November 11, 2021 - At least two Zagreb faculties have decided to adopt tighter epidemiological measures, thus introducing the requirement for COVID certificates from their students. The Faculty of Philosophy is moving to online classes, while at the Veterinary School they will check the certificates before each lecture.

From Monday, COVID certificates became mandatory for employees in all state and public institutions, including educational institutions. While we are still waiting for details on their application for the school system, which, according to the announcement of minister Radovan Fuchs, should be known by tomorrow, it is known that school students will not have to get COVID certificates, reports Telegram.hr.

For faculty students, on the other hand, at least in two Zagreb faculties COVID certificates will become mandatory. The Faculties of Veterinary Medicine and Philosophy in Zagreb sent a letter to their students informing them that they would have to have COVID certificates to enter their faculties. One of these two Zagreb faculties is the Faculty of Philosophy, which has switched to online classes from November 15 to 26, and after that, entrance will be controlled to ensure each student presents both a COVID certificate and an Index. The faculty will reimburse its employees for the cost of testing done by November 28th.

Veterinary students will not be able to attend any form of classes, nor stay on the faculty premises without a COVID certificate, decided dean Nenad Turk. In a letter to the students, he states that the certificates will be checked before each lecture and that the absence from classes due to the lack of a certificate will be the same as the absence due to other reasons and will have to be justified by medical reference, writes srednja.hr.

Students at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb, who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons, must submit proof of this to the office by tomorrow. They will be able to participate in classes with enhanced measures, according to the faculty. They emphasized that wearing masks is mandatory in all enclosed spaces of the faculty.

At the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, they conducted an anonymous survey among students and employees to see how many were vaccinated, and the reasons why they would or have been vaccinated, and the most common answer was: "to normalize life as much as possible." According to that survey, more than 90 percent of employees and about 70 percent of students were vaccinated or contracted COVID. "This ensures a favorable epidemiological situation at the Faculty," they said.

They also explained why they introduced mandatory certificates for students. “We also included students because we believe that students as adults and responsible persons must respect the same measures as all employees and guests of the Faculty, in order to avoid any discrimination and ensure consistency of prescribed measures, in order to protect all our employees and students and safe implementation of the teaching process”, said the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and are waiting for instructions from the Ministry to decide who will cover the costs of testing.

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ZAGREB, 11 Nov, 2021 - Those who have received the third dose of the vaccine, got infected with COVID-19 even after getting vaccinated with two doses or got infected for the second time will receive a COVID certificate that will be valid one year after the last event, the Jutarnji List daily said on Thursday.

However, the IT part of the job has not been entirely figured out so citizens cannot receive new certification with the new duration date just yet, the daily wrote, citing the Croatian Public Health Institute. Until this is resolved, only old COVID certificates will be available.

The duration of COVID certificates has already been extended in Croatia once, in September, from six to 12 months, but citizens are now more frequently opting for a booster.

Experts claim that there is no doubt that the third, booster dose, as well as an infection after inoculation or a new infection significantly increase immunity, possibly even longer than a year, the daily wrote.

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ZAGREB, 10 November, 2021 - Croatia, together with other member states of the European Union, is participating in talks on a joint public procurement of two new COVID-19 drugs, Večernji List daily reported on Wednesday.

"We have joined the European Commission's (EC) public procurement to be able to adequately treat our patients. An expert commission will determine the quantities of each drug to be procured for Croatia," Health Minister Vili Beroš said, as carried by the daily.

The European Medicines Agency has started a review of the available data on Merck's medicine against COVID, molnupiravir, to enable interested countries to start with the procurement and use of the medicine as soon as possible, even before it is officially authorised.

At the same time, according to diplomatic sources, the EU is negotiating with Merck, but also with Pfizer, the producer of an antiviral pill, about possible purchase agreements for a drug that would be used to treat COVID patients.

Both pharmaceutical companies have developed drugs that change the course of the infection in clinical trials, and taking them after the onset of symptoms reduces the risk of the severity of the infection and death: Merck's by 50% and Pfizer's by 89%. Both drugs are given for 5 days and are intended for home use.

ZAGREB, 10 November, 2021 - On Tuesday 15,204 persons received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the highest number since June, and a total of 24,505 doses were administered, the most since July, the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) said on Wednesday.

That was the highest number of first doses since 10 June, when 16,258 were given, and the highest number of total doses since 8 July, when 28,640 were given.

HZJZ director Krunoslav Capak said that after the summer break, citizens had evidently decided to get vaccinated in greater numbers. "We are happy with this decision, both for those who decided to get a first dose and those who decided to get a second or third dose."

"After a year and a half of living in a pandemic, it's clear to everyone that vaccination is the way out. Only with vaccination can we keep our jobs and our children in school," he said.

ZAGREB, 10 November, 2021 - In the last 24 hours 7,315 coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia, the highest daily number of new cases since the start of the pandemic, Croatian Television reported on Wednesday.

A week ago today there were 4,573 new cases and two weeks ago today 4,571.

Yesterday 4,966 new cases were reported as well as 59 deaths, the highest number of deaths in the fourth wave of the pandemic.

November the 10th, 2021 - If you've been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, here in Croatia, you can request your Croatian covid certificate, sometimes wrongly referred to as a ''passport''. Here's how you can do it, when you can do it, and how long they're now valid for.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a Croatian covid certificate can be obtained by all individuals who have been vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca), or by persons who have been vaccinated with two doses of different vaccines which are to be received in two doses (for example, the person has received their first dose of AstraZeneca, and their second vaccine was Pfizer).

Croatian covid certificates can also be obtained by those who have been vaccinated with a single dose vaccine (Janssen). In all of the above cases, the certificate will be valid for 365 days from the day of the second dose vaccination, or their first, if they've had the Janssen vaccine. In the case of the Janssen vaccine, people may request confirmation no sooner than the fifteenth day after having received their vaccine.

Individuals vaccinated with the first dose of the two-dose vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna) may request confirmation on day 22 following the first dose of the vaccine. The certificate will be valid for 42 days from the date of administration of the vaccine. It will then be renewed and bumped up to one year of validity following their second dose.

People vaccinated with the first dose of the other vaccine given in two doses (AstraZeneca) can ask for confirmation on the 22nd day after receiving the first dose of the vaccine. The certificate will be valid for 84 days from the date of administration of the vaccine. It will then be renewed and bumped up to one year of validity following their second dose.

Croatian covid certificates can also be requested by persons who have been vaccinated with one dose of the vaccine received in two doses (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca) and who have proof of a positive PCR test in the past 180 days from the day of receiving the vaccine. They can request a certificate from the day of vaccination, and the certificate will be valid for 365 days from the day of receipt of the vaccine as long as they can present proof of them having contracted and recovered from the virus as stated.

Persons who have received a booster dose or a third dose of a vaccine typically received in two doses may request a new Croatian covid certificate which will be valid from the day of their vaccination with their booster, which will then be valid for 365 days.

People who have been vaccinated with a single dose vaccine (Janssen) and then received an additional booster dose of another vaccine (one which is typically received in two doses) can request a new certificate from the date of their booster, and that document will be valid for 365 days in this case as well.

These rules apply to all vaccines for which a Croatian covid certificate can currently be issued.

You can obtain your certificate at any Croatian pharmacy by presenting proof of your vaccination and showing a form of photo ID. If you have access to e-Gradjani (as a resident), you can also obtain it that way.

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November the 10th, 2021 - As coronavirus infection numbers continue to remain at concerning levels across the Republic of Croatia, the vaccination effort has been ramped up in numerous placed. The Dr. Andrija Stampar Institute has stated that there are now eight new Zagreb mass coronavirus vaccination points open to the public.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Dr. Andrija Stampar Institute has released a fully updated list of Zagreb mass coronavirus vaccination points which have been in operation since Tuesday, November the 9th in various locations across the Croatian capital.

At the Zagreb Fair (Zagrebacki Velesajam), which has been a mass vaccination point since almost the beginning of the vaccine rollout in the country, people can come and get vaccinated against the novel virus from 14:30 to 19:00. They also noted from the Dr. Andrija Stampar Institute that all people who arrive by 19:00 will be definitely be able to be vaccinated and won't be told to come back another day if there is crowding, even if this means that vaccination for that day has to continue after 19:00.

Vaccination has also been made possible as of November the 9th at eight new Zagreb mass coronavirus vaccination points in health centres from 14:00 to 20:00. A list of health centres where you can get vaccinated at the moment in the city can be accessed by clicking here.

At the Croatian Institute of Public Health's coronavirus vaccination point at 64a Radoslava Cimermana in Kajzerica, people can come and be vaccinated from 14:00 to 18:00.

Seven pharmacies in the City of Zagreb, with the specification in this case that the vaccine must be pre-ordered, will also be providing a coronavirus vaccination service, and their list, as well as all updated information relating to it can be found here.

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ZAGREB, 9 November, 2021 - In the past 24 hours Croatia has registered 4,966 new cases of the infection with coronavirus and 59 COVID patients have died, which has been the highest daily fatality number so far, the national COVID response team reported on Tuesday.

There are currently 1,952 hospitalised COVID patients and of them, 253 are on ventilators.

At the same time, there are 30,381 active cases in the country and 22,408 people are self-isolating.

To date, a total of 3,197,585 tests have been taken with 12,925 samples taken in the past 24 hours.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been 507,535 registered cases of the contagion in Croatia and 9,605 people have died, while 467,549 people have recovered.

ZAGREB, 9 Novmber, 2021 - Eight more COVID-19 vaccination points have been set up in community health centres in Zagreb, where vaccination will be administered in the afternoon hours as of Tuesday, Mayor Tomislav Tomašević announced.

In the eight community health centres across the city, vaccination will be available every day between 2pm and 8pm, as well as at the weekend, the mayor told a press conference.

2/3 of adults in Zagreb vaccinated against coronavirus

Tomašević said that 56.6 per cent of the total population, or 67.7 percent of the adult population, of the capital had been vaccinated. This is the highest vaccination rate in the country, but is not enough, he stressed, noting that more and more young people are coming to get vaccinated.

Speaking of COVID certificates, the mayor said that the city administration would act in the same way as the state administration, meaning that COVID certificates will be mandatory in all city institutions both for staff and for service users.

November 9, 2021 - Minister of Science and Education, Radovan Fuchs said that the Ministry of Science and Education is currently agreeing on a mechanism and method of testing for COVID in the education system, three options are being considered for testing teachers, and the exact method of testing will be known by Friday.

"A testing variant will be introduced for all who need to be tested. So, those who have covid-certificates will show certificates and will not need to be tested," the minister said.

The mechanism and method of testing are currently being agreed upon, and there are three options on the table, said Fuchs, testing teachers in authorized institutions, such as laboratories, testing in schools, and the possibility of self-testing, reports Index.hr.

"We will know by Friday, after taking into account all the pros and cons in terms of the possible and most effective. We will define and write this in the decision, as well as the decision to act and test in health facilities," Fuchs told reporters on the eve of the sessions of the National Council for Monitoring the Implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy.

It's about 120,000 people

He noted that this is a total of 120,000 people, when kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and the higher education system are taken into account, and in the primary and secondary education system itself there are slightly less than 60,000 employees.

"If 45 percent of them are unvaccinated, and I don't know exactly how many got over it, then we're talking about testing about 30,000 people. That's not so little'', he noted. 

It must be taken into account, he added, that testing teachers should be done every two days, but also that it should be done before the teacher enters the classroom and starts teaching.

"It's not quite simple, but we intend to write it all down in the instructions so that there aren't too many problems," Fuchs pointed out.

He also said that testing of children is not being considered at the moment, but that it will be considered if necessary.

“Teachers are certainly responsible people,” he pointed out. "I don't think they'll just go by the 'I really care about my students and my kids' system. I believe most of them will, if necessary, conduct rapid antigen tests," he added.

Boras: The University will respect the decisions of the Headquarters

Rector of the University of Zagreb Damir Boras pointed out that the University cooperates well with the Civil Protection Headquarters and that it will "always strictly adhere to things concerning COVID", noting that the University can make an autonomous decision on the introduction of covid certificates.

The university has its own headquarters which is currently sitting and considering the possibility of introducing covid-certificates. "In any case, we must protect ourselves and we will respect the decisions of the Headquarters. So, there will either be covid-certificates, or vaccination certificates or prescribed testing," the rector said.

"My personal opinion is that everyone should be vaccinated. Of course, I accept that there is a right of people not to be vaccinated, but some categories of employees, professionals, no longer have that right. I would say, for example, that medical professionals made their decision when they started practicing medicine and since then they have to respect the profession, "Boras told reporters.

Asked whether the University will give a stronger recommendation than before, Boras replied that the University has already given a strong recommendation, and it is to respect the decisions of the State Staff, which, he reiterated, communicates excellently and daily with members of the University Staff. The university was founded before the state ".

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