As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of March, 2020, in addition to its regular donations to charities across the country, Zagreb's Dukat, the largest food donor in the Republic of Croatia, is also introducing an extraordinary donation worth a massive 225,000 kuna for Zagreb citizens affected by the earthquake and by the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.

Dukat, a large and well respected Croatian company has responded to the emerging needs for donations owing to the coronavirus epidemic and the earthquake that hit Zagreb and the surrounding area this week in a praiseworthy manner that many other companies across the country would do well to follow. 

The company will introduce extraordinary product donations to Caritas Croatia. In addition to its regular donations, which it has been organising and seeing through since back in 2015, Dukat will make an extraordinary donation of 30,000 litres of milk over three consecutive months, totalling, as previously stated, 225,000 kuna.

Donations will be distributed to citizens who are the highest risk during the coronavirus epidemic, but also to citizens who have suffered material damage in the recent Zagreb earthquakes which rocked the capital.

Despite the difficult circumstances and the significantly increased workload, Dukat's logistics is continuing to successfully transport its donated goods to all parts of the country on a very regular basis.

Dukat's role as a leader in food donation in Croatia has been confirmed for two years in a row with it having won the "Donor" award. Dukat earned its last recognition as the largest single food donor in Croatia back in 2018, when it donated 192 tonnes of dairy products, equal to a quarter of all donated food in the Republic of Croatia.

The award was given to Dukat in April 2019 at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

Make sure to follow our dedicated section for rolling information and updates in English on coronavirus in Croatia.

ZAGREB, March 26, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Wednesday evening that currently 495 medical workers were in self-isolation, assessing that the health system was not in danger and recalling that medical workers had already been reassigned before.

Beroš made the statement in an interview with the HRT public broadcaster from the eastern city of Osijek, which he visited because local medical workers have been faced with a growing number of people infected with the novel coronavirus.

Twenty-six people have been found to be infected with the virus, two patients are on ventilators and need intensive care, Beroš said, adding that he visited the local health workers to check with them their protocol, which, he said, was appropriate.

Responding to the remark that a growing number of medical staff throughout the country are in self-isolation - more than 230 from Zagreb's Sisters of Charity Hospital alone - Beroš said that at the moment, the situation was not worrying because the national health system was flexible.

He recalled that previously a decision on mobilisation had been made and that it enabled the system to respond to current challenges.

The minister believes that after 14-day self-isolation, those medical workers would be able to continue working.

He said that currently 495 medical workers were in self-isolation, adding that at the moment the functioning of the health system was not jeopardised.

Beroš said that owing to their subspecialties, a number of specialists from Zagreb's KB Dubrava Hospital had previously been reassigned to the Sisters of Charity Hospital and that this would also be done in the future if necessary.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

The Director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, has expressed his disappointment with the attitude of some in the country in the face of this epidemic, and warned of even more stringent measures should such behaviour continue.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of March, 2020, Health Minister Villi Beros lost his nerve for the first time since witnessing the unfolding of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. He certainly had a reason for this because the news spread that medical professionals didn't have masks of the same quality as politicians. But other information emerged, which he called false.

The numbers for coronavirus in Croatia took off at an unprecedented speed. It took a month from the first person to become infected with the virus, few would then have predicted that the figure would reach 442 within a mere 30 days. It is excellent that 22 of those coronavirus patients have completely recovered. But unfortunately it did take the life of someone else, too.

"If you'd asked me about this on February the 25th, I'd have been more optimistic about the forecast. We did everything we could do, we introduced some measures and we were the first in Europe, but this virus is unpredictable, it's very complicated and we happen to have the numbers we now have, but it's still good considering our environment,'' Krunoslav Capak pointed out in conversation with RTL before adding:

"I'm disappointed with the behaviour of Croats, the measures prescribed by the headquarters are being violated in all possible ways. We're receiving information on breaches [of the measures and of self-isolation] every day, but we urge citizens to help us out, too,'' he stated.

Therefore, even stricter measures can be expected, although the ones we're currently living under are already stringent enough.

"Yes, it's possible for us to ban more the movement of more than two people and stop more than two people going into shops at once. Likewise, we can introduce much stricter controls in cooperation with the police. It seems to me that this is a scenario awaiting Croatia, we need to increase our control,'' Krunoslav Capak asserted.

He also referred to those who were keeping things close to their chests and not revealing that they had been in contact with infected persons, which we have witnessed multiple times now.

"If anyone knows that they've been in contact with an infected person and they've failed to not inform the people they need to, then they're intentionally doing so, which is a misdemeanor," Capak warned, referring to the quarantine imposed on Murter:

"Quarantine is the ultimate measure and in this case it seemed appropriate to epidemiologists. This prevents the further spread of the virus and it's easier to carry that out on the islands,'' he concluded.

Make sure to follow our dedicated section for all you need to know about coronavirus in Croatia.

March 26, 2020 - As more official coronavirus advice becomes available in English, some contact numbers, clarification on 'place of residence' and who issues passes to move between cities in Croatia.

I am not the only person who is happy to see the official Koronavirus.hr website now partially available in English, although my relief is due to different reasons. 

With very little information out there, many people have been relying on TCN for their COVID-19, and while the increased interest is very welcome, the huge increase in responsibility was not. Thankfully, the TCN team has responded magnificently, and I am immensely proud of what they have produced in the last few very trying days. If you want to see what running a news portal is like in crazy times like this, you might enjoy Realities of Running an English News Portal in the Corona Era.

Although the English information available on the official site is limited, it does cover the important stuff. 

Here is where you can find al the important phone numbers.

There is also a latest news section. You can, of course, follow the TCN live feed, which is updated every 15 minutes. 

And the page seems to give a little clarity to one of the biggest confusions so far - what exactly does 'place of residence' mean? This is what was published late on March 24, 2020.

The Civil Protection Authority announced new measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, with Interior Minister Božinović revealing that citizens are not allowed to leave their respective local government units.

And here is some clarity on one more important issue - Who issues passes to move between cities in Croatia? The answer in full below:

Need the pass to move between cities? Check here who will issue it to you.

The Croatian National Civil Protection Headquarters issued yesterday the Decision to Ban on Leaving the Place of Residence within the Republic of Croatia. 
The ban does not apply to:

• transport and movement necessary for the supply of the areas - passes issued by the responsible persons in the legal entity;
• daily migrations of employees in services important for providing health and veterinary care; delivery of medicines and medical supplies; maintenance of municipal services; water supply and drainage; gas and electricity supply; security services - passes issued by responsible persons in the legal entity;
• media reporting - passes issued by responsible persons in the legal entity;
• residents who require emergency medical care - passes issued by the family doctor (GP);
• for vital family reasons, such as the care of children and the elderly; or the purchase of food and basic necessities - passes issued by the authorized (local) civil protection headquarters;
• commuting, if work is necessary and cannot be done from home - passes issued by responsible persons in the legal entity;
• emergency and operational services involved in preventing the spread of coronavirus - passes issued by responsible persons in the legal entity

To follow the latest on COVID-19 in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

March. 26, 2020 - As suspected, one of Croatia's best boxers, Toni Filipi, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Boxing coach Tomo Kadić and boxer Toni Filipi are positive for the coronavirus, reports Gol.hr and HRT.

After publicly calling the Croatian Boxing Federation a few days ago for poor organization and insufficient health care for his boxers who traveled to London amid a coronavirus pandemic, they competed for a few days and returned home promptly after the qualifiers for the Olympic Games were terminated, the Gladiator club coach confirmed via his Facebook.

"The call came today. I'm positive for the coronavirus. It's not easy for me; it's not easy for me to swallow. But I know I'll fight it. I feel better and safer today," Kadić said in a video that lasts more than six minutes.

"When the International Olympic Committee was already unaware that no qualifications were to be held, then people were aware of all this. I approached this responsibly for myself and everyone else. Keep to the protocol; we can win all this," Kadić added.

After that, news came that Filipi was positive for the coronavirus. He made his statement to Radio Zadar.

"The first two days since I was in self-isolation, I had nothing, no symptoms. After that I felt a little hot, I measured my temperature and I had one. My head also ached and I coughed. Then I was tested and today received confirmation that I am positive. However, now I feel good, I am firm, I do not let illnesses affect me easily. 

It will be all right, I listen to the doctor's instructions and I believe this will all go away quickly. Everyone hold on, do not panic, just be responsible and listen to the authorities,” said Filipi.

Tomo and Toni are the second and third confirmed coronavirus cases in the Croatian boxing team. Before them, Ante Matas, the national team coach, also tested positive. 

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

March 26, 2020 - To preserve jobs and business continuity in conditions where tourist traffic is completely suspended, Valamar has decided to launch the ‘Pause, Restart’ program, which will apply from April 1 for a minimum of 30 to 90 days, the length of the Government's measure for preserving jobs.

HRTurizam reports that the Pause, Restart program will cover all Valamar employees for 30 to 90 days, which means that there will be no layoffs in Valamar. Also, about 2,800 workers employed by Valamar and Imperial Rab will benefit from Government measures.

All employees who cannot work due to the coronavirus crisis will be referred to the Pause, Restart program from April 1

During the Pause, employees will be provided a salary compensation of at least 60% of the regular salary, but not less than HRK 4,250 net. This measure will apply equally to employees and management, including seasonal and permanent seasonal workers.

During the Pause, the staff and management in charge of crisis management and administration, the maintenance, conservation and facility security staff, as well as the employees who perform communications with guests and partners, will work primarily, emphasized Valamar, adding that the part of management that has to work will be paid up to 30% until all employees return to work. Other full-time employees will be paid regular full pay.

"COVID-19 has triggered a global crisis and at the moment, tourism and hospitality are growing. Temporarily, until the situation calms down, we cannot operate regularly. We are proud of our employees and our goal is that no employee will lose their jobs because of this crisis. Valamar will do its best to get all of our people on a break back to their jobs as soon as possible. The situation is temporary; the business will start again and then we all need to be ready to Restart business. Valamar is a strong and stable company and I believe that with the support of the public sector, our shareholders, investors, partners and employees, we will survive this period and prepare for a quality business continuation,” said Valamar CEO Željko Kukurin.

Following the tightening of general prevention measures by the competent authorities, all hotels and restaurants in Valamar were closed in March.

The Management Board also canceled the General Assembly and, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, revoked the proposal for a dividend payment decision and, upon convening the General Assembly, will propose to retain the 2019 profit in order to increase liquidity and support the measure of preserving all jobs.

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

March 25, 2020 - Are you a tourist in Croatia wondering if you’ll be sanctioned for overstaying your allowed 90 days? The Ministry of Interior’s (MUP) Office has an answer for all of you unsure of what to do during the coronavirus crisis. 

If you’re on a 90-day tourist visa in Croatia that is soon to run out, chances are, you’re a bit worried, especially considering you have nowhere to go with the coronavirus pandemic currently ruling the world. 

Fortunately, we have some answers, thanks to a TCN’s readers exchange with the Ministry of Interior’s office in Zagreb. 

You can find the conversation below:

TCN reader: 

“To Whom It May Concern, 

Considering the spread of COVID-19, I am interested in the current status of third-country nationals who are on a tourist visa in the Republic of Croatia and also those who are currently in the process of applying for a residence and work permit, using tourist days.

The day before yesterday, 03/23/2020, I called the Division for Administrative Affairs and Citizenship on the phone number: 00 385 1 3788 193 whose contact is listed on your site and a kind woman told me that the status of the persons concerned was frozen at the moment, i.e., that their tourist days are not currently added up until a different solution is reached.

However, today an article was posted on www.expatincroatia.com which reads:

"We spoke to the ministries that handled immigration and they confirmed that no one was allowed to stay past their tourist visas, despite COVID-19. Staying past your tourist visa could result in fines ranging from 500 kuna 7,000 kuna, depending on the circumstances. Another risk is that you may get kicked out with nowhere to go, as they are doing in other countries. "

(source: Original article)

I would like to kindly ask you to send me an official reply on the current status of the people concerned, as well as instructions on the procedure and anything they are obliged to submit to MUP, if any, to avoid further misinformation and possible panic.”

The MUP Office replied:

“Dear,

If a foreigner on a short stay (up to 90 days for a period of 180 days) cannot leave the Republic of Croatia promptly due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the short term residence time is exceeded, the foreigner will therefore not be sanctioned by the Foreigners Act.

We advise that the foreigner report to the police station according to the address of his / her accommodation, where the police officer will take down information about the accommodation address and contact information and instruct him / her to contact the police station before leaving the address of accommodation or leaving the Republic of Croatia so that he / she will not have any problems at the border crossing when leaving the Republic of Croatia.

Also, under Article 48, paragraph 4 of the Foreigners Act, third-country nationals who applied for a temporary residence permit or residence and work permit before the expiry of their short-term stay may remain in the Republic of Croatia until the decision on the application has been enforced.”

We hope this clears anything up for those of you currently stuck here during the corona era. 

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

ZAGREB, March 25, 2020 - The Croatian National Bank (HNB) stated on Wednesday that all commercial banks in the country had temporarily suspended fees charged for ATM transactions by natural persons at any machine regardless of whether it is their bank or not.

All the banks in Croatia have accepted the recommendation by the HNB to temporarily waive fees charged for ATM transactions by natural persons at ATMs outside their own bank’s ATM network as one of the measures envisaged to minimise movements and social interaction during the outbreak of the COVID-19 infection.

In an effort to minimize the spread of coronavirus infection, the national bank issued "a recommendation to credit institutions to issue debit cards to the most vulnerable consumers and to ensure separate working hours for retirees," the HNB also reported.

Also "banks have been asked to consider the possibility of issuing debit cards to the most vulnerable groups of consumers. This primarily refers to the elderly who do not hold debit cards linked to accounts and to consumers who, due to blocked accounts, opened protected accounts for which some banks do not normally issue debit cards. The use of debit cards would enable these people to access cash and information about their account balance via the ATM network. Banks have also been invited to consider the option of enabling access to branch offices with minimum risk to the health of particular groups of the population (e. g. separate working hours for retirees)," the HNB stated on its website.

Furthermore, the HNB has already advised banks to retain their net profits from 2019, as one of the measures to respond to the disruptions in the market caused by the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

According to the Croatian Banking Association (HUB), the net profit of banks in Croatia in 2019 amounted to HRK 5.81 billion on the aggregate.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

March 25, 2020 - With so many people dependent on tourism as COVID-19 continues to spread, will there even be a tourist season in Croatia and elsewhere this year? Some things to consider. 

(THIS ARTICLE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN CROATIAN, HAVING BEEN PUBLISHED BY INDEX.HR ON MARCH 27)

One of the more surreal aspects of this current madness is the level of understanding and acceptance of the new reality among people. Some had alarm bells ringing in early January when news broke about COVID-19, while others at the other end of the spectrum expect things to return to normal by Easter when all this nonsense will blow over - including, it seems, the esteemed President of the United States. 

I am genuinely astounded at the number of angry emails I am getting at the moment, from people demanding to know if their holiday plans are going to be ok. Or complaining that their flight has been cancelled in April, as though I should do something about it. Just 11 days ago, I received this, for example, albeit very polite:

I am writing from Virginia in the United States.  We were supposed to visit Split in late April and then embark on a cruise to Dubrovnik.  It now appears that our trip may be in jeopardy.  We are getting ambiguous reports about whether or not American citizens must undergo a 14-day quarantine upon entering Croatia.  Can you enlighten us?

This was the same day I arrived on Hvar with my family to self-isolate for what I knew was going to be a least a couple of months, and someone was worried about a cruise in Dalmatia next month. It is not his fault, it is just not real in Virginia. Yet. In the same way that Italians cannot believe that the rest of Europe did not immediately learn from their tragic experience. 

Wait a couple of months? Yes, that is how long I plan to be in Jelsa, at least I thought so 11 days ago. 

As the owner of a small travel agency who specialises in holidays to Croatia, I'm an avid reader of Total Croatia News for up to date information on all things Croatia. I've just read your article about self-isolating in Jelsa. I notice you've said you're doing this for 2 months? Why that long? Is that your decision or a length of time from what the Croatian government has said?

Timeline March 18 - 7 days ago. I replied quickly that although schools were closed for 14 days initially, I thought this would take a couple of months. 

OK, thanks. What are your views on the 14 day self-isolation for incoming visitors? Do you think this will still apply at the start of May? That of course means pretty much zero tourists and would be disastrous for the local economy.

Yes. Yes it would. And sadly, it will be. Again, I can understand the second correspondent. He has a business to run, bookings made and this thing needs to be over. It is still very remote to him in the UK. Or it was 7 days ago, for a LOT has changed in the UK in the last seven days. 

I think most people would agree that their understanding of the reality of what we are facing is different today than it was yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, two months ago. Every day brings a new realisation. And we are all at different stages on that path of understanding. The Virginia cruise tourist and the travel agency owner will catch up quickly, if they haven't already. 

One of the things that corona is bringing is clarity and the need to deal with the brutal truth. A bit like Trump hopes this will all be gone by Easter because he likes Easter, so too with the tourist season in Croatia. We all want it to start asap, and we all need it to - for it is over 20% of our GDP. 

But is it better to want it to happen, like the Trump Easter Bunny,  or face the (potentially quite frightening) reality of what the tourist season in Croatia will look like this year? 

I decided to write this article because I think we need to deal in realities to get through this. I am not a tourism expert, but I do speak to a lot of people in the industry, and I have been writing about Croatian tourism for many years. I have many, many friends in Croatian tourism here, all of whom have some tough choices to make. Our own apartment rental is seeing its booking calendar empty by the week. Those tough choices have to be made with the best possible information available. A little like the cruise tourist from Virginia, who is possibly not dreaming of that cruise now 11 days later, here are some thoughts on things to consider on when or even if the tourist season might start, written with the best of intentions by someone who is perhaps further down the road of understanding what we are looking at. 

So what does Ryanair think about the resumption of flights to Croatia and elsewhere?

This is the Ryanair homepage, with the first advertising banner on March 25, 2020. The market Europe's biggest low-cost airline is targeting right now is late season breaks in September, six months from now. 

Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary issued a press release update about the latest from the Irish airline yesterday. You can read it in full here. This paragraph gives us some clues:

At this time, no one knows how long this Covid shutdown will last. The experience in China suggests a 3-month period for the spread of the virus to be contained and reduced. We do not expect to operate flights during the months of April and May at this time, but this will clearly depend upon Government advice, and we will in all cases comply with these instructions.

So currently, Ryanair does not anticipate returning to its normal schedule until June 1, based on the Chinese experience of 3 months. Which is one benchmark, but then perhaps one should factor in that Europe has not exactly imposed the discipline of the Chinese in dealing with COVID-19. 

(As an aside, because I have had a LOT of emails about Ryanair and cancelled flights, it appears that they have cancelled most of their flights from UK and Ireland to Zadar - but not other European destinations - with the exception of the Hideout Festival in June. You can see more on this in our recent article, Ryanair in Croatia: Almost Total Zadar 2020 Cancellations, But Split, Dubroovnik OK?)

But let's be positive and hope that we can get this sort in time for the resumption of flights by June 1, as Ryanair seems to be aiming for. There are some other things to consider.

How many people will want or be able to afford to go on holiday to Croatia or elsewhere?

If we could all go back to normal on June 1, most of the season would be saved. But it is sadly not that simple. 

The economic fallout from COVID-19 is only just beginning, and people are already losing their jobs, businesses going bankrupt. This trend will sadly only get worse in the coming weeks. And so when this madness is finally over, the good news is that EVERYONE will want to escape their self-isolation reality, and there is no better way to do that than on an idyllic Croatia beach.  BUT how many people will have the disposable income to do so?

We did a quick survey on TCN about people's intentions about visiting Croatia. We got 748 responses, which is not a huge number, but there are perhaps things to think about.  

Two things I take away from this. 

• A significant number of tourists will not travel this year. 
• A very significant number of tourists will wait until all this is over and then decide (more on this in a minute)

Competition for tourists after coronavirus is going to be INSANE

Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt, France, Turkey, Tunisia, Montenegro and many other countries have very large tourism industries, all of which are in a similar situation as Croatia. They will all be trying extra hard to grab whatever they can from the smaller pot of potential tourists. And one of the key weapons they will fight with is one where Croatian tourism is not particularly competitive. 

Price. 

Expect savage discounts to get at least some tourists to come. Imagine how cheap Italy is going to be, for example, as they need to rebuild their tourism industry. But Turkey, Egypt, Greece - they are better on price than Croatia traditionally, so if there is going to be a tourist season in Croatia this year, there is going to have to be a lot of thought on price. 

Expect tourism countries to appeal to tourists to do their patriotic duty and holiday at home

(Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong from Split is already thinking ahead)

Expect Spanish tourists to be encouraged to holiday in Spain, Italians in Italy, the French in France. Croatia is sadly not the only country that needs to recover from this, and supporting local tourism will be a key priority of governments looking to rebuild after corona. 

How many flights to Croatia will there be in 2020 if the season does start?

It is still very questionable how the airline industry will survive this huge hit on their industry. Grounding entire airlines for weeks comes at a huge cost, and without major government intervention, some airlines will go bust. And even it they don't, the schedules will be reduced. 

This is going to be worse news for the likes of Greece, Turkey and Egypt, because the majority of Croatia's tourists arrive by car (about 75% from memory). 

What should Croatia do to attract tourists for the 2020 season after COVID-19?

The Ministry of Tourism and Croatian National Tourist Board have put all promotion on hold for the moment, which is very sensible. But where should they be focusing the efforts when things pick up again?

With the uncertainty of flights, I think it makes sense to focus on the markets which have been the backbone of Croatian tourism for decades, and which can be reached by car. The Germans, Austrians, Slovenians, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and Hungarians all adore the Adriatic, which is still just a short drive away. Some intelligent campaigns (AND pricing). Croatia remains the best and most attractive sea option for all these countries. There will be strong competition from other tourism countries for this business, but Croatia currently holds a competitive advantage with customer loyalty and that unbeatable Adriatic. 

And I would add Serbia to that list. Of course I understand the issues with Serbs due to the past, but the official approach to Serbia is really rather odd. They are among the best spenders, live next door, and if you get a Serb for one summer on the Adriatic, there is a chance you get them for life. 

(You can learn more about how Serbia ranks in Croatian tourism spend in this article)

Back in 2011, some 16 years after the war, Croatia was the main sponsor of the Belgrade Tourism Fair. No issues with the past nine years ago. And yet two years ago, when I visited the Belgrade fair, there was no official Croatian tourism board presence at all. When I enquired why, I was informed by the Croatian National Tourist Board that Serbia as no longer a strategic market. 

Perhaps now it should be.

So will there be a tourist season in Croatia in 2020?

Yes, I think so. But I think it is important to bear in mind that it will be different. A lot different. 

Paradox Hospitality CEO Zoran Pejovic has a lot more experience in tourism than I do. And, always a positive force, he has written a couple of great articles on preparing for the uncertain future.

Travel Industry: Keep Communicating and Visibility

Build Scenarios! Be Present! Take Time to Think!

There are some very difficult days ahead for Croatian tourism and its workers. I hope this article has given a little clarity on the scenarios of the road ahead, in order to help with some decision making. 

Let's hope for the best tourism season in Croatia that we can manage in the circumstances. 

ZAGREB, March 25, 2020 - The situation concerning the supply chains is stable and shops are well supplied with goods, Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said in an interview with Croatian Radio on Wednesday morning.

"The Ministry has started maintaining daily records of the most important farm products, so that we have daily updated figures on stocks and can see if there are any shortages in products and raw materials and the situation with the labour force," Vučković said.

She could not specify whether certain products would become unavailable at some point.

"Nevertheless, the situation is stable. The supply chains are functioning and will continue to function," the minister said.

She said that the domestic production in Croatia was not sufficient to meet all the needs on the national market.

"Our aim is to increase our domestic production and lessen our dependence on certain imports," she said.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.