January 30, 2021 - Owners of catering objects and gyms in Croatia plan to continue putting pressure on the Headquarters. Franz Letica, president of the Zagreb Association of Caterers, revealed that over 100 locations would open in protest on Monday, February 1.

Dissatisfaction with the measures has been expressed by many caterers and gym owners in Croatia. Among them are those who are seriously considering opening their facilities on Monday, February 1, even though they could receive hefty fines, reports RTL.

For example, one fitness center in Dugo Selo has not been open for two months, but it will open its doors to exercisers on February 1, despite the ban.

"We are opening because the measures are illogical, unequal for everyone and we claim that we in gyms and fitness centers, recreation centers can mostly control the measures and our members because no one from the road can break into our training," said the owner of the Spartak Fitness Center, Alen Preldžić.

The owner says he is well aware of the fines, which amount to up to 70,000 kuna.

"We are aware of draconian fines, but I don't think there are any others now. How will they be charged when we have 0 kuna in the account," Preldžić said.

Some caterers will protest the Headquarters, with whom they say they have not communicated for months. Others, like caterer Dražen Biljan, will not participate in disobedience but says he understands his colleagues.

"We do not condemn, we do not encourage, but we can understand our colleagues who are so desperate that they are thinking about all sorts of options," said Biljan.

The citizens, however, seem divided.

"I think that then the owners of cafes and guests would be responsible for that, there would be penalties for everyone. I am not really for that," Emma thinks.

"As for the opening, I don't know who is smart at the moment, but I think people are desperate and want to do something, and this has been going on for a year," Iven said.

"To open up on their own? I am for respecting law and order; that's how I was raised," said actress Maria Sekelez.

Those writing the measures hope others won't rebel.

"I still hope that this will not happen. The epidemiological experts in the preparation of this decision has very clearly set priorities that relate not only to this situation but also of a principled nature," said Chief of Civil Protection Headquarters, Davor Božinović.

The Voice of Entrepreneurs Association had a meeting Friday morning and devised a plan to continue putting pressure on the Headquarters.

"At the moment, the idea is to organize one action next Wednesday. That protest action would be for everyone - for cafes and all fitness centers, and for all those who are closed. For all those who have a big drop in traffic and for all those who show solidarity with entrepreneurs and with this situation we are all in together," said a representative of the Voice of Entrepreneurs, Maruša Stamać.

After the police wrote 30 fines for a nightclub in Zagreb's center, the Nightclubs and Bars Initiative have not stayed quiet.

"We disapprove of violating measures, but we are aware that it has become a matter of survival. We are also witnesses that the Constitution guarantees that we are all equal before the law, so the owner is put in prison for non-compliance with the measures, and all this was recorded and made public. The party organizers in KB Dubrava just had to apologize to the Croatian public," explained Domagoj Petričević from the Nightclubs and Bars Initiative.

Croatians will not legally sit in cafes until at least February 15, and on Monday, we will see if Croatia really follows the Italian and Czech scenario. Recall, these two countries were the first to start this year with riots, protests, and opening by force.

There are many meetings in front of the caterers, most of them will be about Monday and how some of them will open their doors by force.

Franz Letica, president of the Zagreb Association of Caterers, revealed what this weekend will look like for caterers and how they are preparing from February 1.

"Tomorrow at 11 am in one of the shopping malls, we will have a meeting, and the reason is the illogical existing measures. Schools were open, and they are one of the primary sources of infection, and bars are not, so it pulled us together to act and hold a meeting this weekend," said Letica.

They will agree on the details on Saturday. Letica confirmed that his colleagues are aware of the measures and penalties they could encounter if they open by force on February 1.

"So far, there are 103 locales in Zagreb that have confirmed their opening," said Letica.

He confirmed that everything would look like in the good old days.

"Music - waiters, a good afternoon, please. Like in the good old days," Letica said.

The Voice of Entrepreneurs Association announced that another protest would be held on Wednesday.

"We support all actions and dissatisfaction because this is, we hope, a post-pandemic time that should bring some openings. It is not normal that we have been in such quarantine for almost two months that they have almost restricted our movement," Letica concluded.

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

January the 30th, 2021 - The vaccine may well be here, despite the ongoing issues surrounding deliveries and the fulfilment of previously agreed contracts, but the pandemic hasn't disappeared yet. Just how many Croatian residents have actually come into contact, or perhaps better to say were exposed, to the novel coronavirus?

Croatia went from being among the best countries in the entire world in terms of handling the spread of the virus, to being among the absolute worst, to being among the best yet again. These ups and downs are synonymous with the spread of the disease, as its wave see countries enter into and come out of lockdowns every few months. While it is certain that very many Croatian residents have contracted the virus, it hasn't been established just how many of us have come into contact with it, where it perhaps failed to actually infect us.

A new study is set to reveal the answer to precisely that question.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a seroepidemiological study has now been launched here in Croatia, and the director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, explained what he wants to determine with this undertake.

''A few days ago, a seroepidemiological study was launched in the country with the aim of determining the share of Croatian residents who came into contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study will be similar in design to the study conducted back in the spring of 2020, ie the blood of the subjects will be collected throughout the territory of the Republic of Croatia, the subjects will form a structured sample of the population of different ages and genders, and the method for determining the presence of antibodies is the ELISA serological test. Appropriate consent and the opinion of the ethics committee have been collected in regard to conducting this type of testing, and it will take several weeks to conduct and complete the study,'' explained Capak.

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January 29, 2021 – According to the National Civil Protection Headquarters' decision, a minimal easing of measures will take effect from tomorrow. A list of all measures in Croatia valid until February 15, 2021.

With the presentation of the minimum concessions of measures, which include the return of all primary school students to schools and outdoor sports, the National Civil Protection Headquarters today announced four new decisions. Three decisions concern the extension of existing measures for public transport, for shopping malls, and for borders. The fourth decision contains all the measures that remain in force, as well as the changes that have been introduced in the field of sports.

Here are all the measures that are in force from midnight until February 15, 2021:

• a ban of all public events and gatherings attended by more than 25 people in one place;
• a maximum of 10 people from a maximum of 2 different households can be present at private gatherings and ceremonies;
• public events, gatherings, and ceremonies of all kinds can last until 10 pm;
• a maximum of 25 people may be present at funerals, final farewells, and urn layings; condolences to the bereaved must not be expressed through close contact, and cemetery administrations are obliged to monitor compliance with anti-epidemic measures;
• limitation of working hours for bakeries and shops for bread and bakery products until 10 pm;
• a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages between 10 pm and 6 am;
• suspension of catering facilities and provision of catering services on family farms, except for catering facilities from the groups "Hotels", "Camps" and types Student Dorms or Akademis from the group "Other catering facilities for accommodation", which may only serve guests who use the accommodation service in them, i.e. pupils or students.
• As an exception to this anti-epidemic measure, catering facilities from the group "Restaurants", the group "Catering facilities" and types of coffee rooms, pubs, buffets, inns, taverns, and cellars from the group "Bars" are allowed to prepare and deliver food and beverages. These catering facilities may prepare or deliver food in compliance with all anti-epidemic measures in one of the following ways: by personal takeover before entering the catering facility without entering it, by delivering food from the catering facility by own delivery vehicle, by delivering food from the catering facility based on the contract business cooperation concluded between caterers and third parties (legal or physical-craftsmen), who are registered and entered in the Register of entities in the food business, the so-called "drive-in" way.
• suspension of wedding ceremonies;
• suspension of casinos, slot machine clubs, and betting points;
• suspension of gyms, fitness centers, and sports and recreation centers indoors;
• suspension of children's and other workshops and organized dance schools;
• suspension of all amateur cultural and artistic performances, programs, and events, and rehearsals of amateur ensembles, groups and choirs, including church choirs;
• ban on the food and beverages consumed during cinema screenings;
• suspension of fairs and other forms of economic and tourist events or events where products are sold, exhibited, or displayed;
• prohibition of all indoor training except for: clubs competing in the 1st and 2nd rank of competition in senior competition and in the 1st rank of competition in junior competition at the national level in team sports, clubs that compete in individual sports in senior competition in team club competitions at the national level in the highest rank in the league competition system, and training and competitions of categorized athletes in individual sports and athletes of national level who are preparing for European and world competitions in accordance with the list which, at the proposal of the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Croatian Paralympic Committee, and the Croatian Sports Association of the Deaf, is approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (Does not apply to water sports and contactless individual sports in sports balloons);
• permitted sports competitions and trainings can be held only without spectators and with strict adherence to all prescribed epidemiological measures, the organizers are obliged to ensure that all athletes and necessary technical staff adhere to the prescribed epidemiological measures, and that sports facilities are used exclusively for permitted activities;
• foreign language schools can only operate online or otherwise to maintain remote contact;
• driving schools can hold only online classes or otherwise to maintain long-distance contacts, driving lessons can last a maximum of 45 minutes with mandatory measurement of body temperature before entering the car, a break between two candidates must be a minimum of 10 minutes to ventilate and disinfect the car, and records must be kept of all participants in driving lessons;
• mandatory use of face masks or medical masks outdoors when it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 1.5 meters;
• the obligation of tenants, building managers, employers, and representatives of public institutions to regularly disinfect all common areas (handrails, elevators, work surfaces, toilets, etc.);
• a recommendation that religious rites be broadcast whenever possible through radio, TV, or other means that will allow believers to attend a religious rite without coming to religious facilities.

Anti-epidemic measures do not apply to:

• professional artistic performances and programs that do not include choral singing;
• cinema screenings;
• exhibitions in museum, galleries, and other exhibition spaces;
• coronsessions of representative bodies.
• For all events and gatherings, the number of people present is limited due to the size of the space. At least 7 m2 of net area must be provided for each person present, in strict compliance with all prescribed epidemiological measures of the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Also, at the entrance to the facility, a notice must be clearly displayed about the largest possible number of people who can be present in the facility at the same time.

The organizers of the gatherings are obliged to ensure regular ventilation of the premises, that no more people than the allowed number are present, and that everyone adhere to all prescribed epidemiological measures of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

Source: Index.hr

ZAGREB, 29 January, 2021 - Croatia registered 13.2% more deaths in March-December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, than at the same time in 2019, the national statistical office said on Friday, adding that year on year the number of deaths in December alone jumped by 77.3%.

In 2020, 8.3% more deaths (+4,350) were registered than in 2019. From March through December, the number of deaths was up by 13.2% (+5,523).

The largest number of deaths in Croatia in a month was registered last December, a total of 7,395, which was up by 77.3% from December 2019 (+3,225).

The second largest number of deaths in a month was registered in January 2017, a total of 6,512, while the third was in January 2019 (5,504).

January and March have been the other months with the most deaths but they have not exceeded 5,500.

January. 29,  2021 - New measures in Croatia for schools and sports will enter into force as of midnight. Restaurants, cafes, and gyms in Croatia remain closed. 

The National Civil Protection Headquarters held a press conference to report on the current epidemiological situation in Croatia and coronavirus vaccination and anti-epidemic measures. At yesterday's session, the Government presented a minimal easing of measures.

In the last 24 hours, 561 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded, and the number of active cases in Croatia today is a total of 3117, the National Civil Protection Headquarters announced. Among them, 1286 patients are in hospital, of which 121 are on a ventilator. Twenty-nine people died, the Headquarters announced.

The average age of the deceased was 79 years, and the youngest deceased was 38 years old. Five-hundred-eighty-eight people recovered.

In the last 24 hours, 5,020 people were tested, and the percentage of positives was 11.18%, Vera Katalinić Janković reported at the press conference.

So far, a total of 58,585 people have been vaccinated.

According to the new measures in force from midnight, elementary schools will go back to in-person classes, and sports activities will be allowed outodoors, swimming pools, and sports bubbles. Restaurants, cafes, and gyms will remain closed, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. 

HZJZ director Krunoslav Capak reported on the 14-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants.

"A week ago, there were 643 new cases out of 4863 tested, and two weeks ago 715 new cases out of 5335 tested. In the first 5 days of this week, there were 2619 new cases, and last week 3015. The number is 13% less than the previous week's figure, so we have a further mitigated downward trend. The incidence per county is 189.0 on average. Sisak-Moslavina has the highest incidence, and Istria has the lowest. Croatia ranks 7th in the EU rankings. Six countries have a lower incidence than us. The total mortality rate per million inhabitants is 1196.8, which puts us in 20th place in the ranking of EU countries. In the last week, the average share of positive tests was 11.2. We spent more than 79,000 vaccine doses. To date, we have received 409 side effects to the Pfizer vaccine and 11 suspected side effects to the Moderna vaccine. These are mainly local reactions, fever, pain at the site of application, and headache, and there have been more serious reactions to the Pfizer vaccine. Two required the use of adrenaline and 22 the use of other medications," Capak said.

Vili Beroš said that today, for the first time, the number of hospitalized is below 1,300 after a long time, but it is still a difficult clinical picture and that we have a large number of deaths.

"This indicates that the clinical picture is still relatively difficult. This allows us to think cautiously in giving in to measures, but not in relaxed behavior. The fact and new strains of the virus in our neighborhood and the current vaccination delay should be taken into account. We must be aware of that, and that emphasizes our responsible behavior, and there is no alternative to that," said Minister Vili Beroš.

Davor Božinović said that the decision on the necessary restrictive measures and recommendations would take effect tomorrow, i.e., tonight at midnight.

"We have decided that the decision will take effect tonight at midnight and will last until February 15."

Patient associations are demanding that high-risk groups be vaccinated with vaccines that are 95 percent effective.

"Not only high-risk but all other citizens as well. They should be allowed to be vaccinated with the best possible vaccine, but the question is what kind of vaccines are available to us. I support such an idea. People who are chronically ill and of old age are the first to be vaccinated, and it should be emphasized that they should be able to be vaccinated with the highest quality vaccines. Numerous discussions are taking place on the topic of which vaccine to procure. The one that is safe and effective. We cannot count on vaccines that are only now in the testing phase since there is no reliable evidence that they are effective. Some more manufacturers are developing new vaccines. Novavax is in the 2nd and 3rd phase of the clinical trial, in the 3rd phase of the study in Britain it showed an efficiency of 89 percent for the common and new strain of the virus," said Beroš.

Capak answered whether the Astra Zeneca vaccine will be registered today and when it will come to the Republic of Croatia.

"Vaccines for the EU are registered with the European Medicines Agency, which has strict procedures and legislation. This means that someone who does not meet these criteria cannot apply and register. That is the price of the safety of our vaccines. They guarantee safety. For other vaccines for which we do not have data and have not been marketed transparently, we cannot claim to be safe. We are waiting for the European Medicines Agency to say whether the vaccine is safe and effective.

Data saying that the Astra Zeneca cannot be used for people over 65 cannot be confirmed because we do not have enough data. At the end of the day, it was agreed that the Astra Zeneca vaccine would be registered today. It was announced that we should receive 156,158 doses of their vaccine by the end of February, in three tranches," Capak said.

Bozinovic referred to the announcements of protests by caterers and gym owners for not loosening measures.

"I still hope that will not happen because there is no reason for that. The measures are just an extension of measures that have been valid for two months, and in those two months, we have concluded that although we still have the most liberal measures in Europe, we also have a clear downward trend in the number of new infections. That number still needs to go down. We must take care of our lives and health. The epidemiological profession has set priorities in preparing this decision, and they do not refer only to this situation but are of a principled nature. When it comes to concessions, the basic rule is that it must be gradual, and given the circumstances surrounding the new variant of the virus and the delay of the vaccine, we must go cautiously. In this context, our Epidemiology Reference Center has set clear principles: if it goes with affordability, health comes first, including sports and education, then the economy, and then other activities. I see no reason for anything to change here. No one in the world has found a recipe for these activities. In EU member states, these facilities have been closed since October. We tried to keep them as open as possible. Representatives of caterers then clearly told us that 90 percent of their members do not adhere to epidemiological measures," said Bozinovic.

"We brought a framework that is difficult to implement in practice, both in terms of the number of people and spacing. At that time, the public space was flooded with information that it was impossible to implement; I'm not sure it was impossible. Then our numbers started to grow; we said the next step was closure, and that’s what happened. It is still winter outside; if it were 24 degrees, the terraces would surely be open. This is not yet a period when the virus is starting to spread less," the minister added.

"We said clearly on February 15, if the numbers are still lower, if a new variant of the virus does not occur, we assume that the situation will be clearer with the vaccine, then we can talk about correcting things to everyone's satisfaction. It is not our goal to harm anyone; the goal is not to repeat November when hospital capacities were on the verge of a breakdown. Do we really need to find ourselves in a difficult situation and repeat the lessons learned? Or can we take all the elements into account and make a rational decision?" said Bozinovic.

"The concession must be gradual. First is education and health, including sports, then the economy, which we did not even close, and only then everything else," Bozinovic added.

Bozinovic explained how training pools could work.

"No showering and use of common areas. Staying in the pool is less risky because of the chlorine in the water and the humidity in the air, which means that the virus spreads more slowly. In practice, that means: you come to the pool, you change, when you go out, you change again and go home. There are no delays, shared locker rooms, showers ... All this can be done at home, the main goal is to train," Bozinovic explained.

He also answered what criteria the Headquarters was guided by when it came to easing measures.

"The criteria we communicated. The opinion of epidemiologists is that one can go into small concessions. This must be gradual and cautious, and in that sequence, the prioritization of concessions starts from education and health, then the economy, and then everything else. With concrete solutions, something was proposed in the wake of what turned into decisions," said Bozinovic.

One journalist asked about opening schools, as counties decide. For example, Brod-Posavina opens high schools, while Istria won't open schools at all.

"They can actually make independent decisions based on recommendations. Our principled position is that counties at this stage can make decisions that are stricter than national ones, but this does not apply when we talk about the school system. We start from the fact that they can assess the situation because the counties are quite different from each other. These are not situations that need to be cut horizontally. I see no problem in the fact that some counties make their own decisions. We do not see that as a problem," said Bozinovic.

Capak answered whether the members of the Government and the Headquarters received the second dose of the vaccine.

"On January 15, we learned that there is a possibility that Pfizer will deliver smaller amounts of the vaccine in 4 weeks. That came true; the first small quantity that arrived, arrived now on Monday. Due to this lack of vaccines, there has been a change in the dynamics of vaccination. We told everyone to keep other doses. Once the vials are taken out of the fridge, they have to be consumed within 5 days. Thus we will be vaccinated now on Tuesday."

Who will be legally liable if the vaccine causes side effects?

"It's a legal issue. Manufacturers received approval after reviewing the documentation; they were required to report everything they saw during clinical studies. The fourth clinical phase is eternal as long as a drug or vaccine exists; some side effects can be recorded even after 5, 10, or 15 years. Once a side effect of the vaccine is proven, medical tests go on, and lawyers can also have a verdict if a dispute arises. That is not an unequivocal question," said Alemka Markotić.

Where did the flu go?

"So far, we have not recorded a single case of influenza in the Republic of Croatia. We examined several samples and found no flu. That doesn't mean she's gone. Some countries in the northern hemisphere report the flu, but there are only a few cases. It seems that the incidence of influenza here will be lower compared to the presence of influenza last year. Measures against Covid are certainly effective against the flu, as they spread in the same way by droplets. The masks do not protect 100% against any respiratory infection. If the presence of the flu were greater, surely some who wear a mask would get sick," Capak said.

In Croatia, everyone will receive the second dose on time, Capak confirmed.

Capak also mentioned negotiations on the Russian vaccine.

"The usual procedure of agreement with the European Medicines Agency is being done. At the moment, we do not have information on the content of those talks and what would be the dynamics of handing over the registration in the EU," Capak said.

Alemka Markotić pointed out that it is not a problem if someone does not receive a second dose on a specific day, but the problem is if there are parts of the world that do not have the vaccine.

"We are constantly exhausted looking for the culprits for something for every little thing. Who is to blame if Pero Perić was not vaccinated on the 26th but the 28th day and fell ill. That is not the essence. The bottom line is when the whole world will have enough vaccines for everyone, even the poorest, to get vaccinated at least once. Then the world will be the safest. It will not save those who have provided vaccination to 80% of the population, and if they are not vaccinated and remain in the world, the virus will continue to spread. Those who think they are protected by vaccination may become infected with another variant of the virus. Let's be positive about what we can do best to get vaccinated here as well as the rest of the world," said Markotić.

Capak again referred to negotiations with other vaccine manufacturers.

"The EU is not negotiating with the Chinese manufacturer. What has been mentioned is that the Russian manufacturer has shown interest in registering the vaccine in the EU, and we do not know anything about the results of these talks. Logically, they would be interested, and, logically, the Chinese manufacturer is looking for its market in the eastern parts. Croatia has reserved 900,000 doses of the Johnson / Johnson vaccine, and this vaccine is given only once, not two doses. Other manufacturers with which the EU is negotiating offer delivery when it does not suit us. We need it as soon as possible. We had promises from the first registered large quantities very early, and those who offer us in the 1st quarter of 2022 are too late for us. In total, we have ordered more than 6 million doses," said Capak, adding that this will be enough for the entire Croatian population, and everything should be delivered during this year.

"We don't think about other manufacturers if they don't offer us the vaccine early enough because we don't need it later," he added.

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

ZAGREB, 29 January, 2021 - Croatia has registered 561 new coronavirus cases and 29 related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Friday morning.

The number of active cases currently stands at 3,117 and among them are 1,286 infected persons receiving hospital treatment, including 121 who are on ventilators. A total of 15,389 people are in self-isolation.

A total of 1,180,851 people have been tested for the novel virus to date, including 5,020 in the last 24 hours.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in the country, 231,539 people have been infected with the virus, of whom 4,972 have died and 223,450 have recovered, including 588 in the last 24 hours.

January 29, 2021 – Lockdown is apparently taking a toll on one Hercegovac. The man from Široki Brijeg wrote to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and begged him to reopen the borders between Croatia and Herzegovina so he could eject his wife from the family home for a month and send her to his mother-in-law's

The message from Hercegovac Ante Zovko (Ante Marinkov) was reposted on the Facebook page Imocki crnjaci where it picked up some 3 thousand likes in less than 6 hours.

The town, Široki Brijeg, where this particular Hercegovac (a man from Herzegovina) lives is just 35 kilometres from the border with Croatia. Lots of Croatians live in this area, including this Hercegovac, his wife and his child. But not, it would seem, his wife's mother, who apparently lives in Croatia.

Široki Brijeg in Herzegovina, around 35 kilometres across the border from Croatia © Anto (talk)

The Hercegovac's reason for wishing to eject his wife and child for a month was to change up the atmosphere for a time. One presumes he was not being entirely serious with his request.

The Hercegovac is not the first man to seemingly reach the end of his tether while restricted to staying in the family home. In April 2020, after just one month of being housebound, a man from a village near Osijek in Slavonia left his wife in the family home and went to live nearby in a tent.

Speaking anonymously at the time, the man's neighbour told the local SiB.hr news portal the couple have been happily married for 30 years. But, it seems the pressure of being around each other so closely during the lockdown was too much even for their strong union.

The neighbour was happy to report that since his friend pitched his tent in the nearby locale, relations between the man and his wife had actually returned to their usual levels of warmth and friendliness. The wife even came regularly to visit her husband in his tent.

© John Waring

"My neighbour has been in his tent for a few days now,” he told the portal back in April. “He puts up a table and chairs in front. Occasionally our other neighbour comes over to drink some rakija (with him). I visited him too.”

The neighbour said his friend had quit the family home due to boredom more than anything else. Even after being happily married for 30 years, being around each other 24 hours a day was apparently just too much.

Perhaps in this more chivalrous response from the Slavonian man, Hercegovac Ante Marinkov could take some inspiration? After all, it's surely easier if one person departs from his family home in order to change the atmosphere than if two are forced to leave. Ante should find a nice spot in the fields nearby – not too close – and simply pitch up a tent. Problem solved! If he's lucky, his wife might come to visit bringing rakija.

January 29, 2021 – It has all the ingredients of a movie about Al Capone or Lucky Luciano in 1920s Chicago - illicit, hidden drinking dens, dancing girls, bullets, guns, gangsters and a police raid, only with a neon lighting scheme that remains fashionable strictly in Balkan clubs. Welcome to Prohibition-era nightclubbing Zagreb

It has all the ingredients of a movie about Al Capone (main picture) or Lucky Luciano in 1920s Chicago - illicit, hidden drinking dens, dancing girls, bullets, guns, gangsters and a police raid, only with a neon lighting scheme that remains fashionable strictly in Balkan clubs. Welcome to Prohibition-era nightclubbing Zagreb.

Croatian police have issued a video of a raid they undertook to shut down a Prohibition-era nightclubbing party in Zagreb. Inside the venue, they found 33 persons. None were wearing masks.

One young man at the party was caught with a pistol and bullets. If it weren't for the police's modern helmets with visors and the Balkan-cool neon lighting, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching Eliot Ness and The Untouchables busting an illegal speakeasy. All cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs are supposed to be closed at the moment under measures adopted to counter the spread of Coronavirus.

The pistol found by police while conducting a search on a 24-year-old at the club - Youtube screenshot

In the original era of America's Prohibition, under which the production, import, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages was illegal, Al Capone ultimately received an 11-year prison sentence for tax evasion and Lucky Luciano was looking at 30 - 50 years until he struck a deal and agreed to be deported to Italy. Thankfully, there are no mafia murders connected to this tale of Prohibition-era nightclubbing in Zagreb.

In addition to the video, the police released a statement about the prohibition-era nightclubbing raid:

"During the operation, a total of 33 people were found, identified and checked in said facility. No coercive measures were used during the actions of the police officers. 33 people were found not wearing protective masks, which is why the police officers issued them three Notices of Misdemeanor and 30 fines were collected for violations of Article 47, paragraph 2, item 9 of the Law on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases.

Furthermore, for one of the caught persons, a 24-year-old was searched and a gas pistol was found in his possession, for which he was issued a Mandatory Misdemeanor Order for the offence under Article 27, paragraph 2 of the Law on procurement and possession of weapons by citizens.

Bullets found by the police at the prohibition-era nightclubbing scene in Zagreb

Also, officials of the Directorate of Civil Protection found violations of epidemiological measures contrary to the Decision on necessary epidemiological measures restricting gatherings and introducing other necessary epidemiological measures and recommendations to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 through gatherings. Due to performing catering activities contrary to the decisions of the Civil Protection Headquarters, officials of the State Inspectorate, Tourist Inspection, Zagreb Regional Office found a violation of Article 9A of the Catering Act and issued an oral decision banning the work, and the facility was sealed for at least 30 days. Misdemeanor proceedings will be initiated against the legal and responsible person.

As part of the criminal investigation, the 45-year-old owner of a catering facility was taken to the official premises of the Zagreb Police Administration for a criminal investigation on suspicion of having committed the criminal offence of "Spreading and Transmitting an Infectious Disease" under Article 180. He will be handed over to the custody supervisor after the criminal investigation is completed”

Prohibition in the United States took place in a 13 year period between 1920 and 1933. It is highly unlikely that the bars and cafes of Zagreb will be asked to remain closed for such a length of time. This is not the first instance of Prohibition-era nightclubbing taking place irrespective of epidemiological guidelines in Zagreb. In late November 2020, Croatian media (including Juarnji List) widely reported on police raids that took place at two Zagreb venues, even though measures adopted in the fight against the pandemic were at that time more relaxed.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Thursday that new measures for the enterprise sector would be made today and that most existing COVID-19 restrictions would stay, describing plans by some cafe and restaurant owners to stage protests as pointless.

"Today new measures will be adopted for the enterprise sector in the context of the current epidemiological situation. Depending on the dynamic of those measures, the government will continually monitor the sector and look for funds to help it for as long as the restrictions are in force," Ćorić told reporters ahead of a government session.

Asked if the current restrictions would be prolonged, he said that most of the measures would stay in force.

Asked if he would allow cafe owners to serve takeaway coffee, Ćorić said that it was one of the details discussed several times by epidemiologists sitting on the government's advisory council and economists.

"We are fully aware that any relaxation that brings revenue to sectors means a slightly better status in the context of long-term survival. On the other hand, we are also aware of the argument presented by epidemiologists that the current situation is very sensitive, not only for Croatia but the whole of Europe," said the minister, mentioning in that context the appearance of new virus strains.

When asked if he was afraid of protest activities announced by some cafe and restaurant owners, who have said that they will either reopen their businesses or take to the streets, Ćorić said that such announcements were irresponsible and pointless.

"Our primary concern should be people's lives and health. That should be a priority to everyone," he said, repeating that in the past months maximum effort had been made to save jobs.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday the COVID-19 crisis had cost Croatia over HRK 2.5 billion to date.

"I don't know what awaits us, what new viruses will bring, but so far we have responded to the threat well. As far as I know, no one has been denied a service," he told the opposition in parliament in a debate on the first report on the COVID measures taken from March 2020 to mid-January 2021.

All the measures have been aimed at protecting health, proportionate, and they have not affected anyone's basic rights, Beroš said.

I wonder how we did it

The COVID crisis has cost us enormously, I wonder how we did it given the execution of budget revenues and the health budget, the minister said responding to Željko Riner of the ruling HDZ, adding that over HRK 685 million had been spent on tests, HRK 450 million on treatment and HRK 115 million on sick leave.

As a small country, Croatia did not have the strength to enter negotiations with pharmaceutical companies alone. The European Commission did it for the 27 member states when it was not known who would manufacture a vaccine and when, Beroš told Marija Selak Raspudić of the opposition Bridge.

She said the contracts with those companies were usurious and asked what Croatia was doing to make them more transparent. "I don't know if they are usurious," replied Beroš.

Renata Sabljar Dračevac of the opposition Social Democrats (SDP) asked if most Croatian citizens would be vaccinated by the summer.

Beroš said the government started considering the need to procure vaccines long ago. "Why so many doses? We procured them when we didn't know who would develop the vaccine first and when. Most member states focused on AstraZeneca, yet Pfizer turned out to be the first," he said, adding that vaccination would be delayed due Pfizer's fewer doses.

Beroš said Croatia could not turn to other manufacturers because their vaccines had not been approved by the European Medicines Agency.

Rada Borić of the opposition green-left bloc asked about Croatia's stand on the Russian and Chinese vaccines. Beroš said they were not safe for Croatian citizens because "they have not undergone clinical trials, only the first and second stages... When it's safer, we'll certainly discuss it."

About 100 doses for politicians irrelevant in total number

Beroš justified the fact that about 100 MPs and ministers were among the first to be vaccinated. "About 100 doses is irrelevant in the total number. We estimated that the promotional impact of their vaccination is more significant," he told Stipe Mlinarić (SDP), who said that vaccinating politicians before older people was a wrong message.

Hrvoje Zekanović of the opposition Sovereignists asked how come Bosnia and Herzegovina had fewer cases given that it did not have a lockdown. Beroš said "many elements have an effect on that."

Responding to the opposition's criticism over the closure of bars and restaurants, he said that "according to epidemiologists, they are absolutely sources of the spread of the virus." He said epidemiologists were considering whether to reopen them and that the summer tourist season was already being considered.

Beroš dismissed the claim by Domagoj Prica (SDP) that the measures were extreme, saying they were adopted based on what was known and information from the world, and that they were adjusted to the moment with the intention to respond in the best way.

Vesna Vučemilović of the opposition Homeland Movement asked why children who went to school could not practice sports. Beroš said he was confident certain sports would be allowed as part of measures to go into force on 1 February.

He said the possibility of introducing an accelerated retirement plan for medical staff who worked with COVID patients was being considered. Responding to Katarina Peović of the opposition Workers' Front, he said this was not simple under the Labour Act but that this did not mean its amendments would not be considered if the crisis were to last.