje County.

11:30: Minister Divjak for Index: Everyone from 1st to 4th grade can go to school from Monday

11:13: In Sisak-Moslavina County today there are no newly diagnosed patients with COVID-19. For the remaining four patients from the county, they are waiting for negative results for laboratory tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus.

10:58: There are no new cases in Šibenik-Knin County

They announced that an infected man from Murter died in Split.

9:51: Osijek-Baranja County without new patients for 12 days

In the last 24 hours in the laboratories of the Clinical Hospital Center Osijek and the Institute of Public Health OBŽ 183 samples were tested and all were negative for COVID-19, which means that for the twelfth day there are no newly infected people in Osijek-Baranja County.

All other data regarding the coronavirus in the Osijek-Baranja County, which arrived this morning (May 20, 2020) at the County Civil Protection Headquarters, are identical to the previous report and read:

the total number of patients is 131 people,
the total number of cured is 110 people,
the total number of dead is eight,
There are currently two patients undergoing treatment at the Osijek Clinical Hospital,
11 patients are being treated at home,
there are 14 people in self-isolation, with one person coming out of self-isolation yesterday, while one new contact was placed under that measure.

9:50: Recommendations for music schools published HERE

9:40: In the area of Krapina-Zagorje County in the past 24 hours, 2 more people recovered from COVID-19; from Lobor and Pregrada. The total number of cured persons is 131, and the current number of active cases of coronavirus infection in the county is 7. In the past 24 hours, 31 samples were tested, of which 30 were negative, while another 1 is awaiting the result. A total of 2540 samples have been tested so far. There are currently 7 people in home self-isolation.

The statistics in the table also include residents of Krapina-Zagorje County tested outside the county and people who did not have a positive test for coronavirus, but in accordance with the instructions due to the epidemiological history and clinical picture are considered positive.

9:12: One newly infected person in Vukovar-Srijem County

9:07: Bjelovar County has no newly infected or active cases

8:35: There are no new cases in Istria.

The Headquarters informs that 97 swab samples were tested within 24 hours and all of them were negative for coronavirus (COVID-19).

8:00: Today, 15 workers from Sweden are expected to leave for Croatia, and they should arrive tomorrow. Swabs will be taken from them and they will be quarantined.

7:55: Virovitica-Podravina has no new infections

"We have been without new cases for eighteen days. Namely, a total of 26 people from Virovitica-Podravina County have been tested for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. None of them were positive. The number of those tested exceeded "a thousand". "A total of 1,016 people were tested. In the Virovitica-Podravina County, nine people contracted the coronavirus, six of whom recovered, two were still infected, and one man died of COVID 19," they said.

7:50: A cruiser with 760 sailors which was stuck abroad due to coronavirus sailed into Dubrovnik.

7:00: The latest on TCN

Plenkovic for Die Welt: "Our Mentality is Mediterranean, But We Behaved Like Northern Europeans"

Croats Paying for Food from Restaurants by Card 20 Times More

After Easing Coronavirus Measures, Around 8700 Tourists Arrive in Croatia

Coronavirus: Crikvenica Removes Requirement for Compulsory Masks

Czech Republic to Open Borders for Croatians as of 8 June

Plenkovic and Pompeo Discuss Fight Against COVID Epidemic, Bilateral Cooperation

Zrće Beach, Croatia's Club and Festival Epicenter, Expects A Party-less 2020

Kutjevo Continued Working at Full Capacity Despite Lockdown

Slovenia Lifts All Restrictions for Croatians Entering its Territory

06:10: We have started a Viber community for the latest updates on travel info. You can ask questions and we will do our best to find the answers for you. TCN Launches Viber Community 'Total Croatia Travel INFO' for Latest Updates

06:05: Today's numbers will be released at 1the 4:00 press conference.

06:00: Welcome to today's TCN corona update. The situation at the start of the day is that there are 2232 officially confirmed Croatia COVID-19 cases and four new cases since yesterday afternoon. 1967 patients have recovered. 96 people have died. 10 patients are on ventilators. There are 169 active cases.

(Live updates provided by Index)

Entry into Republic of Croatia

As of midnight on March 19, 2020; crossing the border of the Republic of Croatia is temporarily restricted. Croatian citizens and residents will be allowed to return to Croatia, which means that they may go to the country where they work and reside and must follow the instructions and measures of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) upon their return. These measures went into effect at 00:01 on March 19, 2020 and are valid for 30 days. More information and exceptions here.

For the latest Croatia travel advice in these uncertain times, click here.

Social Distancing Measures Implemented

Also as of March 19, 2020; it is compulsory to strictly adhere to anti-epidemic measures and strict social distance measures. A strict measure of social distance requires avoiding close personal contact at a distance of at least:

• Two (2) meters indoors
• One (1) meter outdoors

The anti-epidemic measures required according to this decision include a ban on holding all public events, gatherings of more than 5 people in one place and the suspension of all retail and trade activities. EXCEPTIONS and details can be found here. These measures were strengthened today March 21, 2020. Residents are being ordered not to leave home except to get food or medicine. 

Total Slovenia News & Total Montenegro News Updates

• COVID-19 in Slovenia - here.
• COVID-19 in Montenegro - here

Live World Coronavirus Updates

• Live world updates from CNN here.
• Live world updates from The Guardian here.
• Live world updates from Al Jazeera here.

World Health Organization Coronavirus Updates

• Live updated international map tracking spread of coronavirus from Johns Hopkins CSSE here.
• Live updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) here.

Croatian Health Organization Coronavirus Updates

• Live updates from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (daily updates at 15:00 CET in Croatian) here.
• Live updates from Croatian Government at their dedicated website koronavirus.hr here and their Facebook page here.

Other Croatia Resources for Updates, Information and Assistance

• COVID-19 INFO CROATIA - A Facebook group with updates and information in English here.
• Jedni za druge - A Facebook group of volunteers who do deliveries in several cities here.

*Follow this page for updates on the coronavirus in Croatia from Total Croatia News. 

*Follow this page for updates on the Zagreb earthquake in Croatia from Total Croatia News. 

UPDATES from May 19, 2020

14:00: Currently, 2232 people with coronavirus have been confirmed. Ninety-six people died, and 1967 patients recovered.

A total of 2,232 people infected with the coronavirus have been confirmed so far, and 1,967 people have recovered. There are 4 are new cases in the last 24 hours.

Ninety-six people died. 10 people are currently on a ventilator.

A total of 55,800 people have been tested so far.

13:40: "An hour and a half ago, two of us received information about four newly ill people," confirmed the Chief of Brod-Posavina County, Stjepan Bošnjaković, SBonline reports. Three people contacts are already positive people, and the fourth person is a returnee from Germany. 15 workers of Đuro Đaković will leave Sweden by van early tomorrow morning and are expected to arrive in Croatia on May 21.

13:40: In the last fourteen days, Varaždin County has not recorded a single new case of coronavirus infection, and in the last few days, three new people have recovered and were discharged home from the Varaždin General Hospital. "We can state that the total number of coronavirus patients in our County has stopped at 47, while the total number of cured is now 44. There are three more active patients, one of whom is in OB Varaždin, and two are being treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases. diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" in Zagreb," said the county.

Preventive testing is still carried out continuously with the primary goal of protecting the hospital system, so in the last 24 hours 95 people were tested, and a total of 2432 people so far. The preventive measure of self-isolation of persons who stayed abroad was abolished earlier, and as of today, Varaždin County no longer has a single person in self-isolation because the 14-day measure of self-isolation has expired due to close contacts of patients.

"Given all the above, we can freely conclude that the epidemiological situation in our county is extremely satisfactory and that the current mitigation measures combined with epidemiological measures and recommendations of the Croatian Institute of Public Health have not resulted in new cases of infection," said Varaždin County Civil Protection Headquarters. Robert Vugrin would like to thank everyone who continuously contributes to this positive development of the situation.

13:00: The city of Zagreb has no new patients. 74 patients went through triage clinics. Self-isolation was not assigned to anyone, 27 people were sent for testing.

12:42: To date, there are no newly diagnosed patients with contagious disease COVID-19 in Sisak-Moslavina County. "We have four more patients with this disease left in the county. They are in clinically good condition, only the results of laboratory processing of swabs for SARS-CoV-2 virus are awaited," the Sisak-Moslavina County said.

12:41: According to the report of the NZJZ SDŽ, out of a total of 214 processed tests from the area of ​​Split-Dalmatia County, there are no newly diagnosed persons today. Of the 214 processed samples, 11 were from the island of Brač. A total of 426 people have been cured in Split-Dalmatia County so far.

29 people are hospitalized. 27 health professionals are in self-isolation. 6 people are on ventilators, 4 from Split-Dalmatia County and 2 from Šibenik-Knin County. 1 person is in the quarantine of the hotel Zagreb on Duilovo.

So far, 558 cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in Split-Dalmatia County.

12:10: According to the data of the Institute of Public Health of the Zagreb County in the area of ​​Zagreb County by Tuesday, May 19, 2020, until 11:00 am, 129 persons were confirmed to have the coronavirus. Compared to yesterday's data, this is the same number, which means that there have been no new cases in Zagreb County for three weeks, and one person has been cured more. So far, a total of 116 people have been cured and four have died.

11:44: Vukovar-Srijem has no active cases 

11:40: Šibenik-Knin has no new cases

For the sixth day in a row, there are no new cases of COVID-19 in Šibenik-Knin County, so the number of patients in the county is still 91, and 79 patients have recovered, the Civil Protection Headquarters of Šibenik-Knin County reported.

11:40: Zadar has no new cases

Today, Zadar County has no new cases of infection.

11:00: Primorje-Gorski Kotar has no new cases

In the last 24 hours, another person recovered in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and there were no new infections. Currently, there are 11 other people in the county who are positive for the coronavirus, and 60 people have recovered. In the last 27 days, only one new case of coronavirus has been recorded in the county, it is an imported case, a sailor from Rijeka who returned from the Caribbean.

10:36: Bjelovar-Bilogora County without new infections

10:31: Karlovac County has no new infections

All those tested yesterday have a negative result, reports the Karlovac headquarters.

10:30: Lika-Senj County has no new infections

For the 31st day in a row, there are no new cases, the favorable epidemiological situation continues, according to the county.

9:36: Osijek-Baranja County has no new infections

None of the 180 samples tested for the COVID-19 virus in the last 24 hours were positive, so for the eleventh day Osijek-Baranja County has no positive results, ie the number of patients has not increased from 131 people.

At the same time, another person was cured and the total number of cured is now 110 people. There were no tragic endings to the disease, so the number of deaths from the coronavirus remains at eight. Only two patients are being treated at the Clinical Hospital Center Osijek this morning (May 19, 2020), while 11 positive people are being treated at home.

In the last 24 hours, the number of persons in self-isolation was reduced from 16 to 14, and in three checks of the self-isolation measure, the police found these persons at the reported address.

9:34: Virovitica-Podravina has no new infections

9:30: In the last 24 hours, 104 swab samples from Istria County were tested and all of them were negative for coronavirus.

8:53: In Požega-Slavonia County, there are currently 5 active cases of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and people are in home isolation. There are currently 5 people in self-isolation, 42 samples were sent for analysis and a total of 998 people were tested, the county said. So far, 8 cases have been recorded in Požega-Slavonia County.

8:50: At its regular meeting at the end of March, the Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Crikvenica adopted special measures for the area of ​​the City of Crikvenica, and it was said that it is mandatory to wear a face mask in open spaces and public spaces (shops, institutions, etc.). Considering the overall situation with the condition of coronavirus in the whole of Croatia and especially in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, which has very good results, yesterday at the meeting of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Crikvenica the obligation to wear masks in the city was abolished. are from Crikvenica.

8:45: In the two months of the corona crisis, 40,000 people were fired, and an avalanche of layoffs is yet to come. More on Index

8:30: Re-tested resident of the Šibenik home, it is possible that she still does not have coronavirus. More on Index

8:00: Articles on TCN

Croatian Theatres and Cinemas Opening Today, Rules Published

Dubrovnik Mayor’s Plan for 2020 Season: Survive Until Next Year

Denmark Supports UNICEF's Activities for Fighting Epidemic in Croatia

Plenkovic for Die Welt: "Our Mentality is Mediterranean, But We Behaved Like Northern Europeans"

07:00: Croatia Coronavirus Travel, Tourism, Flights & Borders Update May 19, 2020

06:05: Today's numbers will be released at 1the 4:00 press conference.

06:00: Welcome to today's TCN corona update. The situation at the start of the day is that there are 2228 officially confirmed Croatia COVID-19 cases and 2 new cases since yesterday afternoon. 1946 patients have recovered. 95 people have died. 10 patients are on ventilators. There are 195 active cases.

May 19, 2020 - Around a half a million Korean tourists visit Croatia annually, and after national carrier Korean Air suspended seasonal operations between Seoul and Zagreb for 2020 due to COVID-19, a new player is on the market. 

Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport has given Korean low-cost carrier T’Way Air the necessary permit to launch commercial flights between Seoul and Croatia. The details reveal that T’way Air can operate four weekly flights to Croatia. 

Ex Yu Aviation reports that T’Way Air has almost thirty narrow-body Boeing aircraft in its fleet, and with the acquisition of wide-body jets, it could launch services to Croatia.The airline currently operates to destinations in Asia and Russia and also plans to introduce services to Tajikistan. 

Recall, it took Korean Air only a few months to begin services to Zagreb in 2018 once the ministry gave its blessing.  But given the ongoing pandemic, we shouldn’t expect to see T’way Air in Croatia anytime soon. 43,123 passengers flew on the Korean Air route between Seoul and Zagreb last year. 

Croatia has become a hotspot for Asian low-cost carriers, like Thai AirAsia X, which scheduled charter flights between Bangkok and Zagreb this summer. Namely, the Asian carrier planned services between the Thai and Croatian capitals in the spring and autumn. Thus, it would fly on May 1, May 6, and May 11, and on October 13 and October 19. However, none are likely to fly because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Ex Yu adds that Dubrovnik is also a hit for Korean tourists, and just last year, flights from South Korea were being pursued by local authorities. 

“It is very important for us to improve connectivity with Korea. It is a big market and we could attract even more tourists,” said the Dubrovnik Mayor then. 

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

May 19, 2020 - For German national newspaper Die Welt, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic spoke about the upcoming season, how Croatia has dealt with the corona crisis, and the Croatian presidency of the EU.

Novi List reports that Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic expressed in an interview with the daily Die Welt hope that this year's tourist season will still be successful, after Zagreb responded well to the crisis related to the coronavirus pandemic with a relatively small number of infections.

Currently, Croatia, as he said for Monday's issue of the German newspaper, is in the phase of testing measures for the gradual elimination of restrictions in the hospitality industry.

"We are currently looking at how it works in practice. And I am sure that before the summer season we will gather many good practical experiences," said the Croatian Prime Minister.

He expressed confidence that the number of newly infected will not increase during the summer if everyone continues to adhere to the measures, and expressed hope that this season will be successful. He added that the same number of tourists is not expected as last year.

Explaining the relatively low number of infections in Croatia, he pointed out that Croatia “has been closely monitoring developments in China since January 8. And at the end of the same month, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, I talked to the president of the World Health Organization, and even then, it was clear to me that this could be dangerous. "

He concluded that all measures against the spread of the coronavirus were "clearly communicated" to the citizens, but added that the credit also lay with the citizens who followed the instructions.

"I am impressed because our mind is actually Mediterranean. But during the pandemic, we behaved more like northern Europeans," said Plenković, who also pointed to the long tradition of healthcare in Croatia.

Plenković emphasized that the Croatian presidency of the EU was different than expected due to the pandemic, but also that some results had been achieved, of which he pointed out the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia.

"Through political and diplomatic efforts, we have changed the position of some rather influential members. That will be remembered as historical merit of Croatia for its neighbors," said Plenković.

He also concluded that the European Union must maintain its presence in the region so that it does not fall under the influence of other powers.

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

UPDATE - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAY 20 OVERVIEW

May 19, 2020 - So what is the latest Croatia coronavirus travel advice? When will borders open, flights take off, and tourism finally begin? An overview of what we know at the moment.

Can you travel to Croatia? Around Croatia? Is Croatia safer than other destinations? When will tourism start? Who can cross the border?

With so many questions, so much uncertainty, and SO many people wanting to go on holiday and get tourism started, here is what we know today.

BORDER UPDATE on Slovenian border from our colleagues at Total Slovenia News

Coronavirus: Slovenia Ends All Border Restrictions with Croatia, But Not Vice Versa

TCN has also started a Total Croatia Travel INFO group where you can find all the latest information, as well as ask questions.

Official Websites, and Why TCN Thinks Lack of Information is a Deliberate Policy

The national tourist board has a page called Coronavirus 2019 nCoV Q&A.

Ministry of Tourism COVID-19 travel page.

Official government corona website.

Please be advised that all the information on this page has been compiled voluntarily from people in the private sector. This is both a disclaimer and reminder that TCN does its best to provide accurate information with limited resources, and you should contact official sources for 100% confirmation - links above. The reason TCN even started these travel updates was because those whose job it is to provide this info service were simply not doing their jobs. We have conducted an awareness campaign of just how bad the information was in the Croatian media. And with some success. The Ministry of Tourism can no longer be contacted by fax, and they have decided to put email contact details instead of fax numbers. Meanwhile, the Croatian National Tourist Board has upgraded from obscure references to the Official Gazette in favour of telling people what the current situation is. The first link above is the most useful and is being updated. 

At the request of the Deputy Minister of Tourism 6 days ago, I sent a list of 14 questions our readers were asking, so that we could create a conclusive information page on the Ministry website and TCN. Six days later, no answers, despite me speaking directly to the Deputy Minister on Friday who promised we would receive one. 

This policy of non-information is deliberate I think, and I explained why in Croatian Tragedies: Health v Economy, Politics v Tourism

Croatia corona travel - how safe is Croatia and how well has it handled the corona crisis?

Croatia has handled the health threat from coronavirus extremely well, both in terms of measures taken and communication. The authorities reacted quicker than most as they watched the horror unfold across the Adriatic in Italy, and an extremely effective National Civil Protection Headquarters has kept infections and deaths well below the European average. And this despite the additional challenges brought on by the Zagreb earthquakes. 

(Source - Koronavirus.hr)

Croatia currently has 2,228 cases of infection, which has resulted in 95 deaths. The majority of cases - 1,946 - have recovered. 

The authorities also moved quickly not only to close borders, but also to localise infection by severely restricting all unnecessary travel between municipalities. Its famous tourist islands have remained almost totally corona-free. Only those with an island ID were permitted to use the ferries, and only then with a special purpose. 

(Source Velebit.ai)

So in terms of its approach to the virus, and the results, there is perhaps nowhere better than Croatia. 

And then question on everyone's lips is - when can we travel to Croatia, and is Croatia corona travel safe?

Nothing is totally safe in these very uncertain times, but I would say that COMPARATIVELY speaking, Croatia is as safe as anywhere in Europe to come for a holiday IF conditions allow. More on that below. 

What is the current situation with Croatia's borders? Who can enter the country?

What is the latest news about the borders opening for tourism?

Everyone WANTS tourism to begin, but just how safe is it, when might it happen, and will it be for everyone?

From the Ministry of Tourism website:

Big interest in opening borders, says tourism minister

Croatian, Italian tourism ministers discuss plans for tourism

Hotels and camps in Istria to open May 11

Minister says talks on cross-border travel underway (May 4)

Some clues from some recent TCN articles:

Croatian Tragedies: Health v Economy, Politics v Tourism

Who Can Cross the Croatia Slovenia Border? Who Cannot? A May 17, 2020 Border Visit

Socially Distanced Summer in Croatia: Rules for Beaches Published (May 16)

Restrictions for Travel across Slovenia-Croatia Border Relaxed for EU Citizens (May 15)

Police Director: About 2,700 Foreigners Entered Croatia since May 9 (May 15)

Bozinovic: Third-County Nationals Banned from Entering EU until June 15 (May 14)

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli Reveals New Slogan for Tourists Coming to Croatia (May 14)

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli Reveals When Croatian Borders Will Open (May 13)

Are Croatian Borders Open? Who Can Enter? What Conditions? Are There Flights? (May 13)

Trip Report of Belgian National to Hvar by Car on May 7-8, 2020 (May 9)

Source Claims Croatia Could Reopen Borders Incrementally in June (May 8)

Croatian Tourism: Dubrovnik Seeks Special Flight Arrangements (May 5)

Any Hope for Croatian Tourist Season? We're Neighbours' First Choice (May 4)

Gari Cappelli and Slovenia Optimistic about Opening Borders between Two Countries (April 30)

EU Ministers Meet: COVID-19 Passport, Cro Card and More (April 28)

Istria County Tourism Committee Hosts First Session about Opening Borders (April 28)

COVID-19 in Croatia: Gari Cappelli Discusses Summer Travel with EU Tourism Ministers (April 28)

Austrian Media: Croatia is Our Best Chance for Summer Holiday (April 27)

German Bild on Croatia: Corona-Free Destination for Summer Travel (April 25)

What about flights to Croatia? An overview of all the major airlines to Croatia and their current positions

If there is one tiny cloud with a silver lining for Croatian tourism, it is that the vast majority of its visitors arrive by car. The proximity of countries such as Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia mean that the season will not be a total disaster if it is allowed to start. Holiday options for these countries will be more limited due to the drastic reduction in flights which will be a post-corona reality. So destinations such as Greece, Turkey and Egypt will be much harder to reach than hopping in a car from Central or Eastern Europe. 

You can read some detailed analysis of the Croatian aviation market in the future from Max Oldorf, COO of ch-aviation in this TCN interview this recently:

Flights to Croatia Post-Corona: Overview with Max Oldorf, COO of ch-aviation

The big intercontinental carriers have mostly written off 2020 totally, with Qatar Airways and American Airlines, delaying Dubrovnik until 2021. And with the CEO of easyJet saying the airline will feel like a new startup post-corona, Ryanair's homepage focusing on September breaks since March, and Norwegian Air on the brink, the reality is that flights to Croatia will be much reduced. The official Koronavirus website has produced this very helpful overview of where individual airlines are with their plans. You can follow the updated page here.   

CROATIA

From May 4, 2020, it is mandatory to use face masks / headgear on all Croatia Airlines flights. Passengers on all Croatia Airlines flights are required to bring and wear face masks or covers. Masks must be worn throughout the stay in the cabin of the aircraft.

Acceptable face covers:
two-layer cotton face masks
medical (surgical) face masks
filter half masks with and without valve (FFP2 / N95)

CA contact center: 0800 77 77 (free calls from Croatia), 072 500 505 or +385 1 66 76 555. For more details see the link.

Dubrovnik Airport - From 11.05.2020, domestic air traffic on the route Zagreb - Dubrovnik - Zagreb is re-established. Croatia Airlines will operate two flights a day. More details.

Osijek Airport - from 27.4. the Pothodnik branch reopens. While prevention measures are in place, the opening hours will be 9 am-5pm on weekdays (Monday through Friday). More information can be obtained by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and phone +38531284611. It is recommended that all inquiries be sent in writing to the specified e-mail. More information.

Rijeka Airport - latest info here.

Zagreb Airport - latest info here.

The Croatia Airlines contact center is available on the following numbers: 0800 77 77 (toll free calls from Croatia), 072 500 505 or +385 1 66 76 555. More info.

AirBaltic - All AirBaltic connections are suspended from March 17 to May 17, 2020. Click for the latest info.

Air France - From May 11, masks are mandatory on flights. Due to coronavirus, they have reduced 90% of flight capacity and this supply reduction is in effect until the end of May. Due to the closure of Paris-Orly Airport, all flights from and to Paris go via Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Latest info.

Air Canada has suspended all flights between Toronto and Zagreb for the summer of 2020. 

Austrian Airlines, a branch of Lufthansa, has decided to suspend all its scheduled flights until the end of May 2020. More details.

British Airways - the latest updates.

Brussels Airlines has decided to suspend flights until May 15, 2020. More details.

Czech Airlines  - Masks are mandatory on flights. More details on flight plans.

easyJet - They made the decision to ground the aircraft until further notice. More details.

Emirates - Emirates has established limited passenger flights to transport passengers departing from the UAE. More details.

Germanwings - Germanwings flights no longer exist.
 
KLM - Latest info.

Lufthansa - More details.

Ryanair - As most EU countries have imposed flight bans or other restrictions, more than 90% of Ryanair's aircraft are grounded, and the limited flight schedule has been extended until 28 May. More details.

Turkish Airlines - All international flights are canceled until May 28, 2020. More details.

Qatar Airways - all direct flights between Zagreb and Doha are suspended until May 31, 2020. Flexible when changing travel plans until September 30, 2020. For more information, contact the Qatar Airways office in Zagreb at +385 (0) 1 4961110 / 111, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check the details here.

Wizz Air - In early May, it will fly from Budapest to Athens, Barcelona, ​​Berlin, Birmingham, Basel, Dortmund, Eindhoven, Gothenburg, London, Liverpool, Madrid, Podgorica, Sarajevo, Stockholm and Targa Mures. See more here.

All this flight info above is official information. Below some TCN articles which cover various aspects of flight news.

Flights to Croatia Post-Corona: Overview with Max Oldorf, COO of ch-aviation

Ryanair Significantly Reduces Summer Routes to Croatia (May 18)

Is Eurowings Returning to Croatia this Summer? (May 16)

Croatia Airlines Already Beginning to Reduce Number of Flights (May 16)

Hope for 2021? American Airlines Dubrovnik - Philadelphia Loaded for June 4, 2021 (May 14)

CEO Eddie Wilson: Ryanair Zadar Base Will Not Go Ahead (May 13)

Ryanair to Croatia Planned for July: Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Pula Flight Info (May 12)

British Airways Will Fly to Zagreb and Split from June (May 12)

Flights to Croatia: Korean Air Cancels Seasonal Zagreb Service, Air Transat Delayed (May 9)

What about freedom of movement within Croatia at the moment?

Currently, as far as I know, Croatia is totally open, with the exception of Brac, which had an outbreak of infections and was placed under 14-day quarantine. No new cases have been reported on Brac in recent days.

Recommendations and instructions for tourists entering Croatia

Recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health for Croatian and foreign nationals who are crossing the state border and entering the Republic of Croatia. Official guidelines (May 9)

What is the situation with ferries in Croatia?

Ferries are now operating more of less normally, with coastal lines restored yesterday.

Public Coastal Liner Transport to be Restored on May 18

From the HAK website - you can check the latest here:

Dubrovnik-Korčula-Hvar-Bol and Split-Hvar ferries do not operate till 19 June.

On the line Zadar-Ancona operates Marko Polo ship, according to its timetable, still for freight vehicles only.

Sumartin-Makarska ferry does not operate, on the line Supetar-Split journeys are reduced.

Till 1 June 2020 401 Zadar (Gaženica)-Ist-Olib-Silba-Premuda-Mali Lošinj ferry does not embark at Silba port due to roadworks.

Here is the timetable in full in English.

You can check the latest news in English on the Jadrolinija website.

Timetable and news from Krilo catamarans.

Are buses running between cities in Croatia?

Yes.

A really good resource from GetByBus gives you all the latest.

Also worth a read on the new realities on buses:

FlixBus Returning to Croatian Roads, Passenger Instructions Published

What about local transport?

As far as I know, local transport has now restarted.  I don't have more information currently than what is in the links below, but happy to add if anyone wants to send updates to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Travel Update

New changes to the ZET tram timetable in Zagreb (May 4)

An overview of the situation in Zagreb. (April 26)

Promet Split Back in Action Monday: Bus Timetables, Tickets, and Rules (April 26)

Are there any trains currently running in Croatia?

Yes

What is the situation on Croatia's roads and motorways?

There is obviously a lot less traffic on the roads currently. For the latest information on roadworks and other problems, check this HAK page (in English)

Are taxis and private transfers available in Croatia?

Yes. I checked with one of the most reliable providers, Octopus Transfers, and they are able to cover transfers all over the country.  

The situation is constantly evolving, and for the latest on travel updates and all other coronavirus developments, we recommend you follow the dedicated TCN COVID-19 section.  

If there are errors or omissions in the above, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Travel Update, so that I can get this resource updated. Thanks in advance and stay safe. 

May 18, 2020 - Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has made additional changes to its summer flight schedule and significantly reduced the number of departures to destinations in Croatia.

Namely, Croatian Aviation reports that as of July 1, the airline will fly again with only 40% of planned flights.

The schedule is as follows:

Pula Airport

Pula - Brussels: from July 6, once a week, from August 3, twice a week (previously planned from May 8),
Pula - London: from July 2, twice a week (previously planned from May 10, three times a week),
Pula - Berlin: from July 4, once a week (previously planned from May 9).

Lines from Pula to Frankfurt and Stuttgart are no longer on sale.

Rijeka Airport

Rijeka - Hahn: from August 1, once a week (previously planned from May 9),
Rijeka - London: from July 6, once a week, from August 3, twice a week (previously planned from June 1).

The line from Rijeka to Brussels is no longer on sale.

Split Airport

Split - Stuttgart: from July 5, once a week (previously planned from May 10, three times a week),
Split - Dublin: from July 4, twice a week (previously planned from May 10, three times a week).

Dubrovnik Airport

Dubrovnik - Vienna: from July 2, four times a week (previously planned from May 10),
Dubrovnik - Dublin: from July 1, twice a week (previously planned from June 1, four times a week).

Zadar Airport
Zadar - Vienna: from July 1, three times a week (previously planned from May 8),
Zadar - Brussels: from July 2, once a week, from August 2, twice a week (previously planned from May 9),
Zadar - Prague: from July 4, once a week (previously planned from May 9, twice a week),
Zadar - Poznan: from July 5, once a week (previously planned from May 10, twice a week),
Zadar - Berlin: from July 2, once a week (previously planned from June 4),
Zadar - Cologne: from July 5, once a week (previously planned from May 10),
Zadar - Düsseldorf: from July 4, twice a week (previously planned from May 9),
Zadar - Karlsruhe: from July 4, twice a week (previously planned from June 3, three times a week),
Zadar - Stuttgart: from July 5, once a week (previously planned from June 3, three times a week),
Zadar - Bergamo: from July 3, twice a week (previously planned from June 1).

You can see the planned network of Ryanair destinations from Zadar for this year, before the outbreak of the pandemic.

Lines from Zadar to Aarhus, Marseille, Paris, Toulouse, Bremen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Budapest, Cork, Dublin, Riga, Kaunas, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Gdansk, Krakow, Wroclaw, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Liverpool, London and Manchester are not for sale.

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

As Croatia continues to loosen up its formerly stringent anti-epidemic measures to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, the question as Croatian theatres and cinemas re-open their doors is just when big concerts will actually start up again.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of May, 2020, Croatian theatres and cinemas up and down the country have had their doors closed, or better to say their curtains drawn, for a couple of months now. But as of today, those measures are also being loosened up. In theory, you can go to the theatre or to the cinema, but in practice, things will be a little harder.

There are still no announcements yet as to when gigs will take place. Croatian musician Ivica Gluncic is also waiting for the support of the music union, which he has not yet received as a minor musician. This is a difficult year for his band.

"We have contracts that we signed before the beginning of the music season, in February and March alone everything was being cancelled until further notice, we have no information as to whether anything will change," stated musician Ivica Gluncic.

Times are also challenging for big halls, writes Dnevnik.hr. Arena Zagreb is preparing for concerts and sports events in the ''new normal'' with a distance of one and a half metres implied, which means a much smaller capacity.

''We could accommodate somewhere around 6,500 people. We'll work with reduced capacity and even offer the opportunity to host the same concert for two days, if there's any interest in that,'' said Sretan Saric, the director of Arena Zagreb.

However, the question is when big concerts will actually start. More detailed instructions from National Civil Protection Headquarters are still being waited on by those in the field.

''The whole industry is suffering,'' watned Saric.

Unlike music gigs and concerts, cinemas have a slightly clearer situation in front of thm. This week, they'll start working once again with all of the prescribed measures in place. One person at a time will enter, and in the audience, you guessed it, there will be a mandatory distance of a metre and a half.

''This means that there's room for 52 spectators to fit in the hall. It's not very profitable, but we'll start working like that until the situation re-normalises,'' said Marko Rojnic, head of film programmes at the popular Kino Tuskanac.

For more, follow our lifestyle page.

May 18, 2020 - Croatia Airlines announced on Sunday afternoon that two pilots from the Frankfurt-Zagreb flight on May 2 tested positive for the coronavirus, while other crew members tested negative. There were 14 people on the flight who were confirmed to be infected.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that at first, members of the National Headquarters claimed that there were 74 people on the flight, and now they say that an error occurred and that there were 115 people on the plane. As many as nine patients are workers of the company Đuro Đaković Montaža from Slavonski Brod who were returning from Sweden.

The Croatia Airlines press release transmitted in its entirety:

"Croatia Airlines has consistently complied with and implemented all decisions and recommendations of the European, German and Croatian public health and aviation authorities, and by flying on flight OU411 Frankfurt - Zagreb from April 1 to May 10, 2020, it enabled the return to Croatia of more than 3,500 Croatian citizens, who were caught in the global pandemic around the world.

For all those passengers, as potential carriers of the infection, and according to the decisions of the public health authorities, self-isolation of 14 days was prescribed upon arrival in Croatia. Given that these flights were performed in the context of the global coronavirus pandemic, risk assessments were continuously conducted, which were coordinated by the Croatia Airlines Crisis and Emergency Management Office. The estimated loss of the company related to the flights Zagreb - Frankfurt - Zagreb in the mentioned period amounted to 244,000 euro.

According to the results of the diagnostic processing, Croatia Airlines can confirm that two pilots from the flight Frankfurt - Zagreb on May 2 this year tested positive for the coronavirus, while all other cabin crew members who were in direct contact with passengers were negative.

The presence of the coronavirus in flight crew members cannot be associated with passengers who arrived on the same flight and who were found to be positive for COVID-19 by subsequent diagnostic processing. The pilots of the aircraft, namely, sit in a cabin that is physically separated from the passenger compartment of the aircraft and during, before or after the flight, are not and cannot be in close contact with the passengers.

Furthermore, all positive passengers from the said flight were workers returning from Sweden, and two passengers, a married couple who had arrived from Spain. According to the data available so far, none of the other passengers and cabin crew members are infected, so it is not possible to find a common link between the pilot and passengers, and it is unnecessary to state the seating schedule and occupancy of the aircraft as the reason for the spread.

It should be reminded that the crew of the aircraft from the said flight was notified of the event immediately after establishing the presence of a positive passenger on the flight and was preventively relieved of all flight duties for a period of 14 days in accordance with the internal protocol for dealing with such situations, with the obligation to report to the chosen family doctor and to act in accordance with public health recommendations.

Also, in accordance with the procedures and protocol, a self-isolation measure was established for the entire crew as a precautionary measure. Their health condition is monitored on a daily basis, while all the necessary tests are still carried out, taking care at all times of the safety of employees as well as passengers.

Also, in accordance with the protocol on dealing with a crisis situation and an emergency, all required data (seating schedule from the suspected passenger - the row in which he sat, and two front and rear rows) on passengers and crew members on the above were submitted on May 8, 2020, to the Service for Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases of the CNIPH.

The completed forms (Passenger Locator Form - PLF) on passengers are handed over by the airline to the representatives of the airport upon arrival, which in accordance with the request of the Croatian Civil Agency, has an obligation to keep and archive the forms for 30 days. If requested by the competent authorities, as was the case for the Frankfurt - Zagreb flight on 2 May, the air carrier is obliged to provide information on passengers and crew members, as well as the airport of arrival, which submits PLF forms to the competent authorities.

All protection measures implemented by Croatia Airlines against the outbreak of the COVID-19 infection are fully compliant with the recommendations and instructions of public health authorities, and during the flight, it is mandatory to use protective equipment and means for the entire crew (masks, gloves, disinfectants) and use of goggles and protective suits.

According to previous research conducted by international health and regulatory authorities, the possibility of infection in the aircraft is extremely small, given that air enters the cabin of the aircraft from the atmosphere and is purified by modern filters, and circulates vertically in the passenger cabin (bottom to top, and vice versa) rather than horizontally.

It should be reiterated and emphasized that the flight crew of the aircraft (captain and first officer of the aircraft) sit in the cockpit, which is physically separated from the passenger compartment and does not come into close contact with them during boarding and disembarking. Close contact of aircraft cabin crew is also minimal, given that since the beginning of the epidemic crisis, measures have been introduced in which the service of food and beverages onboard is abolished, and close contact with passengers is minimized, all in order to protect members crew and all passengers of Croatia Airlines.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, recommendations have been issued for passengers to wear masks in flight to protect themselves, crew members and other passengers, and as of May 4, the company implemented a decision on mandatory face covers and in-flight masks for all passengers. An electronic version of the PLF form has also been published on the company's website, and passengers are advised to fill it out before the flight and hand it over to the aircraft crew, and if they fail to do so, they must bring their own pen to complete the said form during the flight.

Also, passengers are required to check their health before arriving at the airport. It should be emphasized that by May 10, no recommendation of the public health authorities of the Republic of Croatia on air transport or on limiting the capacity of aircraft was issued. Until then, the planning of the seating arrangement of passengers in the aircraft was done by leaving space between them, if possible, while blocking 18 seats in the last three rows in the Airbus fleet and 14 seats in the Dash 8-Q400 fleet to accommodate passengers at which would be observed symptoms of COVID-19.

As of May 10, passenger seating planning is planned so that, if possible (depending on aircraft occupancy, aircraft configuration and aircraft balancing calculation procedure, etc.), the maximum possible distance between passengers is left and the rear row of seats is blocked throughout fleet, as well as one business class seat on the Q400 fleet.

It should be noted that the international regulatory bodies (IATA, EASA) also do not prescribe limiting the capacity of aircraft, but recommend everything as previously stated and what has been fully implemented so far," said Croatia Airlines in a statement.

Follow our live updates on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia 

May 18, 2020 - The director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) and a member of the National Civil Protection Headquarters Krunoslav Capak was a guest on Croatian football television where he commented and explained the epidemiological conditions for the return of football and the Croatian First League.

T.portal reports that the football season in Croatia continues on Saturday, May 30, when Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo meet in the semifinals of the Croatian Cup. On May 31, Osijek and Rijeka meet in the other semifinal match.

The Hrvatski Telekom Croatian First League resumes on June 6, and Krunoslav Capak, the head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) and a member of the National Civil Protection Headquarters, commented on what we can expect for Croatian Football Television.

"We let the training begin, and if the situation is as it is now, then competitions can start. We will agree with everyone. A PCR test is valid for up to two days, after which a person can become contagious, so we do not like excessive use of tests. One test costs a thousand and a half kuna and the benefits and costs need to be weighed. If someone can afford it, that's fine, but by keeping the measures and without testing, a high level of safety can be achieved," Capak explained some of the epidemiological measures that Croatian first division players have to implement if they want to play at all.

The problem arises if just one player is infected with the coronavirus. What will happen in that case?

"If one of the players is positive, everyone who has been in contact with him in the last 48 hours must be in self-isolation," Capak says clearly and continues:

"The alternative is additional testing, but the test is valid for 24, at most 28 hours, so you would have to test constantly until 14 days. They and their family will have to isolate themselves at home. At the same time, it probably means the end of the competition for that club,"  revealed Capak.

Reading between the lines, if this worst-case scenario happens, the regularity of the entire competition comes into question, so it is almost certain that the most radical measures would be taken, and that is the termination of the Croatian First League competition.

A few days ago, the coach of Varaždin, Samir Toplak, wondered how it is possible that there can be as many as 200 people in churches, and spectators are not allowed in the stands. Football is still played outdoors, and there is more than enough space in the stands for those who would be encouraged to come. Social distance in the stands should not be a problem.

But according to Capak, these two types of gatherings are incomparable. True, the head of the HZZJ left the possibility that perhaps by further easing the measures in the near future, spectators - in limited numbers - could go to the stands of football stadiums.

"Mass is a static event where there is no contact except at communion for which there are precise epidemiological measures. Churches are both tall and airy buildings, and there is more interaction in cinemas and theaters, as well as at matches. There are epidemiological measures that could be prescribed to spectators in the stands, but it is still high risk. We are going in stages, although everyone would like everything right away," concluded Krunoslav Capak.

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