ZAGREB, 19 March, 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday that Croatia had contacted two Chinese COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers and that talks were at at an initial stage, while Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the situation with AstraZeneca's vaccine proved that caution was important.

"We have established contact with manufacturers of the Chinese vaccine, or more precisely, with manufacturers of two types of Chinese vaccine. We have been given some preliminary information and talks will continue," Beroš told a press conference after a cabinet meeting.

He said that all important aspects of the vaccines needed to be discussed, such as safety, efficiency and quality.

Plenković said that the situation with AstraZeneca "is more than clear proof of how one needs to be cautious when placing a vaccine on the market."

"We are now talking about the credibility of a vaccine that has passed clearance and filters in America, the United Kingdom and the European Union. What would we do with vaccines that have none of these credentials? We have to take that into account," the prime minister warned.

Easter passes not discussed

As regards the deterioration in the epidemiological situation and possible passes for Easter, Plenković said that no one talked about such passes and that they were not an option.

He said that Croatia had now ordered more vaccine from Pfizer than from AstraZeneca, but added that at this point no one knew at what rate vaccines would be distributed from 1 May onward. "If a negative scenario happens with AstraZeneca, we are already in the process of ordering more vaccine from Pfizer to offset that."

He said he was confident that progress would be made on a corrective mechanism for vaccine distribution because "people understand that it is not countries that are responsible for this situation."

Asked if he was satisfied with how the EU handled vaccine procurement, Plenković said there was no doubt that the contracts could have been better written in terms of the pace of vaccine delivery. As for people's scepticism about the safety of vaccines, he said it was also important what the media said about them.

"We need to respect authorities on this matter, and our authorities are the World Health Organisation, the European Medicines Agency and the Croatian Agency for Medicines and Medicinal Devices. These are regulators. If a vast majority of professionals from a large number of countries think that this is all right, then we should use that for guidance. That's the most logical and best approach we can take," the prime minister said.

Additional encouragement to regional approach

The head of the national coronavirus response team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, said that the team would unveil guidelines for the Adriatic counties on Friday as an additional encouragement to the county response teams because the incidence rate differed from county to county.

"We do not think it is time for horizontal measures, especially not in those counties, and there are more of them in the north of the country, where the epidemiological situation is good," Božinović said.

He noted that county response teams had been invited from the outset to propose tighter restrictions because their epidemiologists and professionals on the ground know where a coronavirus hotspot has emerged and what has caused it.

"This regional approach is not just an encouragement, but also a preparation for what is and what will become an integral part of the EU policy for the tourist season," Božinović said, calling for increased inspections of compliance with the restrictions in place and for self-discipline.

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

ZAGREB, 19 March, 2021 - In the last 24 hours, Croatia has performed 6,553 tests for coronavirus and 1,112 of them, or 17%, have returned positive, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Friday.

Currently, there are 6,426 active cases in the country, and of them, 918 patients are receiving hospital treatment, including 80 placed on ventilators.

In the last 24 hours, the death toll related to COVID-19 has increased by 17 to 5,743.

Since the outbreak of this infectious disease in late February last year, as many as 1.46 million tests have been performed, and 255,619 people have turned out to be positive. Of them, 243,450 have recovered, including 785 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 21,803 persons are self-isolating.

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

March the 19th, 2021 - The UK and Croatia both want the rapid return of British tourists to the country, hoping for pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible. The British market, one of the most important European markets for Croatia, will be one of the keys to the return of the level of tourism the country is used to.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, Croatia is ready to receive tourists from the United Kingdom as soon as the epidemiological rules in the United Kingdom, which is currently under a lockdown, allow for that, said Minister of Tourism Nikolina Brnjac at a recent meeting with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Croatia, Andrew Dalgleish.

At the aforementioned meeting, Ambassador Dalgleish and Minister Brnjac exchanged information on the current epidemiological situation, the importance of continuing tourism trends, and discussed the European Commission's proposal to introduce Green Digital Certificates, as well as positioning Croatia as a desirable destination for digital nomads. Minister Brnjac informed Ambassador Dalgleish that the Croatian Government regularly coordinates positions regarding the conditions of crossing the border, having in mind the epidemiological situation in Croatia, but also within the borders of surrounding countries.

Ambassador Dalgleish expressed satisfaction with the presented Safe stay in Croatia project, which provides additional safety standards in the tourism sector, and expressed his hope that the United Kingdom will soon open once again for tourist travel. It is extremely important for Croatia to ensure the conditions for the number of British tourists in Croatia to return to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible, in which good vaccination and the return of tourists' confidence in air travel will play a very important role. Clear and predictable rules for the entry of non-resident British citizens into the Republic of Croatia will also be properly regulated.

The Minister pointed out that a dialogue between the UK and Croatia on travel facilitation was opened recently, and that Croatia would be ready to receive tourists from the United Kingdom as soon as epidemiological rules on that Northern European island nation allow it.

According to the currently available data, Croatia is still perceived in the United Kingdom as a "high value" destination, and UK tour operators and airlines still have great interest in continuing to fly here. At the beginning of November 2020, Croatia was included in the top three world destinations in the category "Best Country Award 2020" awarded by one of the most prestigious UK newspapers, The Times & The Sunday Times, with over 16 million readers per month.

"We're pleased with the fact that the destination of Croatia is still perceived in the United Kingdom as high quality, desirable and safe. A dialogue has been opened with the British side on the modalities of travel facilitation between the UK and Croatia. Croatia will be open to British tourists as soon as they're able to travel, bearing in mind that the starting point for all tourist trips is the epidemiological situation in both countries," said Minister Brnjac, adding that the UK and Croatia will continue to nurture and strengthen their already very close cooperation in the fields of both tourism and sport.

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ZAGREB, 18 March, 2021 - In the past 24 hours 1,197 new coronavirus cases and 17 COVID deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Thursday.

The number of active cases is 6,116, including 894 hospitalised patients, of whom 84 are on ventilators, while 20,528 people are self-isolating.

To date Croatia has registered 254,507 coronavirus cases, 5,726 COVID deaths and 242,665 recoveries, including 554 in the past 24 hours, and 1,454,984 persons have been tested for the virus, including 7,619 in the past 24 hours. The positive rate of tests in the last 24 hours was 15.7%.

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

March the 18th, 2021 - Professor Alen Protic from the Rijeka Hospital's intensive care unit has spoken out about the number of younger coronavirus patients now requiring respirators to help them breathe as the pandemic rages on.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, with 62 hospitalised patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of writing, the Clinical Hospital Centre in Rijeka opened a new COVID-19 department and respiratory centre this week. The new ward is adapted for the care of coronavirus patients and is located at the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, which was first opened at the end of last year.

The Rijeka Hospital announced the above and added that the new coronavirus ward is being run in accordance with all of the applicable health and technical conditions and is physically separated from the rest of the clinic.

Eight patients this week needed the aid of a respirator at the Rijeka Hospital, and according to the head of the Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Professor Alen Protic, the average age of patients treated for the novel coronavirus with a respirator is lower than it was back during the autumn wave.

As Professor Alen Protic explained, this younger age of patients is partly expected due to the better level of vaccination of the elderly population, Novi list writes.

"Vaccination of the elderly population is causing a decrease in the average age of our patients and these statistics are easy to follow. The new centre will certainly relieve the current COVID-19 centre, and we hope that the slightly younger population being treated in the new ward will continue to be more resistant to the disease. In any case, we're ready for the scenario we had back in December," Protic pointed out.

At one point in December 2020, the Rijeka Hospital had more than 160 hospitalised patients with a lab confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, and those patients were cared for at all three locations of the Rijeka Hospital. Currently, at the Rijeka Clinical Hospital, patients with coronavirus are being treated at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases, the newly opened centre at the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the respiratory centre at the Clinic of Neurology and the Susak site at the Department of Nephrology.

"At the moment, the average age of our patients has dropped below 70 and is currently between 65 and 63, but we had patients who were 70 and 80 on respirators and we expect the average age of our patients to drop down to 60. Judging by the current situation, I believe that the centres intended for COVID-19 patients in our hospital will be open at least until the end of this year," concluded Professor Alen Protic.

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ZAGREB, 17 March, 2021 - The number of new coronavirus infections in Croatia is up by 46% from last week and among the 12 COVID fatalities in the past 24 hours is a 12-year-old girl who had multiple comorbidities, the national COVID-19 response team said on Wednesday.

"In the three days of this week, we had 2,265 new cases, while in the first three days of last week, we had 1,547. The incidence is 222.7, the lowest  being in Istria County and highest in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County," said Krunoslav Capak, head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

In EU rankings, Croatia is seventh with the lowest incidence. Today 16.7% of the test results were positive (1,445 cases).

British variant detected in 50% of samples

Speaking of new variants, Capak said the British one was present in more than 50% of the sequenced samples.

"These new variants spread somewhat faster, and due to vaccination, nicer weather and the favourable situation we have had, people have relaxed. There is more and more socialising, gatherings, which is the biggest risk for the spread of coronavirus infection," he said, adding that the classic epidemiological measures were also effective against the new variants.

Asked if Croatia was in a third wave of the epidemic, Capak said it was difficult to say but that the important thing was to continue to fight to cut down the numbers of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths.

Speaking of the 12-year-old girl who died of COVID in the past 24 hours, Capak said she had a serious cardiovascular comorbidity.

He went on to say that less than 30% of people had refused the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Asked if the ministers who had recovered from COVID would be given that vaccine to promote it and if the vaccination of people over 65 with AstraZeneca would be suspended for fear of side effects, Capak said the response team was not considering either.

He said "we believe we have no reason" to suspend the administration of AstraZeneca to those over 65, adding that the European Medicines Agency's "commission on side effects is intensively investigating all side effects."

He said there was no difference in the occurrence of side effects with either Pfizer or AstraZeneca and that it was 0.5% in each.

Božinović: Existing regime should stay

The head of the national response team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, said the existing regime of restrictions should stay and that possible changes should be made at county level.

Asked if restrictions would be tightened ahead of Easter, he said this regime could be kept up only if everyone was responsible and disciplined.

"In recent days the virus has been rapidly spreading in some parts of Croatia, so the measures should be considered at county level. Serious measures are in force, although they are the least restrictive in the European Union, and we will keep this regime only if everyone assumes responsibility."

Božinović said some counties were already tightening restrictions based on their epidemiological situation.

He would not comment on the suspension of vaccination with AstraZeneca in some countries despite there being no proof that some deaths were related to the vaccine. "We always explain the background of our decisions transparently and publicly, including this one to continue to administer AstraZeneca."

The head of Zagreb's Infections Diseases Hospital, Alemka Markotić, said she could not say how big the increase was in the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, adding that the outcomes of the children treated in her hospital were continually good and that the percentage was not high.

"The important thing is that the syndrome has been recognised. Our doctors manage to deal with it well and there are no major problems for now."

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

ZAGREB, 17 March 2021 - A total of 1,445 new coronavirus cases and 12 COVID-19-related deaths have been registered in Croatia in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team said on Wednesday.

The number of active cases currently stands at 5,490. Of them, 889 infected people are receiving hospital treatment, including 84 who are ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 253,310 cases have been registered in the country. Of this number, 5,709 people have died and 242,111 have recovered, including 418 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 18,828 people are currently in self-isolation. To date, 1,447,365 people have been tested for the virus, including 8,676 in the last 24 hours.

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

ZAGREB, 16 March, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that Croatia would continue to administer the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine despite the fact that some 20 countries have suspended vaccination due to blood clotting in some patients.

Although more and more countries are suspending the use of AstraZeneca, Croatia will wait for the opinion of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

"The stand of professionals on this matter is that the benefits of vaccination outweigh any risks known to them at the moment," Plenković told the press in Daruvar. "None of them has pointed to us any risks which would lead to the conclusion that vaccination should stop."

Today Plenković took part in an online meeting with prime ministers Sebastian Kurz of Austria, Janez Janša of Slovenia, Boyko Borissov of Bulgaria, Andrej Babiš of the Czech Republic, and Arturs Karinš of Latvia.

The six EU member states will demand a corrective mechanism for vaccine distribution, Plenković said afterwards. "We agreed to jointly appeal for the creation of a corrective mechanism."

Thereby, he added, they wish to "compensate for the delay some countries have experienced due to the slower distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine."

EMA will meet on Thursday to discuss the information gathered and decide if said vaccine has contributed to thromboembolism in people who have received it.

For more about vaccination in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 16 March, 2021 - The Koprivnica-Križevci County's COVID-19 crisis management team on Tuesday decided to suspend mass vaccination with AstraZeneca shots against COVID-19, which was set for Wednesday, 17 March, until the European Medicines Agency (EMA) decides on the matter at its meeting on 18 March.

The mass inoculation was to have been held in a hall in Sveti Petar Orehovec for the residents of that town as well as for residents of Gornja Reka and Kalnik.

However, in the meantime it has been decided to wait for the EMA's decision.

To date, 6,363 residents of this county in north Croatia have been inoculated against coronavirus with Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines, and 1,961 have received both doses of the two-dose vaccine. There have been no reports of any serious side-effects.

The people who get vaccinated with vaccines registered in Croatia and the EU will have protection from getting seriously sick, which could eventually result in death, the team said.

For more about vaccatinations in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 15 March, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday that a coordinated stance by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine should be known tomorrow, after several countries have temporarily suspended administering the vaccine due to the emergence of certain side effects.

"Our stance is that a sound test has to be conducted to determine if there are any reasons, based on the findings so far, for Croatia also to go in that direction. From what the experts are telling me, there are no such indications for the time being. Tomorrow, we will probably see a coordinated stance by EMA, which as far as I understand, will proceed cautiously, that is, continue testing the vaccine itself and continue with consultations with the company regarding any possible consequences of the vaccination," Plenković said ahead of a joint meeting of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Presidency and National Council.

He added that the director of Croatia's HALMED drug regulator, Siniša Tomić, today participated in EMA meetings which discussed what to do next considering the emergence of several side effects that have been reported throughout Europe.

In reference to the procurement of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, Plenković said that Croatia would wait for it to be approved and that the EMA had launched the relevant procedure. In the meantime, we will obtain additional information and test the vaccine, he added.

Asked who made the decision on how many doses of a vaccine Croatia would order, Plenković said that the procurement of vaccines was launched in the summer before reports that AstraZeneca had had certain problems with clinical trials.

"The vaccine that at the time was way ahead in terms of testing and the fact that it could be finished and its approval sought was AstraZeneca's and we, like the majority of other countries, immediately ordered the largest quantity of that vaccine. Then we ordered the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Croatia ordered a total of 8.7 million doses," said Plenković, adding that no one could have known that problems would emerge in vaccine production when the initial orders were made.

Asked whether anyone would be held responsible for the poor estimate in procuring vaccines, he said that for the entire time the aim had been to protect citizens, which was why more doses had been ordered than Croatia needed.

"The problem has emerged because one company, from which we ordered the biggest quantity... now has a problem in delivering the vaccine to the entire European Union. If that problem didn't exist, the rate of inoculation in Croatia would be very high," he explained.

Asked why Croatia didn't order the largest quantity of the Pfizer vaccine, which was the option many countries used, he said that only a few countries did that and that Croatia's decision was based on an expert opinion at the time.

"Croatia has a population of four million people and can immunise a maximum 3.4 million, and how could it justify buying 20 million doses?" "We did everything that was logical and correct based on the information that was available at the time and as time is moving on, we are looking for other solutions, just like everyone else," he said.

He added that it was necessary to find a corrective mechanism to redistribute the vaccines.

As far as continuing inoculation with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Croatia is concerned, Plenković said that the experts would decide on that. "As far as I understand, EMA's stance is that when the risk and benefits are taken into account, at the moment it is better to be vaccinated," said Plenković.

With regard to the European initiative for a vaccination certificate, Plenković said that the European Commission would release its proposal on Wednesday and that that would enable free movement and the tourism season.

For more about vaccinations in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.