ZAGREB, 8 July 2021 - Of 4,105 tests performed for coronavirus in Croatia in the last 24 hours, 110 or 2.7% have turned out to be positive, the national COVID-19 crisis management team stated on Thursday.

Currently, there are 624 active cases, including 121 hospitalized patients, of whom three are placed on ventilators.

In the last 24 hours, the COVID-related death toll has risen by two to 8,226.

Since the first registered case of the infection with this novel virus in Croatia on 25 February 2020, as many as 2,180,970 tests have been performed showing that 360,593 people have contracted the virus. Of them, 351,743 have recovered so far, including 80 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 2,741,251 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to date.

More than 1.52 million Croatians have been given at least one shot while 1,214,375 have fully been immunized.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 7 July, 2021 - In the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 141 new cases of coronavirus, while three people have died as a consequence of the infection, the national COVID response team reported on Wednesday.

Currently, there are 596 active cases in the country, including 120 hospitalised patients, 6 of whom are on ventilators, and 3,673 people are in self-isolation.

A total of 2,176,865 tests have been conducted today, including 4,982 in the past 24 hours.

As of 6 July, 2,714,126 doses of vaccines have been administered, with 1,518,820 people having received at least one dose and 1,195,306 having received both shots.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case of the contagion was detected in Croatia, there have been 360,483 positive cases of coronavirus, 8,224 people have died and 351,663 have recovered from the infection, including 70 in the last 24 hours.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 6 July, 2021 - In the last 24 hours, of 5,103 tests performed for coronavirus in Croatia,  1.9%, that is 96, have turned out to be positive, the national COVID-19 crisis management team stated on Tuesday.

Currently, there are 528 active cases, including 132 hospitalised patients, of whom 10 are placed on ventilators.

In the last 24 hours, the COVID-related death toll has risen by two to 8,221.

Since the first registered case of the infection with this novel virus in Croatia on 25 February 2020, as many as 2,171,883 tests have been performed showing that 360,342 people have contracted the virus. Of them, 351,593 have recovered so far, including 65 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

The Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) reported on Tuesday that 37.3% of the total population or 45% of the adult population had been vaccinated to date.

A total of 2,687,515 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to date.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 5th, 2021 - On Monday, the Zadar County Civil Protection Headquarters made a decision, which was confirmed by the National Headquarters, on introducing what are deemed to be necessary new epidemiological measures in Zadar County - a ban on all types of concerts and similar events in open areas.

Jutarnji List reports that the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia, on July 5, 2021, has decided to introduce the necessary epidemiological measure for the area of ​​Zadar County.

The following is being introduced:

The necessary measure in item I of this Decision is: A ban on holding all types of concerts (live music) and similar events in open areas where it is impossible to control the persons present.

The staff of local self-government units is in charge of intensifying compliance with the prescribed epidemiological measures.

The necessary epidemiological measure referred to in this Decision shall be determined until 18 July 2021.

This Decision shall be published in Narodne Novine (Official Gazette) and shall enter into force on 6 July 2021.

Davor Božinović, Chief of the National Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, has signed this decision.

According to the Headquarters, the decision will be in force until July 18 this year, and it was made, according to the Headquarters, in agreement at a meeting with representatives of local self-government units in Zadar County.

This decision comes after the COVID-19 outbreak in Zadar County; for the past few weeks, most new cases of infection within the country have come from Zadar County. 

For all, you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 5 July 2021 - In the past 24 hours, nine coronavirus cases and one death have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Monday.

There are 499 active cases, including 140 hospitalized patients, 11 of whom are on ventilators, while 3,817 persons are self-isolating.

Croatia has registered 360,246 coronavirus cases to date, 8,219 COVID deaths, and 351,528 recoveries, including 67 in the past 24 hours.

To date, 2,166,780 persons have been tested for the virus, including 1,618 in the past 24 hours, and 2,669,307 COVID vaccines have been administered, with 1,508,083 persons having received at least one dose and 1,161,224 both.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

July the 5th, 2021 - The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is on the road to becoming the dominant strain currently in circulation in Croatia, and with a mere 35 percent of the Croatian population fully vaccinated, questions are being asked.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, following ten more than impressive weeks of a steady decline in the number of new infections, Croatia unfortunately now has growth of 22 percent when compared to the week before, owing to the presence of the Delta variant of the virus. The Croatian Institute of Public Health is not satisfied with the number of vaccinated people.

"Unfortunately, we aren't satisfied with the percentage of vaccinated people we hoped to have. We all wanted to vaccinate more than 50 percent of the total Croatian population during June, but sadly our numbers in that regard are much lower. Only about 35 percent of the total Croatian population has been vaccinated, which isn't enough for them to be calm and to be able to live according to the old normal,'' said epidemiologist Dijana Mayer.

The highly contagious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is spreading rapidly across Europe and will almost certainly become dominant in Croatia as well, as it has in the likes of the United Kingdom which has rightly been hailed for its enviable vaccination rollout. As a precaution, many countries are stepping up their now extremely boring epidemiological measures once again. All returnees from high-risk countries, of which neighbouring Slovenia, for example, considers about 40 to be, must once again enter a ten day self-isolation period.

The European Centre for Disease Control estimates that by the end of August, the Delta strain will account for 90 percent of all new cases of infection across the European Union. Those who haven't been vaccinated yet, as well as younger people who perhaps are still waiting, have been warned to be careful.

According to the World Health Organisation, the Delta strain has already spread to 100 countries, HRT reports.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

July 4th, 2021 - Croatia shopping malls against digital covid vaccination card and negative test.

Marko Župa, communications manager of the Westgate Shopping City shopping center, told RTL television that the directive according to which it will be possible to enter shopping malls only with a digital covid certificate and a negative covid test is completely illegal.

"Three years ago, the GDPR came into force, it is a European directive, which, for example, in this particular case prevents us from asking our visitors, our employees, employees of our stores their health status. So in this legal part, this completely fails," said Župa.

"As for the techniques themselves, when this legal part would be resolved, and it is not so easy, we should, for example, employ 22 full-time people in our shopping center to scan certificates throughout the day. The first question is who will pay these people themselves because it is a certain amount of at least 120 thousand kuna per month," added the communications manager of Westgate Shopping City.

Župa said that the second question was who should pay for the tests and added that Croatian society would be divided into vaccinated and unvaccinated.

"Those who are not vaccinated will then live in some separate blocks, use shops where there will be only unvaccinated people, and so on," said Župa for RTL television.

The Croatian Institute of Public Health has confirmed that this measure is being considered for shopping centers and other facilities. It remains unknown, however, who should cover the cost.

"I first ask the question of the morality of such a decision in general. Secondly, I ask about the normality of such a decision because, in my opinion, it is completely insane. So it happens that we want to segregate society into vaccinated people and those who are not vaccinated. And again, as with so many other topics, we return to shopping malls. Well, here is an open question, will we look at who is vaccinated and who is not vaccinated at the entrance to the church or some third facilities, sports facilities?" said Župa.

He added that Westgate has fantastic communication with the National Civil Protection Headquarters, but they found out about this idea from the media.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

July the 4th, 2021 - The Croatian Civil Protection Directorate is planning for the even wider use of the controversial ''covid passports'', and the plans, although not set in stone yet, could irritate a lot of people.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the vaccine against the novel coronavirus isn't going to be made mandatory, nor are there any plans to change the law to allow for that, but people who don't have possession of the covid-digital certificate will be very limited in what they can do, Jutarnji list writes on Saturday.

As the Croatian Civil Protection Directorate told Jutarnji list, everything can be “elegantly” solved by, for example, introducing the obligation that every person who enters a health institution or hospital, be they an employee or a patient (of course except in emergencies) must have a digital covid certificate.

In translation, if this does occur, if an employee hasn't been vaccinated or can't prove that they have recovered from the disease, in order to come to work they will have to be tested every 48 hours. If someone is a patient and there is nothing urgent to be dealt with there and then, there can be no entry into the hospital.

This was partly confirmed by the Minister of Health Vili Beros for Index, saying that they are considering introducing testing when entering hospitals to ensure safety, but also that health professionals work for as long as their covid-confirmation lasts or be tested for the presence of the virus every 48 hours.

However, given the information Jutarnji received from the Croatian Civil Protection Directorate, in the foreseeable future it is expected that something similar will be prescribed for the entire public sector and beyond.

“First of all, we're going in the direction of vaccinating the people who are in the greatest contact with other people. These are drivers in public transport, teachers, professors, educators, healthcare workers, people who work at counters or are otherwise in daily contact with a large number of people. Our goal is to prevent the spread of the disease and create conditions so that in autumn, we don't end up with the same wave we had last year,'' explained Beros.

By all accounts, this will be a way to start living as before, at least for those who have a QR code or a certificate proving that they have recovered from the disease, that they have been vaccinated or that they have been tested within the last 48 hours.

This decision from the Croatian Civil Protection Directorate, as Jutarnji unofficially finds out, will probably concern even shopping centres, where people who have certificates could walk around freely without a mask and without maintaining social distancing. The only difference from the time before the coronavirus pandemic would be the reading of the code at the entrance to such centres.

''According to the information we have, it is very likely that in the near future entry into all larger spaces, which include shopping centres, will be possible only with a covid certificate/confirmation,'' reports Jutarnji list.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

July the 3rd, 2021 - Even without the controversial ''covid passports'' which have only become available relatively recently, Croatian tourism growth is encouraging to say the least. With 50 percent better results for Croatian tourism growth in the first six months of 2021, things appear to be looking up.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, despite the announcements of the fourth wave of the pandemic potentially approaching, the interest of tourists for holidays in Croatia is failing to wane, and the results from the first half of this year confirm that the vaccination programme has increased optimism. During the first six months of 2021, there were 2.6 million arrivals and 11.8 million overnight stays realised in Croatia, which is 54 percent more arrivals and 53 percent more overnight stays than in the same period last year. At the same time, foreign tourists realised 9.1 million overnight stays, while domestic tourists realised 2.7 million overnight stays.

German tourists are the most numerous

The largest number of overnight stays was realised by foreign guests from Germany (2.4 million), Slovenia (1.5 million), Austria (987,000), Poland (866,000) and the Czech Republic (681,000).

According to the type of accommodation, most overnight stays were realised in household/private facilities, hotels and camps, the Ministry of Tourism reported yesterday.

"We're extremely satisfied with the results of the 2021 tourist year so far and the announcements for the months ahead. At the moment, 425,000 tourists are staying in Croatia, which is about 100,000 more than at the same time last year. In the coming weeks, the peak of the season awaits us, and we must all be aware that the precondition for the further continuation of such results is a favourable epidemiological situation in Croatia. The recognisability of Croatia as a safe destination for which tourists choose our country gives us the opportunity for better financial results and the continued development of tourism, and thus faster economic recovery,'' said Minister of Tourism and Sport, Nikolina Brnjac.

As it is known, Covid certificates came into force throughout the EU and in Croatia as of the 1st of July, combined with new measures that will be more relaxed for the holders of these certificates, and will enable people with EU digital certificates to participate in various events without limiting the number of participants or time spent.

Direct flights as a further Croatian tourism growth boost

As has previously been written, the situation with freedom of travel within the EU is likely not going to be quite as previously expected or hope due to the penetration of the Delta strain virus into some countries such as Portugal. At the same time, a lot is expected from direct flights from the USA to Croatia.

The two major US airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, are launching their routes from New York to Dubrovnik this week.

For more, follow our travel section.

July 2, 2021 - Chief of the Civil Protection Headquarters Davor Božinović announced a new decision on masks in Croatia for people in digital Covid certificate areas. 

In the last 24 hours, 92 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection were recorded, and the number of active cases in Croatia today is a total of 544, the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia announced on Friday morning.

Among them, 139 patients are in hospital, of which 13 are on a respirator. Compared to yesterday, there are no new patients on the respirator. Three people died.

The Chief of the Civil Protection Headquarters and Deputy Prime Minister Davor Božinović announced at a press conference that a new decision had been made on the use of masks, reports Index.hr.

"Protective masks, medical masks will not have to be worn in all circumstances when there are people in the area who have a digital Covid certificate. Digital Covid certificates will be a substitute for wearing face masks in more and more situations. Specifically, at our next press conference, with us on one side and you on the other, we will have digital Covid certificates, and we will hold the conference without masks," said Božinović.

The director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic, Alemka Markotić, also called on the citizens to get vaccinated so that our hospitals would not be full again.

“Although there are not many patients in our hospitals, we have seen a lot in the last year and a half, and we do not want to see it again, but we could again. There are two reasons why such images from hospitals could be viewed again. First, the Delta Variant is spreading rapidly, and second, the population has not been vaccinated enough. If we take the United Kingdom and their 48 percent, we will see that it is insufficient. We are faced with a choice of vaccination, or the zimmer frei will remain free, children will be in online classes, the elderly will be closed off, and we will refill hospitals and cemeteries. Let’s not be cowards; let’s lend a shoulder for those two little jabs. If we get vaccinated, we can have a normal life," concluded Markotić.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.