May the 23rd, 2021 - Croatian home coronavirus tests are coming. Much like in several other European countries where home coronavirus tests have been the norm for quite some time now, such as in the United Kingdom, Croatia is set to introduce such an option to take the pressure off testing sites and make the entire procedure much easier.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Dolores Peruc, head of the microbiological department of the NZZJZ PGZ, announced the arrival of Croatian home coronavirus tests, which will make life easier for everyone wanting to see if they are infected with the novel virus or not.

“These are screening tests. They're actually designed to be positive in the first five days of illness. They must have a sensitivity of more than 90 percent and a specificity of more than 97 percent.

Another important point is how the sample is taken - this test that will arrive to Croatian pharmacies are intended for use as nasal swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs and those for the oropharynx, but we must say that the nasopharyngeal swab is the most sensitive of all and if the swab is taken correctly we can detect an active COVID-19 infection people,'' explained Dolores Peruc.

All testing tools come in a special package, and according to the announcements, Croatian home coronavirus tests will be sold in pharmacies without any need for a prescription at a price of about 100 kuna.

"In no European Union (EU) country are these so-called self-tests recognised as diagnostic, but if you prove yourself to be positive on one of them then you need to arrange to have a diagnostic test, if you're negative, the instructions also say that this test is not difinitive proof that you are indeed negative," stated the Croatian Institute of Public Health's director, Krunoslav Capak.

The first Croatian home coronavirus tests will probably appear on the shelves of wholesalers next week, and then will be made available for purchase by the general public in the country's pharmacies, Nova TV reports.

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 centres across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

May the 23rd, 2021 - The epidemiological situation across Croatia continues to become more and more favourable, with infection rates dropping and the vaccination rollout picking up its pace as time goes on. With things looking far more positive, Krunoslav Capak, the director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, has encouragingly stated that we're edging closer and closer to the ''old normal' we took for granted before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as the tourist season rapidly approaches and coronavirus cases continue on their downward trend, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic spoke about the somewhat controversial topic of so-called ''Covid passports'' and where Croatia currently stands.

"Croatia, as a country which relies heavily on tourism, has a strong motive to see all these solutions dealt with at the EU level, to be ready for its implementation as soon as possible. Our test was the first and we were the first to pass it successfully, not because we were first in line, but because some others weren't ready. We've done that part and we're ready. What has been published is legislation at the EU level. It's important that the certificates aren't referred to as travel documents, they're certificates that can confirm in a credible way for each person that the person has recovered, that they've been vaccinated or that they've tested negative", said Bozinovic.

"As for the parliament, I think the decision will be made on June the 7th, but that doesn't prevent us from starting to these certificates earlier. We have a week ahead of us in which we'll need to think about the new measures, given that the existing ones expire on May the 30th. Until then, we'll see in which direction to go further with concessions,'' he added.

''People who cannot be or haven't yet been vaccinated will not have to pay to be tested,'' Bozinovic assured.

Croatian test events: Everyone present returned a negative coronavirus test result.

When asked if the results of the pilot project had arrived since last week, Krunoslav Capak replied that they had results from the business event. There were 86 people who were vaccinated, and 32 who were vaccinated on the spot. "They're all negative," he said, which is extremely encouraging as we attempt to return to something like the old normal we were all so used to.

The second test event a wedding. "They were also all tested yesterday and we don't have a single positive test," Krunoslav Capak said.

"This is proof that in this way, if we provide access to the vaccinated, the sick and the tested, we can organise such events. We're close to teturning to the old normal ", Krunoslav Capak assured.

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

ZAGREB, 22 May 2021 - In the past 24 hours 518 coronavirus cases and 27 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Saturday.

The number of active cases is 4,361 and 1,217 patients are hospitalised, including 123 on ventilators, while 15,804 persons are self-isolating.

To date 1,965,385 persons have been tested for the virus, including 6,497 in the past 24 hours, and 353,735 cases of infection have been registered, including 7,883 fatalities and 341,491 recoveries, of which 763 in the past 24 hours.

To date 1,549,368 vaccine doses have been administered, with 1,157,655 persons receiving the first and 391,713 both doses.

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

ZAGREB, 22 May 2021 - Germany has taken Croatia off the red list of countries with a high risk of coronavirus, the Robert Koch Institute said on Friday, a step that will facilitate travel to Germany.

As of midnight on Sunday, Croatia will no longer be considered a high-risk but a risk region, the federal institute of epidemiology said.

That means that upon arriving in Germany, travellers from Croatia will not have to go into mandatory ten-day quarantine but produce a negative coronavirus test. Until now they could end quarantine after five days with a negative test.

For those travelling to Germany by plane, a negative test before boarding is still required.

A test is not required for persons who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or have recovered from the disease.

However, travellers from Croatia, like all those arriving in Germany from high-risk or risk regions, must register in advance at the German government's website.

The level of risk has also been reduced for travellers from Slovenia and France. Most countries in Southeast Europe, including Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, were declared risk instead of high-risk regions last week.

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

May 21, 2021 - The latest regarding COVID-19 testing at Croatian airports as Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar should introduce testing locations inside their passenger terminals this summer. 

Two Croatian airports, Split and Zagreb, currently have organized passenger testing for COVID-19. Now, Croatian Aviation reports that Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar airports are introducing the same. By the beginning of the summer season, the mentioned airports will also enable airport testing. 

Zagreb Airport in January this year allowed all passengers en route to Amsterdam to test at the airport, which is not surprising given that the regulations of the Netherlands at that time were such that passengers had to have a rapid test no older than 3 hours from entry into the aircraft, so airport testing was almost imperative.

After the Netherlands removed this measure, Zagreb still allowed testing at the airport (PCR or rapid test), and the same is available on the second floor, at two check-in counters on the right side of the passenger terminal.

We remind you that from April 26, COVID-19 testing is also possible near Split Airport; you can check the working hours HERE.

Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Pula airports (the only ones with Split and Zagreb that currently have international traffic) do not offer the possibility of testing at the airport. Still, all three mentioned airports informed Croatian Aviation that the management is preparing testing locations. By the beginning of the summer season, i.e., when several international lines are launched, everything will be ensured that testing (PCR or rapid test) is available in passenger terminals at Pula, Zadar, and Dubrovnik airports.

Testing at airports is part of the "new normal". Logically, the same will be possible in all Croatian airports, with regular international routes announced this summer. Without this possibility, tourist holidays in Croatia this summer are significantly complicated, so this service should be provided at the starting and ending points when visiting the country. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May the 21st, 2021 - Just how is the Croatian vaccination process going and what is the situation for those who will be leaving their registered place of residence during summer, but need to get their second dose?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, what will the Croatian vaccination process and receiving the second dose of the vaccine look like in the upcoming season which will be full of summer holidays in Croatia with people staying for longer periods outside of their place of residence? All of that was explained the Croatian Institute of Public Health, which has informed people to contact the health services of their places of registered residence.

''There's a possibility that people who will be outside of their place of residence during their planned second dose of the vaccine can be vaccinated before or after going to the coast or even when on holiday with a doctor of their choice or at public health institutes if the recommended vaccination interval allows,'' the Institute stated.

The recommended interval between the first and second dose of Comirnaty (Pfizer) is three to six weeks, Moderna four weeks (it can be extended to six weeks if necessary), and for Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) that recommended interval is between four and twelve weeks.

More practically, the Janssen Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered in just one single dose.

In case of urgent need, it is okay for all of these vaccines to deliver a second dose four days before the earliest recommended date. Alternatively, people can be vaccinated at the place where they will be staying at the scheduled time for their second dose of the vaccine.

''We'd like to note that the organisation and planning of vaccination, given the distribution plan and characteristics of these vaccines (which arrive in certain quantities which are planned for) we require advance information about the planned number of doses and types of vaccines.

Therefore, we'd like to ask people to announce and pre-arrange their second dose of the vaccination with doctors in their place of temporary residence, or at the competent health centre at that location, so that the necessary additional doses can be planned and provided, with a request to understand that this may not always be possible at the requested time,'' they stated from the Institute as the Croatian vaccination process picks up its pace.

Just what will this procedure look like in practice when it comes to tourist areas, primarily in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, whose tourist destinations on the coast and islands see population increases of several times during the summer? Dr. Vladimir Micovic answered this for Novi List.

''The idea is for people to be vaccinated before they leave their places of residence and to get vaccinated in the areas where they live. But of course, if they find themselves in our area, we'll do our best to get them the necessary vaccine. At this end, we'll open up some additional channels for communication. So far, in some cases, we've vaccinated people who don't have registered residence in this area, as well as foreign citizens who live here,'' Micovic explained.

For more on the Croatian vaccination process, make sure to follow our lifestyle section.

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

ZAGREB, 20 May 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 695 new cases of coronavirus infection and 36 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Thursday.

The number of active cases stands at 5,084. There are 1,416 COVID patients in hospitals, 148 of whom are on ventilators, and 17,490 people are in self-isolation.

To date, 1,953,059 people have been tested for the novel virus, including 7,038 in the last 24 hours.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia confirmed its first case of the infection, 352,692 people have been registered as having contracted coronavirus and 7,828 of them have died.

A total of 1,450,169 doses of vaccine have been administered. A total of 1,109,161 people have received one dose and 341,008 have received both doses.

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 up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 20 May 2021 - As of today, every third adult in Croatia has been vaccinated against COVID-19, the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, 19 May, 43,890 doses of the vaccine were used, and the number of persons that have received at least one dose reached 1,109,161, which is 27% of the population or 33% of the adult population, while 341,008 persons have received both doses.

According to data from the eCijepih platform, as of 20 May, every third adult in Croatia has been vaccinated, which is a big step forward compared to early May, when on 1 May every fifth adult citizen of Croatia had been vaccinated, the HZJZ said.

First dose vaccine coverage is highest in Zagreb, 31% of the total population or 37.6% of the adult population, and second dose vaccine coverage is highest in Sisak-Moslavina County, 12% of the population or 14.4% of adults.

"These are encouraging data that give us reason for optimism when it comes to meeting the goal of vaccinating over a half of Croatia's adult population by the end of June. Vaccination is going according to plan, the epidemiological situation is better than in previous weeks and this is certainly good news, especially in the context of the upcoming tourist season," said HZJZ deputy director Ivana Pavić Šimetin.

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 centres up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 19 May, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 1,000 new cases of coronavirus infection and 27 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Wednesday.

The number of active cases today stands at 5,223. There are 1,508 COVID patients in hospitals, 163 of whom are on ventilators, and 17,102 people are in self-isolation.

To date, 1,946,021 people have been tested for the novel virus, including 8,426 in the last 24 hours.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia confirmed its first case of the infection, 351,997 people have been registered as having contracted coronavirus, 7,792 of them have died, and 338,982 have recovered, including 621 over the past 24 hours.

As at 18 May, 1,406,279 doses of vaccine have been administered. A total of 1,078,103 people have received one dose and 328,176 have received both doses.

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

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ZAGREB, 18 May (Hina) - In the last 24 hours of 8,004 tests taken for coronavirus in Croatia, six percent, that is 491, have turned out to be positive, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Tuesday.

The COVID-related death toll has risen by 27 to 7,765.

Currently, there are 4,871 active cases of the infection with this novel virus, and of them 1,566 are hospitalised patients, including 166 placed on ventilators.

Since the first registered case of the infection on 25 February 2020 in the country, Croatia has conducted more than 1.93 million tests.

As many as 350,997 have been diagnosed with this infection, and of them 338,361 have recovered including 886 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

To date, Croatia has administered about 1.37 million doses of COVID vaccines. A total of 1,052,032 people have been given at least a one dose of the vaccine, and 317,937 have been inoculated with both shots of the two-dose vaccine.

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