ZAGREB December 2, 2020 – Croatia is a completely safe country, according to the latest figures from the Global Terrorism Index

According to the Global Terrorism Index, Croatia is a completely safe country. Their findings are reported annually by the Institute for Economy and Peace. In their most recent report (published late November 2020), from the year beginning 2018 and ending in 2019, Croatia scored an index rating of 0.0 on the impact of terrorism. This means that, in regards to the threat of and the fallout from terrorism, Croatia is a completely safe country.

In the report, terrorism affects most the citizens of three countries: Afghanistan, Iraq and Nigeria. Terrorist groups are powerful and active in these three nations. On a daily basis, they affect and change the lives of all the people who live in these countries, particularly those who inhabit larger population centres.

The situation is particularly tragic in Afghanistan (with an index rating of 9.5). 41% of all fatal victims of terrorist globally live in that one country alone. The second country most-affected on the list is Nigeria with 9%. Afghanistan and Nigeria were the only two countries which each suffered more than 1,000 deaths from terrorism.

A map showing the impact of terrorism globally. The figures were compiled in a one year period between 2018 and 2019, published as an annual report in late November 2020 © Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP)

Globally deaths from terrorism fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2019 to 13,826, a 15 per cent decrease from the prior year. The peak of deaths from terrorism occurred in 2014 and this coincides with the high point of influence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL). The figures from 2019 show a decrease of 59% since then.

A total of 63 countries recorded at least one death from terrorism in the most recent report. Although dismal reading, this is in fact the lowest number of countries to have reported such since 2013.

The global economic impact of terrorism was US$16.4 billion in the twelve-month period covered by the report, a decrease of 25 per cent from the previous year. However, the true economic impact of terrorism is much higher as these figures do not account for the indirect impact on business, investment, and the costs associated with security agencies in countering terrorism.

ISIS (or ISIL)'s centre of activity has been shown to have moved to sub-Saharan Africa in the period. Total deaths by ISIL in the region have increased by 67%. ISIL and their affiliates were also responsible for attacks in 27 countries in the year period ending 2019.

© Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP)

The GTI uses a number of factors to calculate its score, including the number of incidences, fatalities, injuries and property damage. The Taliban remained the world's deadliest terrorist group in 2019; however, terrorist deaths attributed to the group declined by 18%. ISIL's strength and influence also continued to decline. For the first time since the group became active, it was responsible for less than a thousand deaths throughout the year.

It is not yet known whether the attack on government buildings in Zagreb in 2020 will affect Croatia's rating on the index published next year. Although a lone endeavour, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is the most high-profile commentator (of many) to have said the attack had elements of terrorism. The global increase in threat from domestic attacks is clearly evident within the rest of the most recent report.

In North America, Western Europe and Oceania, terrorist attacks by groups or individuals involved in far-right politics have increased by 250 per cent since 2014. They are now higher than at any time in the last 50 years. There were 89 deaths attributed to far-right terrorists in 2019. In the USA, white supremacists and other rightwing extremists have been responsible for 67% of domestic terror attacks and plots so far this year.

Saint Mark's Square in Zagreb, scene of a shooting in 2020, perpetrated by a Croatian citizen © Marc Rowlands

There have so far not been any terrorist actions attributable to fundamentalist Islamic groups in Croatia, unlike other European countries such as Spain, Germany, France and the UK. Eastern and southern Europe have experienced more civil unrest in direct correlation with the rise of far-right politics in the region. The popularity of far-right politics has risen ever since the 2008 financial crisis and has continued through the economic recession which followed.

Such trends are expected to continue because of the anticipated and extended economic downturn caused by COVID-19, which is likely to increase political instability and violence. Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020, preliminary data suggests a decline in both incidents and deaths from terrorism in most regions in the world. However, it is expected that the pandemic is likely to present new and distinct counter-terrorism challenges.

Of Croatia's neighbours, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded the largest improvement in the whole of Europe with their 2019 index rating (followed by Austria and Sweden). Only two terrorist attacks were recorded in the country in 2019, compared to six the previous year. Slovenia also scored a 0.0 rating, meaning it can say that it, like Croatia is a completely safe country.

ZAGREB, November 30, 2020 - Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on Monday called for solidarity in the struggle against COVID-19 pandemic, and underscored the importance of vaccines to immunise the population.

"I believe that it is not easy to those who make decisions on (anti-COVID) measures, since it is necessary to strike a balance between the public health and economic implications. One should make it clear that all this is not about measures but it concerns the responsibility of individuals and the general public. No measure can be successful unless it is respected by citizens," said Grabar-Kitarovic, a member of the International Olympic Committee, before the start of a conference on investments in sports, which is taking place in Zagreb.

She called for the compliance with the measures and for solidarity with those who are at the highest risk of infection.

Considering the matter of vaccination, she said that she and her family would get jabs as soon as it could be possible.

Asked by the press whether she trusted the national COVID-19 crisis management team, Grabar-Kitarovic answered in the affirmative and called for following advice given by experts. 

ZAGREB, November 29, 2020 - The Croatian Prime Minister's wife, Ana Maslac-Plenkovic, tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday and after that Plenkovic himself underwent testing and his test was negative, however, he went into self-isolation, the government's public relations office reported on Saturday evening.

After a having a slightly elevated body temperature, Mrs Ana Maslac-Plenkovic underwent testing for coronavirus on Saturday and her test was positive, the government stated.

After his wife was diagnosed with coronavirus, the Prime Minister also underwent testing and his test was negative. However, the  precautionary measure of staying at home for 10 days was imposed on Plenkovic and he will continue performing his duties from home, the government's spokesman Marko Milic said.

ZAGREB, November 29, 2020 - Over the past 24 hours, 2,919 new cases of the coronavirus infection have been registered in Croatia, so the number active cases today stands at 23,062, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Sunday.

There are 2,273 COVID patients in hospitals, including 260 on ventilators.

Fifty-seven people have died.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, a total of 126,612 people have contracted the novel coronavirus, 1,712 of them have died, while 101,838 have recovered, including 3,373 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 50,603 people in self-isolation.

To date, 744,319 people have been tested, including 8,217 in the last 24 hours.

ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - The Centre party on Saturday proposed dissolving what it called the ruling HDZ's national COVID response team and the establishment of a new advisory body by a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Speaking at an online press conference, the opposition party's co-president Dalija Oreskovic said people no longer trusted the response team because of "its inconsistent, incompetent and politicised measures."

The team "which lost its authority and credibility because of its oversights must be dissolved," she added.

Oreskovic said the time had come for top state officials to act statesmanly and nationally.

The party called on President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to sit at the table and show they were willing to talk, and on Plenkovic to sit at the table with the parliamentary majority as well as the opposition to find a solution.

Oreskovic said Centre was proposing the establishment of a response team of national unity, adding that only a team which did not comprise members of only one party and laws adopted by consensus could help restore trust.

Trust in those conceiving measures is the main tool for successfully fighting the coronavirus crisis, she said.

That body would comprise experts from all relevant fields chosen in line with expert criteria, not party affiliation, and their key decisions would be communicated by the prime minister, not the team's members, Oreskovic said, adding that before parliament voted on the new response team, it was necessary to adopt a law which would allow it.

Centre co-president Marijana Puljak said Croatia was in a deep recession and that the brunt of the economic crisis fell on businesses which, she added, the government treated as enemies, not partners.

She said the response team's measures were being changed by the week and that, as a result, entrepreneurs could not remain in business.

Puljak said the restrictions should not create a gap between the public and private sectors, and that "we should all form a single viable sector which would share the burden of the crisis."

She said the compensatory measures to date focused on job retention, leaving out expenses for rent, utilities and interest on loans, adding that it was necessary to urgently cut business costs, taxes and parafiscal levies.

Puljak said compensation should be conceived for the hospitality sector given that bars and restaurants were closed for the next three weeks, adding that local government should help.

Centre co-president Dario Carev said the national COVID response team was increasingly used to score political points and that the growing distrust in it resulted in citizens acting relaxed about COVID-19.

Instead of being an advisory tool in the fight against the epidemic, the response team has become a mask on the government's political face, he said, adding that Centre "won't keep quiet about the bad scenarios and even worse justifications being given these days by a team which has lost credibility and expertise."

ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - Fifteen middle-aged COVID-19 patients with less severe clinical symptoms that require further intravenous or other therapy will arrive at Zagreb's Arena sports hall on Saturday, which will mark the start of the operation of that provisional in-patient clinic.

All 15 patients are currently receiving treatment in Zagreb hospitals.

"The medical team of the Arena in-patient clinic consists of 18 physicians, three from the army medical corps and 15 from the Sisters of Charity Hospital, 20 nurses from the KBC Zagreb hospital and six medics. The doctors' team consists of various specialists and the shift leader will always be an internist. The shifts will last 12 hours so that all patients can have 24-hour care and supervision," a press release says.

Putting into operation the Arena Zagreb sports hall that has been converted to serve as an in-patient clinic makes it possible to continue providing quality medical care for patients with less severe symptoms until their full recovery and release, and enables hospitals to continue admitting and treating COVID-19 patients with more severe symptoms as well as providing care for other patients, notably cancer patients or patients requiring surgery.

ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - In the past 24 hours 3,987 SARS-CoV-2 infections have been registered in Croatia and 55 COVID-19 patients have died, the national COVID response team said on Saturday.

There are 23,573 active cases, including 2,221 patients in hospitals, of whom 262 are on ventilators.

Since February 25, when the first case was registered in Croatia, 123,693 persons have contracted the new virus, 1,655 have died and 98,465 have recovered, including 2,767 in the past 24 hours.

Currently 51,247 persons are self-isolating.

To date 736,102 persons have been tested, including 11,282 in the past 24 hours.

ZAGREB, November 26, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Thursday that the Arena Zagreb sports hall has been activated and equipped for the accommodation of COVID-19 patients.

"The Arena has been activated, mobilised and equipped. When it will become operational will be decided by medical professionals and the Health Ministry. It is intended for patients who have passed the worst stage of the disease. We will see when this will be, but it can be soon," Bozinovic told a press conference at which new measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic were presented.

He added that the Arena would accommodate hospital patients who had not fully recovered and who needed to spend some more time under medical observation.

Bozinovic said that regional government units could adopt additional measures provided that they were tighter than those adopted by the national coronavirus response team.

The Defence Ministry said on Thursday that army personnel were on standby to assist the public healthcare system in case of opening of the medical unit at the Arena Zagreb.

November 26, 2020 –  From Saturday, November 28, 2020, catering facilities and gyms close in Croatia due to the introduction of new epidemiological measures. Here's a look at all new measures which will be in force until December 21, 2020.

Today at the press conference at 2 p.m., Prime Minister Andrej Plenković presented new, strict measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic. These measures will be in force at least until December 21, and according to Hina, Plenković announced a change in the law, which will enable the punishment of persons who do not adhere to the prescribed measures.

The measures suggest that all public events and gatherings with more than 25 people are prohibited, and a maximum of 10 people are allowed to participate in private gatherings.

Masks are obligatory in the outdoors when it is not possible to keep a distance of at least 1.5 meters. All public events should last until 10 p.m.

As we reported earlier, the work of all catering facilities is suspended, except for hotels and camps, who can only serve their guests, but the restaurants and bars are allowed to prepare and deliver food during their working hours.

Sports competitions and trainings are suspended, except for the highest levels of competition, all without spectators and with the adherence to the epidemiological measures. The work of gyms, fitness centers, and sports and recreation centers are suspended as well.

Wedding ceremonies are suspended, and a maximum of 25 people are allowed to attend funerals where condolences must not be expressed through close contact.

Public transport must not exceed 40 percent occupancy, while drivers and passengers are required to have face masks. The control will be carried out by inspectors.

Stores, shops, and shopping malls remain open but should have displayed information about the largest possible number of customers who can be in the space at the same time, and they need to enhance hygiene measures (cleaning, disinfecting, ventilating).

Working hours of bakeries are limited to 10 p.m. Prohibition of alcohol sales stays from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Casinos and bookmakers, as well as fairs and other forms of economic and tourist events, are suspended.

All amateur cultural and artistic performances, programs, and events, including choirs, are suspended, as well as composite musical stage performances involving orchestras and choirs. There are no rehearsals of amateur choirs, which also applies to church choirs.

Anti-epidemic measures restricting 25 people and completion by 10 p.m. do not apply to professional art performances and programs that do not include the performance of complex music and stage works that include orchestras and choirs, cinema screenings, and exhibitions in museums, galleries, and other exhibition spaces.

There is also no food consumption in the cinema. Also, the work of children's playrooms and dance schools is suspended. Foreign language schools can only operate online, as well as driving schools. While driving, instructor and trainees should wear masks.

It is recommended that masses are online, via radio and TV programs, without coming to religious facilities. There may be a maximum of 25 believers in the church at mass.

People who have any symptoms are prohibited from coming to work. Working from home is recommended, as well as sliding working hours, working in shifts and groups, fewer meetings, and regular ventilation of working space.

Plenković emphasized the fact that they are against complete closure and curfew, but they are introducing these measures in order to protect our health and limit certain activities that they believe will help reduce the infection. And they will also take care of the economy.

"Our goal is to ensure the sustainability of the health system in which our doctors, nurses, and health professionals make superhuman efforts to cure the sick and save every life. In parallel, testing capacity will be strengthened because we need to isolate every infected person," said Plenković.

To read more news about coronavirus in Croatia, follow our dedicated page.

ZAGREB, November 26, 2020 - More than half of Croatia's population is at risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19, that risk is high for more than a million people while more than 1.5 million are in the category of at-risk people, the Vecernji List daily says on Thursday.

The daily says the data comes from a COVID-19 vaccination plan which has already been prepared and which defines, among other things, vaccination priorities.

According to the plan, current priority groups are health workers, residents of retirement and nursing homes and their staff, as well as employees of other welfare institutions.

These groups are followed by people above the age of 80, followed by people aged 75-79, people aged 70-74, and people aged 65-69. They are followed by adults under the age of 60 with high or moderate risk and others. The others category covers, for example, education workers.

The plan also provides for the vaccination of vulnerable groups, namely people who are at risk of developing a severe form of the disease or complications or are at risk of dying, the daily says.

First vaccines could be available in Croatia by New Year

The Jutarnji List daily reports today that the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech could be made available to US and European citizens by the end of December.

The vaccine is expected to be registered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) around December 10, and the first vaccinations could start in the US the next day.

As for the EU, the registration of the vaccine with the European Medicines Agency could be completed a few days later and EU countries could obtain the first, modest quantities of the vaccine already by December 20, depending on their population size.

According to some reports, Croatia could obtain between 20,000 and a maximum of 50,000 vaccines by the New Year, which would be used primarily to vaccinate medical workers and staff at retirement homes.

Since the vaccine, which is up to 95% efficient, is applied twice, within a space of 14 days, this means that the quantity will be sufficient for the vaccination of 10,000-25,000 people.