ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - Over the past week 390 people have died of COVID-19 in Croatia and 273 of them (70%) were not vaccinated while ten were under the age of 50 and were not vaccinated, Health Minister Vili Beroš said at a government session on Thursday. 

The largest number of COVID-19 patients are hospitalised in the hospitals in Split, Rijeka and Zagreb's Dubrava hospital, while the latter hospital and the hospitals in Split and Osijek have the largest number of patients on ventilators, he said.

Hospital capacity for COVID patients is being increased as needed while other non-essential procedures are being reduced, and in the coming weeks an influx of severe cases is expected, which means further reduction of services for non-COVID patients, Beroš said.

"The increased interest in vaccination has continued, and more than 120,000 people have received their first shot over a period of one week," he said.

So far 3.8 million doses have been administered, and 61.15% of the adult population has been vaccinated. A total of 98,024 persons have received a third, booster dose, he said.

Mandatory testing helps identify 1,411 positive cases

After mandatory testing was introduced for unvaccinated employees of government and public institutions earlier this week, over the past few days 64,462 people were tested and 1,411 positive cases were identified.

We are continuing to register a large number of new infections due to the prevalence of the fast-spreading Delta and Delta plus variants, the minister said, noting that the introduction of COVID-19 certificates was a measure proportional to the current epidemiological situation.

Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said that the decision on mandatory testing for employees in government and public services did not mean compulsory vaccination and that the first day of the COVID certificate mandate had passed well.

"Even though there were individual incidents and protests, the first day went well and I believe that the quiet and conscientious majority has accepted it with understanding," he said.

ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - Croatia has logged 6,670 new COVID cases in the past 24 hours and 64 new deaths bringing the total death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic to more than 10,000.

There are currently 37,144 active cases and 2,433 patients are in hospital treatment while 323 of them are on ventilators, the national COVID response team reported on Wednesday.

Since 25 February when the first case of the novel coronavirus was detected in Croatia, there have been 551,000 cases of the contagion and 10,500 people have died as a consequence while 503,806 have recovered, with 3,222 people recovering in the past 24 hours. Currently, there are 25,938 people self-isolating.

To date, a total of 3,303,653 tests have been conducted with 15,519 taken in the past 24 hours.

As of 16 November, a total of 3,899,376 doses of a vaccine had been administered with 51.18% of the total population or 61.15% of the adult population having been vaccinated with at least one dose. On Tuesday 29,489 doses of a vaccine were administered with 17,907 people receiving the first dose.

A total of 2,076,934 people have received at least one dose while 1,873,073 are fully vaccinated which accounts for 55.36% of the total population.

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that according to information he received at the inner cabinet's meeting, the introduction of COVID certificate mandate in state and public institutions practically proceeded smoothly.

I believe it is good to raise the level of health safety this way. We expect a vast majority of citizens to adapt to this situation, Plenković told the press after a session of the leadership of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

Asked to comment on the position of local and state official regarding COVID certificates, for example that of Sinj Mayor Miro Bulj, Primošten Mayor Stipe Petrina, but also that of President Zoran Milanović, who said that they would disregard this requirement, Plenković responded that this was a disaster.

It is easy for him (Milanović) to say that we are not going to harass people when he received all the three doses of the vaccine.

He is safe and protected and he keeps telling people that the decisions of the national coronavirus response team should not be respected, Plenković said.

As far as Bulj and Petrina are concerned, we have to find legal means to sanction this situation, the PM said.

Commenting on protest against epidemiological measures, Plenković said that Croatia is a democracy and people can have different opinions and express their dissatisfaction.

We will hear what they have to say and see if there is common ground. Our objective is to provide health protection, work, public transportation and education by securing enough dosses of the vaccine, Plenković said. He announced the government, at its session on Wednesday, would donate 300,000 doses of the vaccine that Croatia did not use, saying this will be Croatia's contribution to the global fight against the pandemic.

Plenković said that the HDZ membership of former minister Gabrijela Žalac and the SAFU director, Tomislav Petric, would be suspended.

Recently, Zagreb County Court set month-long detention for former minister Gabrijela Žalac, the head of Croatia’s Central Finance and Contracting Agency (SAFU), Tomislav Petric and two other suspects in a case dubbed Software in which they are suspected of embezzlement of €1.8 million from the EU and Croatian budgets.

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - The opposition MOST party said on Tuesday it was starting to collect signatures for a referendum against the COVID certificate mandate to access the workplace and state and public institutions.

MOST president Božo Petrov said on Facebook the party had consulted legal experts and that it was formulating the referendum question.

MOST "is firmly standing up for the defence of constitutional values" and "will not allow our constitutional rights to be breached by arbitrary decisions" of the national COVID crisis management team "which acts as a para-political body," according to the post.

Vice president Nikola Grmoja said in parliament the certificates were pointless and could not be a means to prevent the infection from spreading, only an instrument to coerce vaccination.

He said decisions to that effect must be passed by parliament, not the national crisis management team. "We are against discrimination and dividing people. Why should some get tested and others not?" 

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - On Monday, a day before the COVID certificate mandate in public and state services went into force, 892 rapid antigen tests came back positive, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The high number of newly-detected positive persons once again proves the point and importance of COVID certificates," Minister Vili Beroš said, adding that without the mandatory testing those people would have spread the infection at work, at home and elsewhere.

"That says enough about the extent of the epidemiological damage we prevented in just one day," Beroš said, adding that according to expert estimates, those 892 tests directly prevented the infection of almost 2,000 persons and indirectly far more.

The minister said one person infected with the Delta plus variant could infect five persons who had not been vaccinated or recovered from COVID.

Croatian Institute of Public Health director Krunoslav Capak said over 60% of adults had been vaccinated to date and a part of the population had recovered, so one could conclude that those 892 positive tests prevented the infection of 1,784 persons.

Beroš said people who refused to get vaccinated were the reason why "we have to adjust the system, human and material resources, and set aside precious time which we could dedicate to the patients in need."

COVID certificates are a key tool in the protection of people's health and lives, notably the health system, Beroš said, adding that the goal was to reduce the burden on hospitals so that non-COVID patients could have access to healthcare.

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - In the last 24 hours 4,443 coronavirus cases and 50 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Tuesday.

There are 33,760 active cases, including 2,378 hospitalised patients, 289 of whom are on ventilators, while 24,144 persons are self-isolating.

Croatia has registered 544,330 coronavirus cases to date as well as 9,986 fatalities and 500,584 recoveries, including 4,695 in the last 24 hours.

To date 3,288,144 persons have been tested for the virus, with 12,911 in the last 24 hours, and 50.76% of the total population and 60.66% of adults have been vaccinated. 55.13% of adults have completed vaccination.

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - Dozens of staff have been protesting outside Zagreb's Remetinec prison since 6.30 am on Tuesday due to the enforcement of the COVID certificate mandate in public and state services as of today, as have dozens of staff of the Commercial Court in Split.

One of the protesters outside Remetinec told the press they wanted equal treatment for staff, whether they have recovered from COVID or not, because everyone spread the virus, while another said they were not against vaccination but against forcible vaccination.

In Split, Commercial Court employee Višnja Rakić said they were under no obligation to show personal data to enter the building as it was "against the law and against the Constitution."

She said the protesting staff were more or fewer lawyers and that they would be spitting on themselves and the judiciary if they did something illegal and counter-constitutional under coercion or blackmail

As of today, COVID certificates are mandatory for employees and customers entering public and state institutions. With this mandate, the authorities want to protect people's health, encourage them to get vaccinated and ensure access to healthcare.

November the 16th, 2021 - A list of Zagreb rapid antigen test locations, as well as the prices of the tests, has been published now that the use of covid certificates has been widened.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, organised by the City of Zagreb, rapid antigen testing (Croatian: BAT/English: RAT) can be performed at seven locations and the price of each test is 100 kuna.

According to the decision of the National Civil Protection Directorate, Croatian covid certificates are mandatory for people and employees in public and state institutions as of today. There is a great need for testing in the country, and the City of Zagreb has announced that for testing in health centres, a previous order on the rapid test/brzi test page is required, while for testing in the Zagreb Polyclinic, no previous order or announcement is required.

The seven Zagreb rapid antigen test sites:

Testing is available at the Health Centre in Central Zagreb (Dom zdravlja centar), at the Covid clinic in Siget (Avenija Veceslava Holjevca 22), every working day, weekend and holiday from 12:00 to 16:00, then at the Covid clinic in Kruge (Kruge 44), on Mondays, on Wednesdays and Fridays, where a rapid antigen test can be done from 09:00 to 14:00, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 14:00 to 20:00.

At the Zagreb East (Istok) Health Centre, it is possible to be tested at the special Covid practice at Grizanska (Grizanska 4), from 12:00 to 16:00 every day, including on weekends and on public holidays. A Zagreb rapid antigen test is possible to obtain at Prilaz baruna Filipovica 11 also from 12:00 to 16:00 every day. People can also be tested at Park Stara Tresnjevka 3 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 09:00 to 15:00, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 07:00 to 12:00.

At the Zagreb Polyclinic, rapid antigen testing can be done in Borovje (Zdeslava Turica 1) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 13:15 to 19:15 and on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:15 to 14:00. Testing is also taking place in Gajnice (Argentinska 2), on Mondays from 09:00 to 13:00, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 7:15 13:15 and on Wednesdays from 09:00 to 18:00. Prior notice is not required for individual tests, as has been pointed out on the website of the Zagreb Polyclinic.

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ZAGREB, 15 Nov 2021 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović met with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican on Monday, discussing the situation in the Western Balkans and Europe, as well as vaccination against COVID-19.

Speaking to reporters after a private audience with the pontiff, Milanović said he agreed with the Pope's view that vaccination is "an act of love for oneself." He added that he does not think this is different from the recent statement made by Croatian bishops, who said that vaccination should be voluntary and testing non-invasive.

"In the Vatican, everyone has been vaccinated, and it appears that a scientific view on this matter prevails, although face masks are not being worn much," Milanović said.

He said he had a problem with COVID restrictions because they were not based on science. "The vaccines have been invented by several brilliant minds, while this nonsense with anti-epidemic measures has nothing to do with science. In Austria, they are banning unvaccinated people from leaving their homes as of today. What is that? Is that science or are those methods reminiscent of the 1930s?"

Milanović called on citizens to get vaccinated but noted that they also have the right to be protected from arbitrariness. "I am wondering where are human rights champions, where is the European Court of Human Rights, which has the ambition to tailor countries' constitutions? They are nowhere to be seen," he said, adding that he would like to hear the Court's opinion on the rights of people who are being forbidden to leave their homes because they are not vaccinated.

Milanović said that Pope Francis has "interesting views on Brussels as a somewhat alienated center of power that does not understand that European states are historically nation-states."

He said that the Pope presented him with a mosaic showing a winegrower picking grapes, as well as his works and speeches, while he presented the Pope with a 14th-century Glagolitic missal written by Duke Novak.

Milanović also met with the Holy See's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. They discussed the situation in Croatia's neighborhood, notably in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"We discussed things that are troubling us and that we can perhaps resolve better with the Vatican's assistance. Their view suits us. They can help. There are limits, of course, but we can also help ourselves because we are members of the EU and NATO," Milanović said.

"As long as the (Bosnian) Croats insist that they should not be deprived of the right to choose their representative and as long as they look to Sarajevo, you can be happy. Once the Croats turn away from Sarajevo and say they are no longer interested, that will send chills down your spine. An educated guess is that the Croats still care about Bosnia and Herzegovina," Milanović said.

He said he has invited the Pope to visit Croatia. "He is quite old, and I'm not sure if he should be a globe-trotter after turning 80, but he is absolutely welcome to Croatia."

Croatia's ambassadorial post in the Vatican has been vacant for a year now, and this issue has been raised by Cardinal Gallagher, Milanović said.

Asked by the press whether he would confirm Davor Stier as the new ambassador to the Holy See, the president said he was following the rules of conduct, including one that the names of future ambassadors are not made public.

Milanović said that Stier used to be an editor of an Ustasha newspaper in Argentina. "You don't know that. Do you know that he is from Argentina? He was politically active there. One of the last things he was doing there was editing an Ustasha newspaper. And what was he doing there? He certainly wasn't selling ice cream," he told Croatian reporters covering his visit.

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ZAGREB, 15 Nov 2021 - Minister of Labour and Pension System Josip Aladrović on Monday said that there is no rational reason to reject being tested for coronavirus, underscoring that employers would decide on the fate of those who refused to be tested.

"We can try and have understanding, for a certain period of time, for people who do not wish to get vaccinated. However, there is no rational reason to reject testing and I think that we all need to show responsibility here," Aladrović told reporters.

Speaking ahead of the introduction of COVID certificates in all state and public service facilities on Tuesday, Aladrović underscored that the healthcare and welfare sectors, where COVID certificates were introduced in October, had demonstrated a high level of responsibility, adding that he did not believe other systems could encounter any major problems for introducing the certificates either.

Asked what will happen to employees who refuse to be tested, Aladrović underscored that their employers would be the ones to decide.

"The related lay-offs so far have been at the level of statistical errors. I expect a vast majority of employees will be responsible, however, employers will be the ones to decide in cases of non-compliance," he said and added that this was in line with the law.

Commenting on ongoing protests against COVID certificates, he said that they were exclusively politically motivated. "It is really difficult to find any rational reason for the protests," the minister said, adding that he expected them to wane at one point.

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

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