June 3, 2021 - There have been 45,000 EU digital COVID certificates issued in Croatia so far. 

All Croatian citizens who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, have a negative test, or have recovered from COVID-19 in less than six months can get their digital covid-certificates now, reports Dalmacija Danas. 

Citizens can get certificates in printed or electronic form, proving that they have received one of the vaccines registered in the European Union, through the portal e-Citizens or in one of the branches of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute throughout Croatia, except at five HZZO locations - and in Zagreb where certificates are not issued: Margaretska, Mihanovićeva, Kruge, Ivekovićeva, and Branimirova.

Croatia is the first EU member state to establish a system for issuing EU digital covid certificates. Together with Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Poland, it has linked up with the EU's accession to verify the authenticity of certificates.

More than 45,000 covid certificates were issued in Croatia yesterday, of which 90 percent are with vaccinations. Of these, only 4,000 certificates were requested and issued in paper form.

“All citizens who have been vaccinated according to the vaccination program adopted by the Croatian Institute of Public Health must be registered in the central register of vaccinated persons, which is the basis for issuing a digital COVID vaccination certificate. If it turns out that one of the vaccinated citizens is not in the register, we ask them to contact the doctor or health institution where the vaccination was performed with a card and a certificate of vaccination to make a subsequent enrollment of citizens in the list of vaccinated persons," said the Ministry of Health.

Namely, the largest number of citizens who have received the vaccine so far are registered in the central register of vaccinated persons and can easily obtain their COVID certificates in a very short time. However, for various reasons, part of the citizens remained unregistered or registered with incomplete or incorrect data, making it impossible to issue certificates promptly.

As of yesterday, citizens also have the opportunity to check for themselves on the Health Portal whether their vaccination data have been recorded correctly. The fastest way to eliminate these problems is to direct citizens to doctors and institutions where the vaccination was performed. Only the doctor who performed the vaccination is authorized to enter data on the vaccinated person or another doctor of the health institution.

Also, some citizens ask for additional information to obtain a COVID-certificate of recovery, so it should be emphasized that it is issued to a person who has suffered from COVID-19 on the 11th day from the date of the first positive PCR test recorded in the system. Such confirmation shall be valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive PCR test recorded in the system. A certificate of illness is not issued based on a rapid antigen test, as established by the proposal for regulating the EU digital covid-certificates.

Under the Decision of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia amending the Decision on temporary prohibition and restriction of border crossings of the Republic of Croatia from 1 June 2021, entry into the Republic of Croatia is also possible for persons unable to exercise digital covid confirmation in the following cases:

- by presenting a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 and receiving a single dose of vaccine within six months of the onset of COVID-19, and vaccination carried out less than 180 days ago,

- by presenting a positive rapid antigen test (listed on the Joint List of EU Member States) confirming that the person has recovered from SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, with the test performed 180 days ago and older than 11 days from the date of arrival at the border crossing or upon presentation of a medical certificate issued by a doctor, determination of self-isolation upon arrival in the Republic of Croatia and for a period of 10 days or until receiving the results of a negative test.

At the European Union level, there are continuous discussions on digital covid-certification, and adjustments are possible in the digital covid-certificate at the EU level, depending on current scientific knowledge and consensus of the profession. Also, like Croatia, each member state can bring additional conditions for entry into its territory that are not covered by the digital covid-certificate, which are then confirmed by presenting appropriate medical documentation when crossing the border.

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

June 3rd, 2021 - The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) has released an updated corona map of Europe and the Croatian coast is no longer red!

Jutarnji reports, as seen on the map, the Croatian coast is no longer marked in red, according to the ECDC coronavirus traffic lights system. This is great news for Croatian tourism, just in time for the summer season. Namely, the ECDC map, as far as European tourists are concerned, is considered the most relevant indicator of the safety of a particular destination.

The color chart shows the 14-day incidence of coronavirus in each European country per 100,000 inhabitants. 

The Croatian coast is marked in yellow on the updated map, just like most of Europe. The northern part of Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and a large part of Spain and France, the extreme south of Italy, and the Benelux countries are still marked in red. 

#JustPublished
Updated ? maps are online!

These maps aim to support the @EUCouncil recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of #FreeMovement during #COVID19 pandemic.
❗️❗️❗️#IE & #SE data not available due to a disruption to the national databases this week. pic.twitter.com/QbtX1YdWiu

— ECDC (@ECDC_EU) June 3, 2021

The map was posted on the official ECDC Twitter account along with a color-blind version of the map. 

Color-blind friendly version of the map:https://t.co/CcBVx6B0o5#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/mN4z1CH3AI

— ECDC (@ECDC_EU) June 3, 2021

The daily number of Croatia cases, specifically along the coast, has decreased, and with the vaccination rolling out, Croatia is confident to have a better season and welcome more tourists than last year. 

To check out a more detailed look into the Covid-19 situation by counties and islands in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

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

ZAGREB, 3 June 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 280 new cases of the coronavirus infection and there have been 14 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Thursday.

The number of active cases today stands at 1,945. There are 653 patients in hospitals, 66 of whom are on ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case of the infection was registered in Croatia, a total of 357,109 people have been registered as having contracted the novel coronavirus, 8,056 of them have died, and 347,108 have recovered, including 312 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 9,603 people in self-isolation.

To date, 2,032,200 people have been tested, including 6,049 over the past 24 hours.

As of 2 June, 1,847,314 vaccine doses have been used, with 1,312,272 people receiving at least one dose, including 535,042 people who have received both doses.

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

June 3, 2021 - The HUT COVID-19 map now shows the epidemiological situation by counties and islands!

While we are still waiting for Croatia to be displayed on the Re-open.eu website, by counties, and not in two regions, the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT) has changed its epidemiological map of Croatia, which daily shows the situation in counties and larger islands - croatiacovid19.info, reports. HRTurizam.

The map is updated with new data every day. It shows all the key standardized indicators of the epidemiological situation in the country - the daily number of new cases, the incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 and the last 7 days, the number of active cases, and the share of positives in the last seven days. In addition, key measures related to restaurants, working hours, and other important measures for tourists are presented, both at the national level and at the level of individual counties. All these data are updated daily for each county, and the epidemiological situation is monitored separately on the larger islands.

Following the epidemiological situation, counties and islands are assigned colors defined by the criteria of the European Center for Disease Prevention - ECDC. According to these criteria, the "green" is currently Istria County and 5 Croatian islands - Brac, Cres, Korcula, Losinj, and Vis, which have less than 25 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.

“Regional presentation of the epidemiological situation in Croatia is crucial for the correct communication of the epidemiological situation in the tourist season towards our major markets. Germany has continuously supported the regional approach to the counties in Croatia since last season. Now it has been accepted by Austria, which is extremely important for this season's success. We believe that this is the best way to motivate the local population to behave responsibly, especially in tourist counties where safety is a prerequisite for tourist traffic. I thank you for your support in preparing this map and providing all the necessary information to the National Civil Protection Headquarters, the Ministry of the Interior, the Croatian Institute of Public Health, and the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance," said Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association.

The epidemiological map will be regularly communicated through all official channels of the Croatian Tourism Association and the channels of the largest tourist companies, members of HUT. Last season, the epidemiological map of HUT was reviewed by 750,000 visitors, of which 55 percent from Germany and then from Austria and Slovenia, and gave much crucial information that prompted them to travel to Croatia.

You can see more HERE.

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

June 2, 2021 – One Croatian man is suing Croatia through the European Human Rights Court for the lockdown measures imposed last year.

The last 15 months were difficult for many people around the world. COVID19 related lockdowns and restrictions made life less than enjoyable for the majority of the population. It wasn't easy living with the fear of the virus and the potential effects of the disease it causes. Lack of socialisation, financial problems and spending long periods of time indoors were perhaps even worse. Taking all this into account, it is easy to understand how the situation frustrated many. Some even decided to sue their governments for a breach of human rights.

The Case

Telegram.hr reports a gentleman from Croatia is suing the government for restrictive measures implemented last year. He started the lawsuit back in April of 2020. Measures that restricted travel outside of the area of residence and those prohibiting gatherings in groups larger than five persons are the ones he has the most problems with. According to him, these measures encroached on his civil rights and prevented him from practicing his religion. European Convention on Human Rights protects civil and religious freedoms. European institutions take this document very seriously. This is why Croatian representatives with the European Court of Human Rights will have to speak on behalf of the Croatian government and respond to the accusations.

Croatian Constitutional Court already confirmed all the decisions made during the COVID19 pandemic were justified and were not unconstitutional. According to them, these measures were important in preventing large-scale epidemics and minimising human casualties. Still, not everyone is convinced of the legitimacy of these decisions. Croatia is not the only country where governments are being sued for civil rights infringement. COVID19 might continue causing damages to national governments way after the pandemic subsides. The unprecedented situation the world found itself in called for immediate action. What will be the long-term effects of these decisions, we are still to discover.  

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

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

ZAGREB, 2 June, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 432 new cases of the coronavirus infection and eight related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Wednesday.

The number of active cases stands at 1,991, and there are 709 patients in hospitals, 81 of whom are on ventilators.

Since the first registered case of the coronavirus infection in Croatia on 25 February 2020, a total of 356,829 people have been registered as having contracted coronavirus, 8,042 have died, and 346,796 have recovered, including 276 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 9,065 people in self-isolation.

To date, 2,026,151 people have been tested, 5,657 of whom over the past 24 hours.

As at 1 June, 1,803,557 vaccine doses have been used, and 1,293,847 people have received at least one dose, while 509,710 of them have received both doses.

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

June 1, 2021 - EU digital COVID certificates in Croatia are LIVE! Here's a look at what you need to do to get one. 

As of today, the EU digital covid certificates in Croatia are live, or what you may know better as the Covid passport. The Croatian government set up a national certification system on Monday, which began operating on Tuesday,  report Jutarnji List. 

"The Croatian national system for issuing the EU digital COVID certificate is ready for operation on June 1 and the integration procedure with the European gateway has been carried out, which ensured their cross-border interoperability," they announced in a statement yesterday.

A website has also been launched where citizens can get all the necessary information. But the process of issuing a Covid certificate is actually quite simple; you can request it through the e-Citizens system (eGrađani) or at HZZO branches. Regardless of the version, the certificate will contain a QR code with basic information and a digital stamp to ensure the authenticity of the certificate.

How to access the certification system?

You can access the system for issuing EU digital COVID certificates via the website www.eudigitalnacovidpotvrda.hr via the link REQUEST A CERTIFICATE at the top of the website (see header photo). You can also access the system directly via the e-Citizens (eGrađani) page by selecting the HEALTH area from the service catalog. In this area, select the EU Digital COVID Certificate e-Service and follow the application steps.

What documents do you need to download the certificate from the e-Citizens (eGrađani) portal?

Apart from level 2 credentials - significant security levels or level 3 credentials - high-security credentials, it is not necessary to provide additional data and documentation to access the e-Citizens (eGrađani) portal. The system retrieves user data from the databases of the Ministry of Health and the confirmation is generated by clicking on the option "Request confirmation".

You can save the confirmation that you download via the portal to your computer, print it out, or send it by e-mail to your e-mail address.

How to apply through e-Citizens (eGrađani)?

In case you decide to get the certificate through the eCitizens system, you must first submit a request by entering your OIB and e-mail address to which the COVID certificate will be delivered in PDF format.

After that, a request will be created for you, and in the e-Citizens system, you can check what its status is, i.e., whether it is still being processed or is ready.

Once you meet the criteria for issuing a certificate, the info will arrive at your e-mail address. 

Can the certificate be used via mobile phone?

You can save the certificate in the form of a PDF file and present it to the person responsible for reading the QR code and other important data. The EU digital COVID certificate contains a QR code with a digital signature for protection against forgery, which is based on the ICAO PKI specifications. When checking the certificate, the QR code is scanned and the digital signature is checked.

How will this help you freely move?

In addition to facilitating the movement of citizens when crossing the border crossings of the Republic of Croatia and border crossings of EU member states with which bilateral agreements will be concluded, this certificate can be used for other purposes in accordance with decisions that could be made in the foreseeable future.

The Government notes that the certificate will be used in accordance with data protection regulations and exclusively for downloading and processing the data contained in the certificate.

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

ZAGREB, 1 June, 2021 (Hina) - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in the parliament on Tuesday that the system of digital COVID-19 certificates was operational and that certificates could be obtained via the e-citizen system.

"Digital COVID certificates are here, they exist and can already be used," he said, showing MPs a paper copy of his certificate.

"The EU digital certificates goes into force in a month, the government has made a decision on the national mechanism for the issuing of certificates and I have obtained a certificate about having been vaccinated through the e-citizen system," he said, calling on MPs to do the same.

Plenković said that there was more than enough vaccine for all citizens as well as for countries with lower supplies, and that vaccination was now faster than before.

Responding to MPs' remarks, he said that the national coronavirus management team would make a decision that would make it possible also for people who had received one vaccine shot to enter Croatia 22 days after vaccination.

In a debate about an opposition motion for a vote of no-confidence in Health Minister Vili Beroš, Plenković dismissed the Opposition's claims that at one point patients could not obtain medicines and that the health system did not function.

"That's a lie, at no time were people left without medicines, the health system was never at breaking point, there was never a shortage of beds or ventilators and no medical service was ever unavailable," he said.

Health Minister Beroš told MPs that he was working on the problem of the health system's debts to drug wholesalers and that a projection of payment in the period until the end of the year had been made.

He also announced the relaunching of the Institute of Immunology, including for the production of viral vaccines.

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

ZAGREB, 1 June, 2021 - In the last 24 hours, of 7,039 tests performed in Croatia to coronavirus, 216, that is 3%, have turned out to be positive, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reproted on Monday.

The COVID-related death toll has risen by eight to 8,034.

Currently, there are 1,843 active cases, including 753 hospitalised patients of whom 82 are placed on ventilators.

Since the first registered case of the coronavirus infection in Croatia on 25 February 2020, as many as  2,020,494 people have been tested, and 356,397 have been positive to the virus. To date, 346,520 have recovered from the disease, including 300 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 8,927people are self-isolating.

So far, nearly 1.8 million vaccine doses have been administered, and 1.28 million Croatians have been given at least one dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, while 492,989 have fully been vaccinated.

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

ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - In the past 24 hours 186 coronavirus cases and 12 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Sunday.

There are 2,304 active cases and 809 hospitalised patients, including 87 on ventilators, while 10,604 persons are in self-isolation.

To date Croatia has registered 356,141 coronavirus cases and 8,014 COVID-19 deaths, while 345,823 patients have recovered, including 427 in the past 24 hours.

To date 2,011,339 persons have been tested for the virus, including 5,550 in the past 24 hours.

By 29 May, 1,748,726 vaccines have been administered, with 1,270,392 persons receiving the first dose and 478,334 both.

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

For more news about Croatia, CLICK HERE.