March 21, 2020 - There are 206 confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Croatia and 78 new cases as of yesterday. Five patients have recovered. There are currently 201 active cases in Croatia.

• Message to General Public: STAY HOME. Do not leave your house unless you have to go to work, store or hospital. That means not going for walks, bike rides, trips to the mountains, family gatherings, barbecues and similar gatherings.
• Self-Isolation Violators: Over 100 people left self-isolation to go to pharmacies. Movement can be tracked by use of HZZO (Croatian Health Insurance) card. 
• Children's parks and playgrounds closed.
• Bus and Train Stations Closed: All intercity transport lines abolished.
• Ferry Passenger Traffic: Forbidden except for permanent residents. High-speed ferry service stopped. Ferries will deliver necessary supplies. More here.
• Public Transportation to Shut Down Tomorrow: Local Buses, Trams, Rail and Cable cars etc.
• New Funeral Guidelines: Only immediate family and religious community representatives may attend.
• United Arab Emirates Donates Face Masks to Croatia: 11 million HRK (1.44 million EUR) donation.

Suspension of public transportation for 30 days. | Railway and bus stations closed. | Restrictions on public transport on ferry lines. | Restrictions on social interaction on streets.

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.

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 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. 

206 Coronavirus Cases in Croatia

As of March 21, 2020; 206 coronavirus (COVID-19) patients have been reported in Croatia.

Note that koronavirus.hr is now mapping cases by county instead of town/city. Index continues to map coronavirus cases by city/town. Total Croatia News will share maps from both sources, and include the date/time of last map update. Koronavirus.hr will update their map after the 9:00 and 16:00 CET daily press conferences. Index map updates occur on a regular basis.

A man in Istra who died was infected with the coronavirus, but his cause of death has not been confirmed (earlier maps showed his death as the first coronavirus casualty).

koronvirus.hr | Updated 16:00 CET

Index | Updated 17:00 CET

More than 12,964 people are dead from the virus, which originated in Wuhan City, China. Over 303,443 cases have been confirmed globally. There are 222,435 cases outside of mainland China. Italy has reported 53,578 cases and 4,825 deaths.

UPDATED: March 21, 2020 22:00 CET (Central European Time)

National Civil Protection Headquarters Evening Press Conference: 16:00 CET

• Total of 206 patients, which is 78 more than yesterday.
• Number of patients increasing in very short time period.
• Crisis can be stopped by following guidelines of Civil Protection Staff.
• OK to be outside if you must for food or medication, but not in close contact with others.
• Trams suspended. Buses to be disinfected.
• Inspectors had to close eight cafes today (after cafes were already ordered closed). This is unheard of, according to Minister Bozinovic.
• Hundreds have violated self-isolation orders. They will be punished.
• Police warning residents to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

A translation of the press conference can be found here.

National Civil Protection Headquarters Morning Press Conference: 9:00 CET

• Main Problem: People not adhering to HQ guidelines. More rigorous measures will be introduced and enforced.
• Message to General Public: Stay home. Do not leave your house unless you have to go to work, store or hospital (applies to those not in self-isolation/quarantine). 
• Keep Social Distance: One meter outdoors. Two meters indoors. Don't walk around in pairs or groups. Croatian police will enforce.
• Bus and Train Stations Closed: All intercity transport lines abolished. 
• Alemka Markotic: "This morning I saw senior citizens walking in public squares. If we want a Corona party, we'll have it. What does a Corona party look like? More people will become seriously ill, on respirators, or worse..."
• Do not go to clinic/hospital if you have mild symptoms.
• Over 100 people left self-isolation to go to pharmacies. Movement can be tracked by use of HZZO (Croatian Health Insurance) card. 
• 29 more cases as of this morning (now 40).

A translation of the press conference can be found here.

Croatia and Regional Daily Updates

(Updates provided by Index)

21:27 - Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman told Dnevnik Nova TV that he urged all Croatian citizens who are in EU member states to plan a return to Croatia as soon as possible, as the situation is deteriorating, and border and airport closures can be expected.

21:25 - Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, together with his closest associates, is establishing the Zagreb Solidarity Foundation, a group which will allocate 20 percent of their salary to equipment needed to combat the coronavirus epidemic.

21:00 - ZET's public transportation including trams, buses and funiculars will be suspended at midnight on Sunday March 22, in Zagreb.

There is a special bus service for public employees and other services, which will operate from 5:00 to 23:00 hours. During this emergency, special transport by ZET buses will be organized for the employees of public and other services under the responsibility of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Zagreb.

20:46 - The Croatian Pharmacists' Chamber (HLJK) is working with the Red Cross of the Republic of Croatia on a project to deliver medicines to anyone who is unable to do it on their own, and this program should be up and running in the next few days.

20:37 - Epidemiologic treatment is underway at the KBC Sestre milosrdnice (Sisters of Mercy) in Zagreb because of a patient who came for emergency surgery two days ago and later turned out to be infected with coronavirus because he was in close contact with another infected person. This is a person who has concealed a potential infection after being in contact with a relative from Germany who was previously confirmed to have the coronavirus.

19:49 - Minister Bozinovic made a guest appearance in Dnevnik Nova TV, where he explained in more detail about new rigorous measures to combat coronavirus:

What will happen to the City of Zagreb and its public transportation tomorrow?

"The real challenge in the Zagreb has to do with public urban transport. It will operate a Sunday timetable and will be used only by those licensed by the National Civil Protection Headquarters who have cards. Residents will not be able to use public city translation indefinitely. It will only be available for use by healthcare professionals, hospital staff, police and people who work in facilities in which it will function."

What about those people who want to travel on long distance routes?

"We have already eliminated long-distance lines. Let's understand, it's important to isolate ourselves from each other. We need to keep all contacts to a minimum. Going outside must be restricted to purchasing food or medicine. This is especially true for older people. In the upcoming days, we will control this more rigorously. "

What about the people on the islands?

"We have introduced a new regime. The islanders must have a regular supply of food and medicine and we will ensure that. Those who must go to the hospital ashore can leave. Those who are not from an island but want to leave it – will be allowed to. Those who are from an island and want to go to the mainland - may not. We will not deport foreigners, but they will be encouraged to leave the island. "

How will the measures be implemented further?

"We will pay close attention to the infection hotspots, and will implement measures accordingly, which means reducing the number of people on streets. Please do not go out of your house. Only go out when you must: for food and medication. Do not leave the house for any other reason," Minister Bozinovic emphasized.

19:14 - Maja Grba Bujevic, Chief of the Crisis Staff of the Ministry of Health, told Dnevnik HRT that no new information was available. More testing is pending. The measures that have been put in place are in place for good reason, and will be strengthened as needed, she said. All centers are ready to accept patients, adds Grba Bujevic, and confirmed that new donations are arriving tomorrow. "Please stay home," she said at the end of the interview.

19:08 - "We are still far from a quarantine, but that depends upon how much we will follow the measures, and that will be seen by the increase in the number of patients in the upcoming days. The number of infected will increase depend on how this plays out," Alemka Markotic told RTL.

18:40 - In less than 72 hours, 200 Croatian soldiers set up a self-sustaining expeditionary camp in front of Zagreb's KBC Dubrava (Clinical Hospital) to receive patients with the coronavirus disease. There are 25 tents with a capacity of 220 beds.

18:26 - "If necessary, we will be ready to implement a quarantine. If the time comes, we will introduce that level of isolation," Minister Beros said in an interview with Dnevnik N1.

18:07 - The Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia today issued a decision on the measure of strict restriction of detention on streets and other public places, so the police are warning citizens to comply with these measures.

"We urge all citizens to obey the instructions of the Civil Protection Headquarters and not to leave their homes unnecessarily, not to go for walks, bike rides, trips to the mountains, larger family gatherings, barbecues and similar gatherings," the police said in a statement.

The police will tightly monitor all gatherings and unnecessary movements of citizens in public places related to streets, squares, parks and the like.

17:51 - Police today warned citizens at several town gatherings to abide by the decisions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters to ban gatherings in public spaces and the need for social distance between people, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

17:21 - On Sunday March 22, 2020 after midnight, all railway traffic will be suspended for 30 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, Croatian Railways (HZ) reported on Saturday on its official website.

15:35 - Police departments from all parts of Croatia are warning citizens that new measures have been introduced and that it is strictly forbidden to linger on streets, squares and public areas.

15:34 - Police have closed Marjan (park and forest in Split).

15:21 - Police are patrolling Riva Split in a van and warning people to go to their homes.

15:11 - Among the 12 newly infected in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County; there are seven Dubrovnik Airport employees who were in contact with the janitor, who was the first confirmed patient. One hospital doctor has been infected, according to the County Civil Protection Headquarters. In addition, two of the newly infected were contacts of a second Dubrovnik skipper who was skiing in Bulgaria, and a seafarer from Korcula and foreign national were infected. In total, 14 people were infected in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, of which four are hospitalized in Dubrovnik.

15:00 - A man who went for surgery did not report having been in contact with a relative who had a coronavirus. "The irresponsible patient contaminated the heart of the hospital, the intensive care unit and the emergency room. He put at risk intensive care patients, doctors and nurses," Vinogradski’s (Zagreb hospital) director told Jutarnji List.

14:45 - New stricter measures introduced! Police are warning citizens to get off the streets.

14:30 - All public urban transport is suspended on the basis of a decision of the National Civil Protection Headquarters in Rijeka, and since part of the citizens still have to come to the city center, during this ban all parking places of the Rijeka Plus city company will be free, it was announced on Saturday. City of Rijeka.

Arena Center Zagreb

14:05 - Health Minister Vili Beros visited the Zagreb Arena today, where volunteers of the Croatian Red Cross, Civil Protection and Scouts are preparing a secondary center for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. "We repeat once again, obey the rules and, and except when absolutely necessary, stay home!" the Ministry of Health reports. Arena currently has 274 beds, but the capacity of the space can house to a thousand beds.

14:03 - There are currently no patients at Dubrava Clinical Hospital (KBC Dubrava), which has become a national center for the care of patients with more severe forms of coronavirus infection, which will require intensive treatment, said the director of that hospital, Srecko Marusic, on Saturday.

13:45 - "In the last 24 hours, we have 4 new cases of coronavirus infection. Yesterday afternoon, we announced that we had two new positive cases, and two more were confirmed overnight, so there are currently ten infected people in the county," Vugrin said and added that all patients are in the General Hospital of Varazdin and have mild clinical symptoms. 

13:30 - The Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Zagreb invites ALL citizens of the City of Zagreb to comply without exception with the decisions of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia.

See the following decisions below:

• Decision to suspend public transport (March 21, 2020) - This Decision suspends all types of public transport in domestic and international road and rail transport and public urban transport. Taxis are excluded from the decision.
• Decision to Decommission Children's Playgrounds and Outdoor Playgrounds (March 19, 2020)
• Decision on the manner of holding the funeral and the last deliveries (March 20, 2020) - Pursuant to the decision, funerals, last rites and the laying of an urn may be held exclusively within the narrowest circle of families and representatives of the religious community, with the prohibition of posting information on obituaries about the place and time of the last apostasy. Music and flowers and candle delivery services are also suspended.
• Decision on marriage and life partnership measures (March 20, 2020) - Marriage in a religious or civil form, as well as a life partnership, is possible only in the narrowest circle of the family with the presence of an official or religious person. During marriages, the instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health must be followed, and those present should not have fever or symptoms of acute respiratory infection.

We urge all residents of the City of Zagreb to show uncompromising respect for these decisions.

13:10 - In Koprivnicko-Krizevci County the first case of a coronavirus infection was confirmed: a 46-year-old woman from Koprivnica who returned from Germany a week ago and is in isolation protection.

12:45 - All public transport in the country will stop. 

12:04 - The first coronavirus case in Dubrovnik was reported at the airport a few days ago. She is a janitor who works at the airport. Another employee of the airport announced via Facebook today that he is positive, although he had not been in contact with her. This is a high-level airport employee.

11:47 - There was a short press conference in Pula, in Istria there are now 25 coronavirus cases.

11:16 - The Zupanje County Crisis Headquarters has announced that 12 new cases of coronavirus disease in that county. There are now 14 patients in the county, according to reports by local media.

11:13 - There are still no coronavirus infections in Međimurje County, the civil protection headquarters reported on Saturday morning.

11:00 - Headquarters in Osijek takes reported that they purchase five respirators for the hospital.

10:37 - Trg Bana Jelacic (main city square) in Zagreb is being disinfected.

10:20 - "For the purpose of additional protection for all our employees who are in close contact with customers, starting today we are installing Plexiglas barriers to provide an additional level of employee protection to interact with customers at all SPAR and INTERSPAR stores. The first Plexiglass barriers are being installed at INTERSPAR stores in Zagreb at Arena Center, Garden Mall and City Center One East," SPAR reported.

10:06 – Four new infections in Split.

10:03 - Emergency Press Release of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia dated March 21, 2020 at 10:00 CET. Today, 40 new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed. In Croatia, a total of 168 patients were confirmed.

9:46 - As of Friday night, the number of coronavirus infected in the County of Krapina-Zagorje has increased and now there are five more in that county, bringing the number of infected to 15.

According to the County Civil Protection Headquarters on Saturday morning, the new confirmed infections include two people each from Krapina and Pregrada and one from the Zabok area. The new cases have mild symptoms and are in isolation at home, according to a staff statement.

9:40 - Health Minister Beros told the press this morning that he no longer sends appeals to the public. He is demaning compliance (regarding the implemented public safety measures).

9:30 - Alemka Markotic: If we want a Corona party, we'll have one. More here.

9:20 - Due to the increased surveillance of interstate traffic related to the coronavirus epidemic in Europe, there is congestion this morning at Slovenia's largest border crossings, Slovenian transport services reported.

At the Gruškovje/Macelj border crossing, traffic on the motorway has been brought to a standstill and the columns of vehicles on the Slovenian side are three kilometers long, and at the Obrežje/Bregana crossing it is five kilometers long.

The Slovenian Traffic Information Center for National Roads also warns drivers about restrictions related to the coronavirus epidemic, which is why the transit traffic of freight vehicles through Slovenia to other destinations is conducted in organized convoys to Croatia and Hungary.

9:02 - In Croatia, 157 patients were reported infected with the coronavirus, 27 more than yesterday, the Civil Protection Headquarters announced at their 9:00 CET press conference.

"I no longer appeal to residents, but demand that they adhere to the instructions we have provided, because this is the only way (we can control the spread of the coronavirus)," said Health Minister Willi Beros.

8:12 - One of the leading IT companies in Croatia and the region, Vodnjan Infobip donated four medical devices to the hospital in Pula, valued at around HRK 600,000 (78,622 EUR).

7:50 - Minister Vili Beros shared with journalists a message which is being spread on social networks. He says that the numbers in the message may not be correct, of course, but the message is clear: if we do not adhere to the measures, we will face a threat like the Italian scenario.

7:40 - The Civil Protection Headquarters established new guidelines regarding funerals yesterday. The funeral, the last farewell and the laying of the urn are to be held exclusively for the immediate family and representatives of the religious community, according to the instructions and measures adopted by the Croatian Institute of Public Health. These guidelines will be in effect for at least the next month.

(Updates provided by Index)

Total Croatia News Coronavirus Coverage

• Ryanair in Croatia: Almost Total Zadar 2020 Flight Cancellations But Split, Dubrovnik OK? - here.
• Croatia Travel Update March 21, 2020: Flights, Ferries, Borders, Buses, Trains - here.
• Coronavirus in Croatia Morning Press Conference Update March 21, 2020 - here.
• COVID-19 in Croatia: New Zagreb Travel Restrictions Explained - here.
• VIDEO: Strict Coronavirus Measures: Police Ask Zagreb Citizens to Leave Streets - here.
• Croatian Chamber of Commerce Cancelling Fees for Struggling Businesses - here.
• Infobip Generously Donates Medical Equipment to Pula General Hospital - here.
• COVID-19 in Croatia: Bus and Train Stations Closing, Intercity Lines to be Suspended - here.
• Coronavirus in Croatia: Will Ultra Europe Go On in Split? - here.
• Split Police Patrolling Riva and Beaches, Marjan Closed: "Only Go Out If You Must" - here.
• Croatian Clubs in Corona Crisis: Will They Survive? - here.

Total Slovenia News & Total Montenegro News Updates

• COVID-19 & Slovenia, Mid-Day 21 March: Ban on Leaving Municipality - here.
• Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 21 March 2020 - here.
• Coronavirus in Montenegro: 12 Tested Negative, Number of COVID19 Infections 14 - here.
• Coronavirus in Montenegro: 14 cases, Epidemic Spreads, We Should Take It Seriously - 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.

UPDATED: March 21, 2020 22:00 CET (Central European Time)

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

March 23, 2020 Croatia Travel Update

March 21, 2020 - As the coronavirus dominates, a Croatia travel update on flights, ferries, trains, buses, borders and self-isolation. Some big changes announced today.

Things are changing very quickly as the coronavirus crisis escalates in Europe. A Croatia travel update on what is - and is not - open or running. 

Croatia Travel Update: Are the borders of Croatia open? 

This is the latest official information from HAK on the situation at the borders of Croatia. For the latest information (in English), check out the HAK website. 

At the following border crossings transit freight traffic is allowed:

• at Bregana and Macelj (with Slovenia);
• at Goričan and Duboševica (with Hungary);
• at Nova Sela, Stara Gradiška and Slavonski Šamac (with Bosnia and Herzegovina);
• at Bajakovo (with Serbia).

Transit passengers information, if travelling through Republic of Croatia:

• use motorways only;
• use the following rest areas only: Novska jug, Novska sjever, Kozjak jug, Prokljan sjever, Draganić sjever, Draganić jug, Bačva and Ravna Gora;
• during breaks keep distance between You and other people;
• obey the rules of Civil protection or police officers.

At all border crossings with Croatia inbound traffic is allowed only to Croatian citizens (14-day isolation mandatory) as well as for some special groups of people, such as medical personnel, scientists, eldercare personnel, cross-border workers, freight traffic, diplomats, police officers, civil protection teams, international organizations members, militaries and transit passengers.

At the border crossings with Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro traffic is suspended for all vehicles, except for the citizens of these countries as well as for freight vehicles.

At Bogojevo (Erdut) border crossing all passenger traffic is closed.

At Požane border crossing traffic is suspended due to technical difficulties.

• at Goričan border crossing, detour: Goričan junction-ŽC2026-DC3;
• at Dvor and Vitaljina border crossings - open only to passenger traffic;
• at Gunja border crossing - there is a traffic ban on freight vehicles and buses.

Due to traffic bans on freight vehicles in Slovenia long delays should be expected in freight traffic at Bregana/Obrežje and Macelj/Gruškovje border crossings starting 1 June.

Croatia Travel Update: Are the ferries in Croatia running normally?

Morski.hr reports the latest: Public transportation of passengers, cargo and vehicles to the islands and the Peljesac peninsula is restricted. It is prohibited to maintain all regular high-speed lines in maritime traffic during the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia, except in the case of emergency interventions with the approval of the Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters.

All shipping lines are prohibited except the following national shipping lines:

310 Mali Losinj - (Unije) - Srakane Vele - Susak) and vice versa

311 Ilovik - Mrtvaška and vice versa

405 Rava - (Mala Rava - Veli Iž - Mali Iž) - Zadar and vice versa

415 Vrgada - Pakoštane - (Biograd) and vice versa

501 Krpanj - Brodarica

505 (Vodice - Prvić Šepurine - Prvić Luka - Zlarin) - Šibenik and vice versa

612 Komiža - Biševo and vice versa

807 Suđurađ - Lopud - Koločep - Dubrovnik

All passenger and freight transport to the islands, except for the following categories, is prohibited on national ferry lines and national shipping lines:

- Croatian and foreign nationals residing or permanently residing on the islands or the Peljesac peninsula;

- Vehicles of natural persons and leased vehicles of those residing on the island, registered in the competent administrative body in the Republic of Croatia;

- Employees of public health services and employees of other public services (police, firefighters, armed forces, port authority, post office, utilities) and their official vehicles;

- Employees of shops exempted from the application of the Decision of the Civil Protection Headquarters, and their official vehicles when carrying out regular transport to the island, and delivery services and their vehicles;

- Legal entities carrying out necessary emergency repairs on the island and their official vehicles when carrying out interventions

County Civil Protection Headquarters shall ensure that the measures provided for in this Decision are implemented and monitored.

This is the latest update from HAK:

807 Dubrovnik-Koločep-Lopud-Suđurađ ship does not operate from 2pm till 4.30pm.

Split-Ancona international line does not operate till 1 April, Dubrovnik-Bari till 19 April 2020.

Other ferries operate regularly.

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

As reported earlier on TCN, Jadrolinija is now requesting that passengers make their ticket purchases online or via their app. 

You can check the latest from Jadrolinija on their website.

BUT PLEASE NOTE: Prefect Blazenko Boban briefed the public on the new maritime traffic rules at a press conference at the Split-Dalmatia County Civil Protection Headquarters. 

“The National Headquarters will decide if fast lines will no longer operate from today. As far as ferry lines to our islands are concerned, they will only operate to transport goods. As for travelers, only those who reside on these islands will be able to travel,” reported Boban.

Boban is in charge of Split-Dalmatia County. My assumption is that this a nationwide decision, or soon will be if not, but it certainly covers Split-Dalmatia - Hvar, Solta, Brac and Vis. 

Croatia Travel Update: What is the situation with train travel in Croatia?

The latest HAK update on the railway is here:

But please be aware that at this morning's press conference, it was announced that there would be a suspension of all bus and train connections between cities. 

Croatia Travel Update: What is the situation with flights to Croatia?

The closing of the EU external borders took effect a couple of days ago, a measure that will last for 30 days. As such, all international flights outside EU borders have now been cancelled. There are still flights to Zagreb within EU borders, and so there is not a total flight ban, as ExYuAviation noted a few days ago:

The EU travel will only partially affect Croatia. Under the plan, only visitors from non-EU states will not be allowed to enter the region unless they are long-term residents of the EU, family members of EU nationals, diplomats, cross-border commuters, or essential workers like doctors, nurses, and researchers. The majority of Croatia Airlines’ network is concentrated within the EU, however, plummeting demand and various national restrictions will see the carrier cancel at least nine return flights today, among which are services to cities outside of the block such as Sarajevo and Skopje. Furthermore, flights from Zagreb to Copenhagen, Vienna and Munich have also been cancelled so far today. Despite the new circumstances, Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate their flights to the Croatian capital today.

HOWEVER, checking the Zagreb airport departures page today, there are several non-EU flights which appeared to depart - Moscow, Zurich and Istanbul. Here is the Zagreb Airport departures page for the latest info. Contact your airline for the latest news regarding your flight. 

Croatia Airlines also have a dedicated information page on which of their flights are going, as well as flight cancellations.

Internal flights within Croatia remain available, as do some to other EU countries. Dubrovnik Airport is closed, however, due to a coronavirus infection. You can see which internal flights are available from Split here - all international flights to the coast have stopped. 

We have had a LOT of emails asking what will happen with flight cancellations, and will things be ok in May, June and beyond. Obviously, we have no idea how things will develop. With the 30-day international ban, most flights are already cancelled. We hope the situation will improve, but recommend you check with your individual airline, who will be better informed than us. If there are any major announcements, we will publish them on TCN. Please do not contact us with individual queries about your flight, as we have limited resources currently and are unable to help more than this update.

Croatia Travel Update: Are buses running in Croatia?

According to this morning's press conference, all bus routes between towns are being suspended. 

Croatia Travel Update: What are the self-isolation rules for people arriving, who do they apply to, and what is the procedure?

There has been a lot of confusion about the mandatory 14-day self-isolation requirements, what they entail and how they are enforced, as well as who they apply to.  I am very grateful to Lauren Simmonds for this excellent overview, having contacted and worked through various sources of conflicting information. Check out Lauren's guide to self-isolation in Croatia here. 

The Croatian Government has launched a new information website to coordinate all information about coronavirus in Croatia, called Koronavirus.hr. This includes a page (in Croatian - Google Translate is your friend) called Going on a Trip? 

If you have any reliable information to improve the resource above, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will update if relevant. 

For the latest on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.  

Stay safe! 

ZAGREB, March 20, 2020 - Director-general of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) Davor Majetić said on Friday that the economy would feel the consequences of the novel coronavirus for the next 1.5 to 2 years and perhaps even longer, adding that he expects the public sector to show solidarity with the private sector.

Commenting on the government's 63-measure rescue package, Majetić said that defining the criteria to hand out HRK 3,250 per employee marks the start of the first and most important measure that the government has adopted for now to bail out the economy.

That measure is exceptionally important for micro, small and medium-sized businesses and for large companies too that are having problems due to the coronavirus, Majetić believes.

"The measures will begin to be implemented as of Monday already and after that we hope that money will be paid into the accounts of all those employers experiencing problems with paying March wages because of the virus," he said.

Majetić added that it would no end with just that measure because it was certain that that would not be enough for all the challenges facing the economy.

"We are continuing with talks with the government primarily regarding the implementation of the remaining 62 measures which we expect to be very simple with smooth criteria whereby the speed of the implementation of each of those measures has to be important," he underscored.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

March 21, 2020 - The latest news about the spread of coronavirus in Croatia from the morning press conference. 

10:00 ADDITION TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE information below - there are now 168 cases, and ferries will only be available for islanders and to transport goods and supplies in Split-Dalmatia County at least (this from an ongoing press conference in Split). More in our daily update. 

Yesterday's rolling update of the coronavirus in Croatia was fully updated late last night. You can see the full day's events here.

There are two recommended maps to follow. The first is the official government one on the Koronavirus.hr website.

This is broken down by country in terms of numbers, and Health Minister Vili Beros has announced 29 new cases overnight, bringing the number to 157, of which 5 have recovered. The locations of the new cases will be made available later today.

The other is by Index, which breaks everything down by destination. Of the two, in general, I find Index is updated quicker. Index reports one death, while the government site reports none. The reason for this difference is the death of a restaurant owner in Istria which was announced as coronavirus, is still being confirmed by official sources before going on the official website. It has been counted in the global numbers by respected sources.

At the press conference, Beros said he was no longer requesting people to abide by the instructions, but requiring them to do so. 

The Spaladium Arena in Split is being prepared for the third phase. 

A Croatian Airlines flight from Dubai has arrived, carrying masks and equipment from the UAE Government, for which Beros expressed his thanks. After Beros, Interior Minister Bozinovic spoke

"The main problem is adherence to all the decisions made by the HQ. They were intended so that everyone adheres to them, but the facts show otherwise. There are minorities who are a danger to themselves and others. We will have to take more rigorous actions. The Croatian police will ensure the measures are implemented and will react every time that implementation is not adhered to. It is all based on one premise: people stay home. Do not leave the house. Except for those who have to go to work.

All employers and workers must be aware that they must organize themselves to the fullest extent possible. I saw people go two by two this morning. That's not ok. Break this habit or the police will punish you

The Croatian police will be touring all public places throughout Croatia. All our streets and where they see that someone is not adhering to the measures, they will take action.

In fact, in some ways we are closing down all public areas. We cannot physically close them, but we will not allow any gathering. We are shutting down all intercity lines for trains and buses.

What is clear is that decisions will be more rigorous, even tougher.

Alemka Markotic then spoke:

"It's time for us to realize that we are not watching a movie but living in reality. This morning I saw senior citizens walking around again. I hear groups of people who are not working sitting on the terrace. If we want a corona party we will have it. And I think to myself -  What does a corona party look like?

We are receiving an increasing number of people at the clinic. The reasons are due to everything we were warning about, so it's all because of irresponsibility.

There will only be more severe cases in the hospital. People will have to find ways to isolate themselves inside their homes. If they can't, we'll find a solution.

If it turns out you were in contact with someone and you are in the hospital, they will be taken care of at that same hospital initially.

Who should come to the Infectious Unit? All those with the knowledge that they have been in contact, who have a high fever, and who are coughing and feeling tightness in their chest. There were a lot of people at the Infectious Unit tonight with some mild symptoms. Do not come there if you have only mild symptoms.

Yesterday, over 100 people from self-isolation came to the pharmacies. This has now come to an end, but they have already endangered many people. Anyone who breaks isolation will be sanctioned. The punishment is not important, but you will have others on your conscience."

Krunoslav Capak spoke next:

"The time has come to stop everything. We have had 29 cases from yesterday to the present, which is 1/4 of all cases so far. Our upward curve is increasingly going up. Therefore, we need to introduce stricter measures. We have 90 people in quarantine, 54 Croatian nationals, the rest are foreigners, we have 45 truck drivers who are under a special regime."

"If it turns out that people are coming together and that social distance cannot be maintained, we will close them at once."

"People stay home if you have to go out short and return home immediately. If you violate the measures, the Croatian police are ready to do their job and protect people."

For the latest update from the official government website for COVID-19 in Croatia, click here (Croatian language only, Google Translate is your friend).

We will have more in our comprehensive daily update later. For the latest news on COVID-19 in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

March 21, 2020 - Croatia welcomed the spring season with sunny skies and short sleeves, but will it last? A long-term weather forecast. 

RTL meteorologist Dunja Mazzocco Drvar, however, announces that this taste of summer will only last two days, reports T.portal.

March will continue with some changes and chills, which we will experience in the next few days. Temperature drops and sudden changes in weather are typical for this time of year, and especially in April. But what kind of spring awaits us?

According to current calculations, it can be said with more than 80 percent certainty that the next quarterly period, April to June, will bring warmer weather than average. With the same probability, it can be said that there will be less precipitation at that time than is usual for this time of year, says Ana Bago Tomac, a meteorologist at Dnevnik Nova TV and Zagreb Airport.

Of course, we can expect precipitation, especially in May, the most unstable month of the year. Still, on average, the coming period, until summer, will be dry and warmer than the long-term average, says Bago Tomac.

This is a trend that continues year after year. Last year was the hottest year, and the effects of global warming will certainly be felt this year.

We had no real winter this year, and temperatures will continue to rise more than average in the spring, AccuWeather predicts. However, this does not mean that strong storms cannot be expected between March and May, alternating with droughts. Admittedly, storms will move north of the continent and will be of concern mainly to Ireland and the UK.

While temperatures above average are forecast across Europe, the most frequent and longest periods of heat will be felt in the Iberian Peninsula and Germany and the southern United Kingdom.

More warmth also means an earlier start to the allergy season that will come with flowering plants and increasing pollen in the air, warned AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys. At the same time, the benefits of warm and mostly dry weather could be of use to farmers as they will be able to plant faster than usual.

This spring heat could easily turn into unpleasant heat well before the calendar and meteorological start of summer. "I expect it to heat up in parts of Portugal and Spain as early as May in the middle of May," Roys predicts. "On land, temperatures could easily go above 30 degrees Celsius."

Moreover, forecast data show that temperatures could rise as high as 38 degrees in late May and early June, and up to 27 in London.

"High temperatures, above 30 degrees Celsius, can be expected in the second half of May from Paris to Berlin," announced AccuWeather meteorologist Alan Reppert.

At the same time, meteorologists warn, despite the warm weather, or because of that, humid air and spring storms can be expected across western and central Europe. The greatest danger is threatening residents from France, through Belgium and the Netherlands, to Germany and northwest Poland.

Devastating winds, hailstorms and torrential showers could cause concern for many residents of endangered areas, and tornadoes could be expected. All of this will cause traffic jams and power outages, AccuWeather warns. In particular, the area between Paris and Berlin will be endangered during April and May.

The positive side of occasional storms will be rainfall that will soak the soil and prevent the riverbeds from drying out. Thunderstorms, on the other hand, can damage crops, according to an AccuWeather report.

Meteo France also predicts temperatures higher than average for the time of year: temperatures in the British Isles should be 0.5 to one degree Celsius above average, while in most parts of northern and eastern Europe, temperatures are expected to be up to two degrees higher than usual.

Northern Europe will be slightly wetter than average, especially Norway and central parts of Scandinavia, while in western and southwestern Europe, the coming period should again be drier than average.

March to May will be marked by high pressure over much of northern and western Europe, again indicating a relatively dry and anticyclonic spring, while low pressure is expected at north latitudes, French meteorologists forecast, and with the arrival of summer in western Europe, the cooling that should come with the winds blowing from the Atlantic.

German DWD also predicts warmer weather than average, in southwestern Europe and by two degrees Celsius. Rainfall is predicted to be less in the west, southwest and southern parts of the continent, while the far northern Europe should be wetter than average.

And in Croatia, it will generally be drier and warmer, with expected showers, especially in May.

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

Or: How to save as many companies and employees. Meet Glas Poduzetnika (Voice of the Entrepreneur), a new private-sector initiative in Croatia.

March 21, 2020 - In the second half of March 2020, the coronavirus outbreak and its economic repercussions are on the rise and going truly global. From the health perspective, Croatia is comparatively well, with currently just 130 reported infected patients. On the other hand, chaos and fear, flavoured with uncertainty are also on the rise in business circles and between employers and employees. In the last few days, hundreds of employees have already been fired, and companies are preparing for the worst-case scenario, of losing 80 or 90% of their revenues, and trying to create some crisis management plans. And we are only at the beginning. The real problem is that nobody can say with certainty how long this crisis will last, and especially how long will we suffer the consequences. Will It be up to 2 months, and there is still some time for the tourist season, or it will be 6 or more months just to get rid of COVID-19? Some projections that are considered moderate, are mentioning 18 months of “economic contraction”. For Croatia, as a country significantly depending on tourism, the situation is far from good.

So, what happened in the last day or two? After the government published their extensive list of 63 measures, many entrepreneurial voices started to respond and to criticise the list. It seems that in comparison to other countries, they are not fast enough, clear enough, or efficient enough. They seem like politicians did something to save their jobs and explain their purpose, and not really to make things better for the economy.

A new initiative has been created by a group of 20 – 30 entrepreneurs (Hrvoje Bujas, Drazen Orescanin, Berislav Marszalek, Kristina Ercegovic, Ivana Matic, Bruno Samardzic etc.) and it got a name – The Voice of the Entrepreneur (Glas Poduzetnika). In less than 24 hours it gathered a few thousand entrepreneurs on Facebook, and is closing now on 10 000 members, a number that makes it a significant social voice. The number of stories shared in the group was amazing and at the same time depressing. There is really no time to waste and no sense to underestimate the situation and its consequences.

The initiative was spontaneously created also as a response to the perception that the Croatian Government still doesn’t have the awareness that the private sector is feeding the public sector, and that if it goes down, country institutions will also not be able to function. In the call for solidarity, the Government is still not ready to reduce the working privileges of the public sector employees, their traditional voters, but to leave the burden of the crisis to the private sector alone. If some measures are just postponing some payments, and not cancelling them entirely for this period of time, it will be almost completely useless, and miss the intended positive impact on the economy.

On the other side, it is still visible that entrepreneurs are victims of the strong stereotypes about them. They are, in some parts of the society, still perceived as disproportionally rich, selfish and self-centered people who are just hoarding the money and don’t want to show solidarity with their workers and help them in this obvious time of need.

To fact check those comments, 2 surveys were organized which received hundreds of responses in a few hours. I think it will give a much clearer picture to the general population about the real situation of the Croatian entrepreneurial community.

The first question was:

How much cash do you have saved in reserve?

This should give a direct answer to the assumption of big piles of money in the hands of the entrepreneurs. And here are the results in Pie Chart 1.

Almost 60% !! of entrepreneurs have financial reserves that are not higher than 5000 kn (some of them stated 1000 kn or even 0). That amount is insignificant for any kind of planning or decisions. The next 24 % has up to 20 000 kn in reserve which makes them able to pay their obligations and salary maybe for this month. The next 11% has up to 100 000 kn, and only 6 % has more than 100 000 kn. And it should be noted that this information is missing the obviously critical facts about the size and fixed costs of the company, which can make savings in millions disappear “overnight”.

The second question was about how much time they can survive AFTER they do some adaptations and cost-cutting? if this situation doesn’t get better significantly. And the answers are very aligned with the results from the first question:

50% of entrepreneurs can survive only ONE month, after that they will just close. The next 43% will be able to survive up to 3 months – so basically the period of time that is predicted as a best and unrealistic case scenario. Only 5% of companies can survive longer than 6 months. Those facts should be seriously considered when making any state-induced measures.

The second interesting piece of the information would be to cross-reference local measures with the measures of other EU countries. And some documents are already being created.

To sum up, as many world leaders stated, this is the worst crisis since World War 2. Decisions made today should be wise and based on facts and with the overview of the whole picture. We will know in a very short period of time if those decisions are good or bad, but the consequences will be felt most probably for years. So let us all unite our experience and skills and make the best of this situation.

And to end with a quote and a song:

The revolution will not be televised, The revolution will be live 

Below a draft of the measures proposed by the Voice of the Entrepreneur:

Aco Momcilovic

Member of The Voice of the Entrepreneur Group (Visit the Glas Poduzetnika Facebook page here)

Owner of FutureHR

You can connect with Aco Momcilovic via LinkedIn.

MARCH 23, 2020 CROATIA TRAVEL UPDATE

March 20, 2020 - As the coronavirus dominates, a Croatia travel update on flights, ferries, trains, buses, borders and self-isolation. 

Things are changing very quickly as the coronavirus crisis escalates in Europe. A Croatia travel update on what is - and is not - open or running. 

Croatia Travel Update: Are the borders of Croatia open? 

This is the latest official information from HAK on the situation at the borders of Croatia. For the latest information (in English), check out the HAK website. 

Transit passengers information, if travelling through Republic of Croatia:

• use motorways only;
• use the following rest areas only: Novska jug, Novska sjever, Kozjak jug, Prokljan sjever, Draganić sjever, Draganić jug, Bačva and Ravna Gora;
• during breaks keep distance between You and other people;
• obey the rules of Civil protection or police officers.

At all border crossings with Croatia inbound traffic is allowed only to Croatian citizens (14-day isolation mandatory) as well as for some special groups of people, such as medical personnel, scientists, eldercare personnel, cross-border workers, freight traffic, diplomats, police officers, civil protection teams, international organizations members, militaries and transit passengers.

At the border crossings with Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro traffic is suspended for all vehicles, except for the citizens of these countries as well as for freight vehicles.

At Bogojevo (Erdut) border crossing all passenger traffic is closed.

Traffic is closed at the following border crossings:

• at Goričan border crossing, detour: Goričan junction-ŽC2026-DC3;
• at Dvor and Vitaljina border crossings - open only to passenger traffic;
• at Gunja border crossing - there is a traffic ban on freight vehicles and buses.

Due to traffic bans on freight vehicles in Slovenia long delays should be expected in freight traffic at Bregana/Obrežje and Macelj/Gruškovje border crossings starting 1 June.

Croatia Travel Update: Are the ferries in Croatia running normally?

Domestic ferries are running as normal. This is the latest update from HAK:

807 Dubrovnik-Koločep-Lopud-Suđurađ ship does not operate from 2pm till 4.30pm.

Split-Ancona international line does not operate till 1 April, Dubrovnik-Bari till 19 April 2020.

Other ferries operate regularly.

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

As reported earlier on TCN, Jadrolinija is now requesting that passengers make their ticket purchases online or via their app. 

You can check the latest from Jadrolinija on their website.

Croatia Travel Update: What is the situation with train travel in Croatia?

The latest HAK update on the railways:

All information about changes in schedule made due to COVID-19 regarding Croatian and international railway traffic you can get here.

Due to repair work passengers are transported by buses so delays are possible on the following sections:

- between Dugo Selo and Križevci railway stations (on the rail state border-Botovo-Dugo Selo)

- between Zaprešić and Zabok railway stations (on the rail Zaprešić-Čakovec)

- between Sunja and Sisak Caprag railway stations (on the rail Zagreb-Sisak-Novska)

- between Ogulin and Moravice railway stations (on the rail Zagreb-Rijeka).

International railway traffic:

Railway traffic is suspended towards Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Serbia and Hungary.

Croatia Travel Update: What is the situation with flights to Croatia?

The closing of the EU external borders took effect today, a measure that will last for 30 days. As such, all international flights outside EU borders have now been cancelled. There are still flights to Zagreb within EU borders, and so there is not a total flight ban, as ExYuAviation noted a few days ago:

The EU travel will only partially affect Croatia. Under the plan, only visitors from non-EU states will not be allowed to enter the region unless they are long-term residents of the EU, family members of EU nationals, diplomats, cross-border commuters, or essential workers like doctors, nurses, and researchers. The majority of Croatia Airlines’ network is concentrated within the EU, however, plummeting demand and various national restrictions will see the carrier cancel at least nine return flights today, among which are services to cities outside of the block such as Sarajevo and Skopje. Furthermore, flights from Zagreb to Copenhagen, Vienna and Munich have also been cancelled so far today. Despite the new circumstances, Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate their flights to the Croatian capital today.

HOWEVER, checking the Zagreb airport departures page today, there were two non-EU flights which appeared to depart - Croatia Airlines to Sarajevo, and Qatar Airways to Doha. Here is the Zagreb Airport departures page for the latest info. Contact your airline for the latest news regarding your flight. 

Croatia Airlines also have a dedicated information page on which of their flights are going, as well as flight cancellations.

Internal flights within Croatia remain available, as do some to other EU countries. Dubrovnik Airport is closed, however, due to a coronavirus infection. You can see which internal flights are available from Split here - all international flights to the coast have stopped. 

We have had a LOT of emails asking what will happen with flight cancellations, and will things be ok in May, June and beyond. Obviously, we have no idea how things will develop. With the 30-day international ban, most flights are already cancelled. We hope the situation will improve, but recommend you check with your individual airline, who will be better informed than us. If there are any major announcements, we will publish them on TCN. Please do not contact us with individual queries about your flight, as we have limited resources currently and are unable to help more than this update.

READER INFO UPDATE (added after publication)

A booking was made today (Friday) for travel starting from Split on Sunday by US citizen to US.

Sunday: Separate domestic leg SPU-ZAG.Monday, from Zagreb: ZAG-BRU-EWR (Newark, NJ). United Airlines.

Croatia Travel Update: Are buses running in Croatia?

Yes they are, but at reduced capacity in many cases. I don't have a good resource for national information (if anyone does, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will add). One of the biggest operators, Croatia Bus, stopped all routes temporarily due to COVID-19 (source Zagreb Bus Station Facebook page).

Zagreb Bus Station has published a number to call - 072 500 400 - to check if your bus is running. 

In other more localised bus news by TCN, there is free local bus travel in Dubrovnik, and here is a recent update from Split bus station. 

Please note that the issue of restricting internal travel has been raised, as part of the strategy to contain the virus, so it could well happy soon that there are few, is any, buses available. 

Croatia Travel Update: What are the self-isolation rules for people arriving, who do they apply to, and what is the procedure?

There has been a lot of confusion about the mandatory 14-day self-isolation requirements, what they entail and how they are enforced, as well as who they apply to.  I am very grateful to Lauren Simmonds for this excellent overview, having contacted and worked through various sources of conflicting information. Check out Lauren's guide to self-isolation in Croatia here. 

The Croatian Government has launched a new information website to coordinate all information about coronavirus in Croatia, called Koronavirus.hr. This includes a page (in Croatian - Google Translate is your friend) called Going on a Trip? 

If you have any reliable information to improve the resource above, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will update if relevant. 

For the latest on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.  

Stay safe! 

ZAGREB, March 20, 2020 - Between 24 February and 15 March, during the coronavirus outbreak, Croatians spent HRK 300 million (€40m) more on food, beverages, personal hygiene and chemicals than at the same time last year, the GfK market research agency says.

Analysing 20 million shopping baskets, or ranges of products sold in the reported period, GfK found that Croatians mostly bought salt, frozen ready-to-eat meals, tinned meat and fish, wine and spirits.

The list of 20 products with the highest increases in sales is topped by salt, with a sales increase of 290%. Flour and yeast, which, along with toilet paper, have become synonymous with "coronavirus shopping", ranked 6th and 7th respectively, soap ranked 20th and toilet paper was 31st among 130 products analysed.

In the first three weeks of coronavirus shopping frenzy, wine and spirits sold better than soap. Delicatessen salads, rice, tinned fruit and vegetables, sugar, creams and lotions, cakes and toilet cleaning agents also recorded excellent sales.

On the other hand, fish delicatessen and hair removers topped the list of 20 products that recorded the sharpest drops in sales in the first three weeks of the coronavirus epidemic. Frozen fruit, fresh bakery products, sparkling water drinks, beer and boxes of chocolates also sold less.

Online sales increased by as much as 51%, while farm produce markets saw their sales decline by 8%. Bakeries and small retail shops also saw their market shares shrink.

The retail chains Konzum Super, Konzum Klik, Plodine, Spar, Tommy, dm and Bipa increased their market shares during the reported period.

The survey has showed that shoppers aged below 34 did not spend a penny more than they normally do, those aged 35-40 slightly increased their spending, while those above 45 spent considerably more.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, March 20, 2020 - Hospital beds are being installed In Zagreb Arena sports hall for patients who are not in a serious condition and who are being cared for in local hospitals, and their transfer will be organised, in necessary, to free up hospital capacities for coronavirus patients.

Patients will be transferred to Arena from hospitals to free up the capacity for patients infected with COVID-19, if necessary, the National Civil Protection Authority said on Friday.

The beds are being installed by members of the civil protection.

The Croatian Army personnel on Thursday started erecting tents and an expeditionary camp in front of the Clinical Hospital Dubrava in Zagreb, with a capacity of 270 beds for coronavirus patients, and the tents will be erected by Saturday.

It is a self-sufficient camp for extreme conditions made to be used in field conditions, but it is also intended for civilian use in case of humanitarian disasters.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, March 20, 2020 - The Croatian Association of Hospital Physicians (HUBOL) on Friday said that healthcare facilities were unevenly prepared for the coronavirus epidemic, while reports and inquiries from their members indicate that there is a lack of protective and other equipment in hospitals.

HUBOL reiterated that Health Minister Vili Beroš had declared an epidemic, mobilised hospital staff and banned them from going on holiday. These were the first mandatory measures, while most of the previous measures by the national civil protection team had been on the level of recommendations.

Reports and inquiries by HUBOL's members indicate they fear there is a lack of personal protective and other equipment, which puts healthcare workers, patients and the entire healthcare system at risk.

"A great deal of disparity has been noticed between health institutions, regarding the preparations to brace for the epidemic, as well as a lack of local protocols, while some health services made their own protocols based on recommendations by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), all thanks to extraordinary effort and enthusiasm of individuals."

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.