ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Thursday that he today expected a positive response from certain countries that had been considering introducing new measures for Croatia and that Germany could keep the existing regulations for Croatia, with some modifications.

"Yesterday I spoke with a colleague from Germany, and I think we can be sure that in line with the recommendation by their Robert Koch Institute (of public health) that country will keep the existing regulations for Croatia, with some modifications and probably recommendations for some regions in Croatia that they should not be visited because of (coronavirus) hotspots, but Germany remains loyal as a traditional market from which tourists come here," Grlic Radman said.

He underscored that he hoped that countries that were now considering new measures for Croatia, without saying which ones, would make a positive response and that "our great effort will bear fruit and that we will still have tourists in the country by the end of August, and even in September and October."

Underscoring that they have been aware since the start and the reopening of borders that some foreign markets will introduce measures for Croatia, Minister Grlic Radman noted that timely and interministerial action and measures in Croatia were what made tourist results possible.

"In diplomatic contacts, we have been pointing out the fact that cases of the infection were not spread out evenly across the entire country, and we were making sure that in case new measures were introduced for Croatia, the regional aspect of the spread of the infection would be taken into account and measures for the entire country would be avoided," Minister Grlic Radman said, adding they are advocating exchange of information and experience regarding measures that apply to the return of citizens to their homeland from other countries at the EU level.

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ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - There have been 255 new cases of the coronavirus infection in Croatia in the last 24 hours, and there are now 1,689 active cases, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Thursday.

Of those active cases, 127 are receiving hospital treatment, including 13 placed on ventilators.

In the last 24 hours, 2,397 people have been tested and since the outbreak of the infection on 25 February, 144,521 tests have been performed.

To date, 7329 people have caught the virus, and of them, 5,472 have fully recovered, while 168 have died.

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August 20, 2020 - More quarantine requirements for tourists returning home from Croatia, as Germany becomes the first country to specify individual Croatian counties, rather than the whole country.  

Germany has put two Dalmatian counties on its red list. These are the Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin counties, reports Index.hr.

The information was published by the German Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the institution that manages the German response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has put Šibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia counties on its list of risk areas due to the increase in the number of people infected with coronavirus. This means that all returnees to Germany who have been to these Croatian counties will have to go for mandatory testing, and until they receive the test results they will have to be in house quarantine. Germany's Health Ministry details the process of returning to Germany from the high-risk areas (which now include the two Croatian counties), explaining that it's possible to avoid the quarantine if you provide proof of having tested negative within 48 hours prior to entry to Germany. 

It is likely that now, based on the RKI decision, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a warning to travel to these areas of Croatia. On the other hand, parts of Romania and Luxembourg have been removed from the list of risk areas of the Robert Koch Institute.

If there is one small crumb of comfort for Croatian tourism, this is the first instance where a country has placed quarantine restrictions on parts of Croatia, rather than the whole country. Dubrovnik, whose economy is 80% tourism and which is physically separated from the rest of Croatia by the Neum Corridor in Bosnia and Hercegovina, has a very low infection rate, with the majority of its guests arriving by air. Unlike other countries which have taken Croatia off their safe lifts, Germans can continue to visit the Pearl of the Adriatic, for now at least. 

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ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that the current situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic required a cautious approach to protect the national economy and jobs, and he also called for caution in personal contact, notably among young people.

Addressing a government session, Plenkovic said that in the current situation, marked by a global increase in the number of new infections, including in Croatia, "we must continue to be very alert and cautious in order to protect public health, our economy, and jobs."

He noted that it was good that the new infections in Croatia were cases with mild symptoms.

"Only about 120 people are hospitalised and slightly more than ten are on ventilators. That fact is very important. We must bear in mind the difference between those who have been infected and those who have developed the symptoms," Plenkovic said.

"The new cases lately have been young people and people returning from holidays. That is why I call on all fellow citizens, notably young people, to act responsibly and avoid close contact that can lead to infection," he said.

Plenkovic also said that intensive work would continue on a law on the post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs and that a meeting would be held on the topic this afternoon. At the next government session, before the start of a new, extraordinary parliament sitting, the law will be submitted for a second reading, he said.

Plenkovic recalled that Croatia had received a decision from the European Commission on advance payment in the amount of €88.9 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for the reconstruction of Zagreb, and noted that the competent departments were working to provide accommodation for people whose homes were damaged in the March 22 quake and who are currently staying in Zagreb's Cvjetno Naselje student dormitory.

The PM also announced events commemorating the European day of remembrance for victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on August 23, when he and Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic will visit Goli Otok.

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August 20, 2020 – Slovenians must quarantine if returning from Croatia after the weekend, but what are the implications of Croatia on Slovenia RED list?

Update on August 20, after the official placement of Croatia on Slovenia RED list by the Slovenian government was made public: in order to make things easier for their nationals currently vacationing in Croatia, Slovenia has decided to extend the deadline for the return to Slovenia until Monday. Slovenians who own real-estate and boats in Croatia are given an extra 48 hours, so they can take care of their property before leaving Croatia without self-isolating upon return. 

As reported in TCN yesterday, Slovenia has designated Croatia on Slovenia RED list as a country on its red list for travel. Sounds bad. But, what does it actually mean?

Well, for Slovenes, the choice is pretty simple – return home before the end of the weekend, or you'll face a mandatory two-week quarantine and Coronavirus test when you do. The quarantine and test will apply automatically to any Slovene travelling to Croatia after Friday.

But, what are the implications of Croatia on Slovenia RED list?

Well, the mandatory quarantine and test apply to any Croatian entering Slovenia after the weekend. There are exceptions – if you're just passing through, say, on your way to Austria or Germany, the quarantine doesn't apply. You'll have a maximum of 12 hours to travel into, through, and out of Slovenia. The same goes for delivery drivers who are just dropping off or picking up. You can stop for gas and use the WC. Special permits are also available for those who have to cross the border for daily trade.

Not such a big deal for Croats, then? Well, we'll have to wait and see. But, it doesn't look good. The economic implications could bite much harder.

From June, Slovenians have accounted for 7 million overnight stays in Croatia. As reported continuously in TCN's 2020 travel and tourism coverage, regional tourism - lead by those travelling by car – has accounted for the largest number of arrivals this year. Numbers of Slovenes holidaying in Croatia are actually up by as much as 3 percent compared to the same period last year.


In 2020, visitors from Croatia's next-door neighbour have been more important - and more numerous - than ever before, until Croatia on Slovenia RED list

According to the Croatian National Tourist Board, Slovenes accounted for 8.7% of arrivals and 11.5% of overnight stays in total over 2019, second only to Germans. During this 2020 season, in which their custom is more important than ever, the financial impact on Croatia may be much more damaging than that incurred from similarly imposed classifications by Austria and Italy, who recently announced mandatory testing for all returnees.

The peak days of the season are already behind us but, truth be told, the season only began in earnest a month ago. There was no pre-season this year. Hopes of an extended season, based on the optimistic numbers of July / early August, now seem to be dashed, due to the rise in number of COVID-19 infections. Certainly from the Slovenian market.

Will Slovenes and others accept a mandatory quarantine in exchange for their annual break on the Croatian coast? Some may. Surely, some won't. Any Slovenes planning trips in late August or September have been given serious cause to reconsider, thanks to the new classification. School and work start again in September – how does a two-week mandatory quarantine fit into that schedule?

Nobody really knows how long the 'red card' Slovenia has given Croatia will last, nor when it will end. The answer presumably lies in Croatia's ability to address its number of newly infected. Before all criticism for the stranglehold this classification places on the 2020 season is attributed to Slovenia, Croatia must first ask itself some tough questions; could Croatia – from staff and owners in the service industry, right the way up to state level - have done more to keep the numbers down? For it is the numbers now that can help save the remainder of Croatia's 2020 tourist season, not the Slovenes.

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August 20, 2020 - The Split Mayor, Andro Krstulovic Opara, said that the recently increased number of newly infected in Split-Dalmatia County was "a consequence of a larger number of tourists and a larger number of young people enjoying nightlife." He sharply called out the irresponsible caterers.

T.portal reports that Krstulovic said that the city's Civil Protection Headquarters reacted as soon as they noticed the sudden growth of the newly infected, convening an emergency meeting on Monday, N1 reports.

"These are not worrying numbers, but we had to intervene," said the mayor, noting that the meeting was attended by the director of the Split-Dalmatia County Teaching Institute for Public Health, Zeljka Karin, and the president of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK) for Split, Jozo Tomas.

The meeting was convened, the mayor explained, "to harmonize the work with the work of the inspection services to prevent those little anomalies and those rare greedy recidivists." The term “greedy recidivists” referred to the group of caterers who did not implement epidemiological measures.

Krstulovic Opara believes that the number of infected will "drop soon".

The N1 reporter was interested in whether the reaction came late, because, for example, out of Wednesday's 66 new cases in the county, as many as 18 are from Imotski, which seems to be a possible focus, as he stated.

"Time will tell if the reaction is timely," the mayor replied, adding:

"We're at 70 percent overnight stays compared to last year. The economy has finally started... It would be dreadful to jeopardize results like this now because of a few."

He believes that the national headquarters made the right decisions and quality instructions in a timely manner, but that, apart from the irresponsible caterers, the problem is overburdening inspectors. On limiting the work of bars, cafes and catering clubs, the Split Mayor said:

"If they (the caterers) would stick to the measures, as far as we are concerned, they could work all night. It can already be seen that there is a smaller number of those who violate the measures."

Opara concluded by saying in the autumn, he "would not say that it will be difficult, but that it would be demanding."

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August 20, 2020 - The coronavirus spokesman of the Slovenian government, Jelko Kacin, confirmed on Wednesday what was speculated - Slovenia will put Croatia on the red list Thursday night. However, he said that in reality, Croatia is already on the Slovenian red list. Croatian Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac responded.

Index.hr reports that Slovenian tourists will most likely have until the end of the week to return to Slovenia to avoid a two-week self-isolation.

"In reality, Croatia is already on the red list today, and formally it will be tomorrow," Kacin said, adding that the situation in Croatia is dramatic.

He went a step further and said that Croatia no longer controls the situation with the coronavirus.

"We have to be realistic and understand that they are no longer in control of their situation; their epidemiologists can no longer do that. There will be big problems in the health system. The situation requires sober heads and decisive moves," Kacin said.

"The situation in Croatia is so bad that we have no choice but to call on our citizens to return to Slovenia as soon as possible. Things are getting worse quickly and it will be much worse," Kacin added.

The Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, answered him.

The press release received from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is transmitted in its entirety:

"Following the latest statements by the coronavirus spokesman of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Jelko Kacin, we reject his allegations that the situation in Croatia is dramatic.

We remind you that Slovenia is continuously at the very top of the market crucial for the overall result of Croatian tourism, which is illustrated by eVisitor indicators according to which in June 2020, we recorded approximately 207 thousand arrivals and 1.1 million overnight stays from the Slovenian market. July reached a level of approximately 382 thousand arrivals and 3.4 million overnight stays.

According to preliminary indicators for August (as of August 18), we are currently at the level of approximately 238 thousand arrivals and 2.2 million overnight stays of Slovenes, of which 71.4 percent are realized in Istria, Kvarner and Lika. We want to point out that in these three counties, a total of 10 cases of newly infected with COVID-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours.

The perception of Croatia is extremely good for most Slovenian tourists; in Croatia, they feel safe since they know it well and are the owners of numerous properties (more than 100,000).

Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac is in constant contact with representatives of associations in the tourism system, to ensure full compliance with epidemiological measures in tourist facilities, as well as the possibility of introducing testing for foreign tourists in tourist facilities.

Croatia will continue to do everything in its power to ensure that the relevant foreign institutions have all the accurate and precise information on the basis of which they make decisions on the inclusion of countries on risk lists, i.e., on the lists of safe countries," the Ministry said.

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August 20, 2020 - German television WDR published a 45-minute report on Croatian tourism this year, which it called "Paradise for a vacation without tourists".

Index.hr reports that it is a continuation of a report from two years ago, which dealt with the problems of Croatian tourism, such as the overcrowding in Dubrovnik. However, the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. 

"For tourists, this is an ideal situation because they have almost the entire coast to themselves, while the locals worry about whether they will survive financially and how to survive," the beginning of the WDR report states.

The impact of the pandemic on Croatian tourism

A Croatian waiter tells them: "Of course I am afraid of the future, I don't know who I could work for at all. Everyone here lives from tourism." Shots of Dubrovnik's rather empty streets follow, incomparable to the hustle and bustle filmed by German journalists two years ago at the same time.

"How hard has the corona crisis hit Croatia? How does it affect tourism? And how do people deal with it?" are questions that WDR is trying to answer.

Dubrovnik without tourists

They say that Dubrovnik is almost empty, so it is not difficult to keep a distance because there are simply no people. On the other hand, one Dubrovnik resident says that before the pandemic, Dubrovnik was so crowded that it was no longer possible to live in the city. "Everything was focused on profit," says the Dubrovnik resident, who recalls that there were days when six cruisers came to Dubrovnik, so the locals knew that there was simply no point in going out on the street that day because of the crowds. This year, however, no cruiser will come to Dubrovnik. One is in the harbor, but it is empty, and will spend the winter there.

It is stated that Dubrovnik is full of ads with discounts, but also that more and more business premises are offered for sale. They point out that the gastronomic sector in Dubrovnik was particularly affected, which last year served more than five thousand people a day, while now there are simply no guests. It is predicted that many restaurants and cafes will close this year, that they will not survive the crisis.

No crowds at Plitvice

The next location covered by the WDR report is Plitvice Lakes. A team of journalists film a camp near Plitvice, whose 2,500 spots are always filled. This year, there are only about 200 tents and caravans in the camp, and most of those who came did not reserve their place in advance because they concluded that there was no need for it.

Footage from 2018 shows a long line before entering Plitvice Lakes National Park, and this year there is no line at all. Now, due to the pandemic, a maximum of 300 people are allowed into the National Park per hour at each of the two entrances, but there are fewer guests than that. There were thousands of them before. The management of the National Park points out that they regularly disinfect everything and adhere to other epidemiological measures. Still, visitors wear masks, which are optional.

"For those who live from tourism, the situation is completely different, and they are already feeling the crisis," the report said. They point out that the area around Plitvice is poor, that there is no industry, and that many in tourism have tried to earn some extra money and taken out loans to build apartments for rent. But this year there are hardly any guests.

WDR reminds us that the tourist boom in Plitvice was created without the necessary infrastructure and that it has its dark side, especially when it comes to sewage and wastewater.

The journalists again visited the so-called 'seventeenth lake', i.e., 'the lake of crap' on Plitvice, which was created there a couple of years ago. “There was a bestial stench in the middle of the National Park,” recalls a WDR reporter. This year there is none of it, because there are no tourists, so the existing infrastructure is sufficient for those who live in Plitvice. There is also a treatment plant, a project of the National Park and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which helped with the remediation. The mayor of Plitvice, Ante Kovac, explains that the problem was solved thanks to the protests of the local population, but also "because of the journalists, who pushed the politicians against the wall".

On the other hand, the residents of Plitvice experienced a "financial shock" due to the pandemic and hope to recover next year. One landlord says the financial pandemic is “worse than war”.

They want year-round, sustainable tourism on Hvar

The third destination visited by the WDR team was Hvar. They remind viewers that two years ago, it was a "party island", which created problems even then, so the local government introduced stricter rules of conduct for tourists and started threatening fines for inappropriate behavior.

"Now this problem has been solved on its own," the report states, along with footage of empty Hvar streets.

The owner of a Hvar hostel says that he no longer wants to do that business because the pandemic has shown that the whole model of Croatian tourism is wrong. “A new approach is needed, new projects,” he tells WDR. "Hvar can offer more than nightclubs, cafes and loud music," he said, adding that he wanted to implement "radical changes in tourism on Hvar" with local like-minded people. The goal is to achieve "year-round, sustainable tourism".

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The application of special measures made by the Austrian decision in regard to Croatia will certainly affect the economic relations between the two countries as well as mere travel plans. Cross-border drama is set to erupt as government decisions muddy the waters.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes on the 19th of August, 2020, the new, stricter entry regime that the Austrian decision has seen that country apply to Croatia since Monday, after listing it among the countries at increased risk of spreading coronavirus, will further weaken economic relations between the two countries, warn businessmen on both sides. Not only are Croatian hoteliers and hospitality workers now under attack, who have already felt the withdrawal of Austrian guests, but other business is set to be strained, too.

This time, with an anti-coronavirus decree, the Austrian authorities also eliminated the exceptions that were valid in the Croatian case in the business segment during the first wave of the pandemic and lockdown. Until the 30th of September, which is currently the length of time for which this new regime enforced by the Austrian decision is in force, the exemption from mandatory testing or quarantine remains in force only for freight traffic, but not for coming to do business.

The exception doesn't apply even to cross-border workers, including those who go to Austria on quite literally a daily basis. All of them must have a medical certificate in either German or English proving the negative result of a COVID-PCR test, not older than 72 hours, or they must quarantine for ten days at their own expense. The details of the new Austrian decision were also reported by the Trade Department of the Austrian Embassy in Croatia, with a published list of laboratories for the testing of private individuals in Croatia. At the moment, Austrian businessmen are also interested in whether Croatia will now retaliate with the same measures, but a unilateral stricter regime of entry control for business life inevitably means complications and costs, which will certainly be felt in the business world on both sides.

The President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), Luka Burilovic, is convinced that the application of these special measures will certainly affect the economic relations between the two countries, especially since Austria is one of Croatia's most important foreign trade partners.

"The consequences will undoubtedly affect tourism, and at this moment in time, the issue of cross-border provision of services is opening up. Namely, only from July the 1st this year have our companies had free access to the Austrian market without restrictions for, for example, the construction sector and related activities, so the application of these restrictions to many companies doing business with Austria or in the negotiation process has hindered one of the four fundamental freedoms of the EU,'' Burilovic pointed out.

He particularly welcomes the initiative of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, with which the Croatian Chamber of Commerce has long-standing excellent cooperation, to adapt the measures to the needs of the economy and exempt cross-border workers from such restrictions, as is now the case for transport and transit. According to him, restrictive measures should not affect the flow of goods, because they don't apply to supply chains and transport companies.

"However, the requirement for testing for people crossing the border on a daily basis greatly hinders the free flow of people for business activities, and thus affects the economic situation, which is not only unfavourable for Croatia, but also for Austrian partners of Croatian companies and employers too," concluded the President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce.

On the eve of July the 1st, when the need for Croatian nationals to obtain a work permit in order to work legally in Austria finally ceased, it was expected that the already present daily migrations of workers from two northwestern Croatian counties, Medjimurje and Varazdin, would increase. The big wave that was expected didn't occur due to the coronavirus outbreak, and citing Austrian estimates, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs says that about four thousand cross-border workers are currently employed. So far, they add, there have been no requests for help from the Croatian embassy in Vienna, and the embassy is in contact with the competent Federal Ministry of Labour regarding cross-border workers.

Austrian businessmen, on the other hand, are concerned that they will also have to test their "control" people employed companies they have in Croatia. Unlike Austria, cross-border workers don't have to undergo such treatment in the case of Italy, which also put Croatia on the so-called red list. So far, there are no indications that this would happen in the case of workers who travel across the Croatian-Slovenian border every day if, as expected, Slovenia decides to declare Croatia "dangerous" at the end of the week.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of August, 2020, a recent guest of Dnevnik N1 television was Alemka Markotic, the director of the ''Dr. Fran Mihaljevic'' Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb. The current situation, measures for the beginning of the school year and the race for the vaccine are some of the topics she discussed.

"Slightly higher numbers are the result of more activity over the summer in this part of the Earth's hemisphere where everyone relaxed and are travelling, it was obviously easier for the virus to penetrate. It all happens in the open, more or less among the younger population, so for now, at least in Croatia, there are no serious consequences, almost 90 percent of those infected didn't need to be hospitalised, but that doesn't mean we should relax and think that everything is solved,'' she stated.

''The virus accelerates when we reduce precautions. There has been talk for months about mutations, and research by Professor Cicin-Sain, in which this same clinic for infectious diseases also participated, shows that the virus has point mutations that allow it to be transmitted more easily from person to person,'' said Alemka Markotic.

"We're not in closed spaces, so the dose of the virus people receive is lower, which can also affect their clinical picture, but we should be careful and the disease shouldn't be transmitted to the elderly, into facilities used by the health system and into nursing homes, that's what we're trying to stop from happening all the time," she explained.

On the question of schools and some of the confusing information that has been circulating, she said: ''We may be late with information to the public, but sometimes it is better to refine everything to make sure it's all clearer than to run around giving out unfinished information, it's best that we can do everything two months before, but we saw that cooronavirus is also preparing surprises and that the situation is changing, so when it comes to the instructions, we will have to change and adapt to the situation as it comes. ”

At the moment, the US, China, the UK and Germany are working intensively to find a vaccine. Alemka Markotic analysed how far they had come.

“The advantages for now are that all four vaccines are quite close to coming to the results of the third clinical study, some are at the very beginning, some have a significant number of subjects, all four vaccines haven't had serious side effects and there is good information on the vaccine's efficacy, and which can offer efficacy with lower doses,'' she explained

As for the Russian vaccine, she says the rules must be followed, but that she cannot say that the vaccine won't be any good, but all stages of testing, whether for vaccines or for medicine, must absolutely be followed.

Alemka Markotic also pointed out that the policies of these countries will try to take advantage of the invention of vaccines, but as for the scientists and pharmaceutical companies, she said that the competition is great because over 200 companies and scientific institutions want to create a vaccine and it is then "maybe a matter of scientific prestige the first to be able to help people. ”

She doesn't anticipate higher profits from such moves, except in the case of the mass vaccination of people.

What about anti-vaxxers?

Alemka Markotic also commented on people who doubt the effectiveness of the vaccine. She doesn’t think that a large percentage of people are in question. "There is a percentage of people who think differently, they need to be talked to and I have often talked to them and when arguments are approached and in good faith, people accept it," she said.

She added that she can see from the data that more and more people are being vaccinated, for example against the flu. She also recalled that after the outbreak of measles, people rushed to get vaccinated against the disease. In addition, she also believes that experts should make an effort to make people understand and contribute further to this, for example, by issuing more clear information on how vaccines are produced to remove conspiracy theories.

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