Owing to the current influenza epidemic, the Zagreb Clinic for Infectious Diseases "Fran Mihaljević" is currently experiencing an extrarodinary state of affairs, with patients needing respirators and oxygen, and even some dying.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 17th of January, 2019, over the last 24 hours alone, four people with severe lung inflammation have been received and a total of eighteen are needing to be treated with respirators. There are hundreds of people arriving from all over Croatia, and the flu season hasn't yet reached its peak.

According to the Croatian Institute of Health, five people have died of flu, and 8,460 are currently sick enough to need treatment with this common yet potentially deadly infectious viral illness.

The Zagreb city office for emergency situations has called a media conference of the Dr. Fran Mihaljević Clinic for Infectious Diseases, at which journalists will have their questions answered and be further informed about the depth of the current situation.

The aforementioned Zagreb clinic's press conference will be held on Saturday, the 19th of January, 2019, at 10:30 in the meeting room of the administration building of the clinic in Zagreb. The topic of the conference will be the significant increase in the number of patients with severe influenza and lung inflammation hospitalised at the Dr. Fran Mihaljević Clinic for Infectious Diseases.

The head of the Institute for Intensive Medicine confirmed to Index that the situation at the Zagreb clinic has become overwhelming.

"People suffering from all over Croatia are coming to us. They're all on mechanical ventilation, there are currently eighteen patients,'' Kutleša said.

"From December the 30th until today, 26 patients with severe lung inflammation have been admitted to the clinic, except one who had bacterial meningitis. These were also complications caused by influenza. All of them either were or are still on mechanical ventilation, or on respirators,'' Kutleša explained.

As many as ten patients needed to be given oxygen when a respirator was insufficient, there were also deaths that followed.

"A patient who had lung inflammation passed away. All of the patients, including her, are between the ages of 40 and 60. Our ECMO team even went all the way to Mostar to deal with one patient who was about 40 years old. We'd especially like to thank the ministry that has provided us with eight additional respirators and two ECMO devices,'' stated Kutleša for Index.

"This situation is dramatic. We haven't had an epidemic like this since 2009. When H1N1 prevails, to the degree it has this year, it's always awful. We had another difficult year between 2009 and 2019, but it wasn't this hard,'' Kutleša says, adding that people can still get vaccinated against flu.

"It's too late for those who have already caught flu," Kutleša added.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated news page. If it's just Zagreb you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

The good news has arrived early this year and this season's production of the famed and award winning Pag cheese will finally come with a protected designation of origin label which gives special importance to controlling the very production of the internationally appreciated Pag cheese.

As Morski writes on the 8th of January, 2019, the protected designation of origin label clearly defines the raw material, the description of the finished product, the geographical area of its ​​production, the proof of the origin of the Pag cheese, the process of the production correlation with the aforementioned geographical production area, and the details and the link between the geographical area of production and the quality and characteristics of the final product. Šime Gligora, director of Sirana Gligora, has welcomed this protection, according to a report from eZadar.

''From our very beginnings, our cheese factory has been producing exclusively from the milk of Pag sheep from the island of Pag, while the production of our other cheeses, cows, goats, sheep and mixed cheeses are made exclusively with milk from Croatia, largely from the area of ​​Northern Dalmatia,'' stated a satisfied Gligora.

Pag cheese is exclusively a sheep's milk product originating from island of Pag, its limited production is defined entirely by the number of sheep, their milk, and the production period for the end product.

The next level of protection is at the European Union level which, in addition to offering a huge level of protection, will greatly contribute to the establishment, recognition and the subsequent sale of Pag cheese in Europe and across the whole world.

Aside from that, it will certainly contribute to additional financial support and encourage the breeding of sheep for husbandry in the area of ​​the island of Pag, which hopefully ultimately means in the retaining of the domestic workforce, as well as influencing number of inhabitants on the island, cattle-breeding and agriculture, and the overall development of the dairy and cheese industries.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle page for information on Pag cheese and much, much more.

Click here for the original article by eZadar

Could a brand new Croatian flight company be on the horizon? According to Nino Borić, who has been working in international aviation for thirty years, yes it could.

As Sasa Paparella/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 6th of January, 2019, there could soon be a new Croatian flight company named Smile Air. Although the airline company's name was registered in Zagreb during the summer of 2017, its director and co-owner, Nino Borić, who has been working for over thirty years in the field of aviation, is in no particular hurry to set up the project, and is proceeding cautiously.

"We'd like go start work at the end of this year, but it's difficult to succeed in such a move because we need to find the right aircraft on the market and their prices are high at the moment. We're not under any real pressure for the project to be completed either this year or next year, but this does need to sustainable, longterm story in which there must be no mistakes. In addition to that, flight permits take some time, so we'd be happy with [beginning work at] the beginning of 2020. People are coming to us themselves and we've gathered together a good team,'' Borić told Poslovni Dnevnik.

He added that he follows the philosophy of Virgin's Richard Branson, who, as he says, knows that a good attitude towards employees also results in satisfied passengers. Borić is the owner of Avio Nova, headquartered in Florida, and for years he has been employed in high positions in the operations of various airlines. The other co-owner of Smile Air is Bernard Lukač, a 30-year-old pilot and former instructor in Croatia Airlines, who, for the last eight years, has worked as an inspector at the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency (CCAA).

The third member of the team is Krunoslav Dumlija, a pilot with fifteen years of valuable experience, who is also a former CCAA inspector. When asked about the amount of capital needed to start the business side of this entirely new Croatian flight company, Borić said he would start with two aircraft on operational leases, and for that between 3-5 million dollars would be required. The plan is to start with the Embraer E-190 Brazilian aircraft, with a capacity of 100 passengers, which is ideal for all-year operation. Later on, they would obtain the Airbus A321, which they would use for seasonal flights.

In the long run, the plan for this Croatian flight company focuses on getting an Airbus A330, and the aim is to have a fleet of five aircraft in the first three years. As quoted on the company website, Smile Air will deal with ACMI and wet lease business, regular charter and leisure lines, and ad hoc charters. They will have flights to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and even to Iceland. They will also rent their crew to other companies, and combinations are also possible with such a scenario.

The idea has already had some initial support from the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ).

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated business  and news pages for much more.

Click here for the original article by Sasa Paparella for Poslovni Dnevnik

Good news for the residents of the island of Zlarin, located near the historic city of Šibenik in Dalmatia as a longtime desire of the island's locals is finally fulfilled.

As Morski writes on the 6th of January, 2019, Zlarin's permanent inhabitants have at least one less problem with the turning of the brand new year. As they state from Zlarin's local committee, after one hundred years of pleading with the powers that be, Zlarin's residents have finally had their wish granted, in the form of an additional ferry service which will operate on Sundays and during holidays.

"After one hundred years of pleading for this, we've now got an additional [ferry] line on Sundays and holidays which goes from Vodice at 15:00 to Prvić and Zlarin at 15:35, and then goes to Šibenik. Thank you very much to the cities of Šibenik and Vodice for their help, and to our colleagues from the local committees in Prvić for their very pleasant cooperation with us. And a huge thanks to our member of the local board, Katarina Gregov, on this sacrificial work, because had she not put her foot down as much as she did, we'd certainly not be hearing anything about this ferry line,'' they state from Zlarin's local committee via Facebook.

An additional 55,000 kuna was set aside for Zlarin's additional ferry line from the urban budget of the City of Vodice for 2019. On Sundays, the ferry line will run until the June 16th and then again from August the 26th through to the very end of the year. Unfortunately for many locals from Vodice, as well as visitors to that destination, the Sunday ferry line will not be in operation during the summer from June the 17th to August the 25th, according to a report from local portal Info Vodice.

The good news which came after this announcement was perhaps best summed up by local woman from Zlarin who simply wrote: ''Now I can come and go''.

Make sure to stay up to date with much more by following our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages.

As Morski writes on the 5th of January, 2019, back in October, German rescue workers in Kaditz near Dresden came across an unwell nine-month-old griffon vulture from Kvarner in Radebeul vineyard.

The injured and sickly bird was simply lying exhausted on the ground. Although his wingspan stood at a massive 2.8 feet wide, the unwell bird was exhausted and his weight was a mere kilograms. On his leg he wore a ring labelled "Kvarner", from which his German saviours determined that his country of birth was Croatia, according to a report by Fenix ​​Magazine.

The rescuers collected the unlucky young bird and took him to receive immediate medical attention, in a location at which numerous other sick and wounded bird species are treated.

Over time, the young and rather unfortunate griffon vulture from Kvarner slowly recovered, and his German rescuers named him ''Kvarner'', owing to the ring on his leg. With the proper care and time to heal, Kvarner got better day by day, accumulating extra strength for his return to his native Croatia.

''Now he weighs twice as much than when we first found him. At first he was only eating crumbs, and thanks to the hunters who supported us, he eventually took to eating meat from wild game, and wild boar meat. Now he's even become a little gourmand because instead of eating entrails, he now loves to eat hearts and livers from game animals,'' stated Saskia Keller of the German facility currently treating young Kvarner, who is growing stronger with each passing day.

This young bird of prey from Cres, which is the closest relative of the eagle, will remain in Kaditz until March. He will then be released back to his native Croatia, more specifically in Kvarner bay.

Since a few colonies of such birds can be found on the island of Pag and in the Velebit mountain range, it is estimated that in the Republic of Croatia there are between 110 and 140 pairs of these predatory birds in total.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

The helicopters and their pilots, as well as other staff of the Croatian Air Force have a lot to be thanked for when looking back on last year. 

It isn't only the tireless efforts of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) which need to be praised when it comes to dealing with emergency medical situations up and down the country, but the Croatian Air Force and the Croatian Army, as well as their equipment, as a whole.

As Morski writes on the 5th of January, 2019, during 2018, a total of 885 patients were transported by both transport and multipurpose helicopters belonging to the Croatian Air Force (HRZ), whose medical issues, usually those of an emergency nature, required emergency medical aviation. During the transit of these helicopters, 2,283 Croatian Air Force flights were carried out and completed, totalling 855 hours in the air.

Additionally, throughout 2018, 23 requests were received for the assistance of Croatian Air Force helicopters in search and rescue operations on the land, during which a total of 15 injured persons and 132 members of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) were safely transported. During these particular operations, a total of 107 Croatian Air Force flights were carried out and completed, which amounted to 43.25 hours in the air.

Namely, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia continue to provide excellent support in dire situations in which emergency air transport is required, and they remain in a state of constant readiness (during the day and night) with two helicopters, one of which being the helicopter of the 93rd Air Base, and the the second belonging to the 91st Air Base, stationed at Rijeka Airport's Krk helipad.

In most cases, Croatian Ait Force flights sent out for emergency medical situations work alongside established helipads which fulfil the necessary 24-hour operating conditions KBC Firule, Hvar, Stari Grad, Sućuraj, Selca, Korčula, Blato, Šolta, Dubrovnik-Medarevo, Rab, Lastovo-Ubli, Vis, Lošinj, Cres i helidrom Delta – Rijeka), the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia said.

Make sure to stay up to date with everything you need to know about the Croatian Air Force and much, much more by following our dedicated lifestyle and news pages.

The demographic has had numerous repercussions on Croatian society as a whole, and a lack of adequate or qualified labour force for Croatian employers is perhaps the most hard hit sector of them all. But just how is the tourism sector doing?

The paradoxical society which somehow manages to exist despite all and any circumstance in Croatia is that there is no work for a lot of people, while on the other hand there is a lot of work on offer but nobody to actually do it.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 5th of January, 2019, from November 2018 to February 2019, HZZ is conducting a survey among Croatia's unemployed population on their intentions and their readiness to work along the coast in various tourist destinations.

Croatian employers, more specifically hoteliers from numerous tourist resorts up and down the Croatian coast are searching out potential seasonal staff from continental Croatia earlier and earlier with each passing year, with their sights set on the overlooked eastern Croatia in particular. Thus, HZZ's Vinkovci-based regional office has already organised as many as eight employer visits for the purpose of seeking seasonal workers for 2019's upcoming tourist season this summer.

In order to better respond to the demands of Croatian employers and to better coordinate the job supply with the demand, HZZ's aforementioned survey focused primarily on how Croatia's unemployed population feel about working on the coast should the opportunity be offered to them.

The day of jobs in tourism for the Slavonian counties is set to be held on January the 18th in Osijek, and HZZ's Vinkovci branch office is organising transport on the day for all those interested, Glas Slavonije writes.

As of now, it is unofficially known that Croatian employers are willing to offer higher salaries, raising them by 10 to 20 percent for chefs, waiters and confectioners, with almost all potential job offers including not only free accommodation, but free food for the duration of the work too.

In the past year, from January to September, the most sought after were employees chefs, assistant chefs, waiters, cleaners, receptionists, people to work in shops, and other occupations in the area of ​​accommodation and food preparation and service, as well as the wholesale and retail trade.

In that period, there was a pressing need for 23,652 seasonal workers in Croatia, and a little less, 22,144, were actually employed during that time, which indicates that Croatia's lack of seasonal workers is not significant or particularly worrying, yet.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle and business pages for more information on Croatian employers and much more.

The Croatian Prime Minister looks back on his government's achievements during 2018, and offers and insight into what else will be implemented in 2019, from tax reductions and help with housing costs to demographic measures.

''If, because of the continued issues between Israel and America, the Republic of Croatia is unable buy the F-16 Barak combat aircraft from the Israelis, as it has chosen to, Croatia will cancel its decision,'' said Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in an interview with Vecernji list.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 31st of December, 2018, in his New Year's interview with Vecernji list, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković spoke about the government's 2019 announcements in the field of tax policy, economy and demography, Croatia's foreign and EU policy, and relations with neighbouring countries.

 When asked if Israel had written approval from America to allow for the sale of F-16 Barak aircraft to Croatia when they showed up at the Croatian tender for the purchase of combat aircraft, Plenković said that "Israel had taken on the obligation of needing to obtain American permission for the sale of the airplanes offered, ie, the F-16 Barak, which Croatia has chosen ".

"At this point, we have information that the US doesn't agree with the sale of Israel's airplanes [which have been] offered to Croatia and insists that all the equipment with which the Israeli aircraft has been upgraded and modified be removed from them. We expect an Israeli declaration in view of these new circumstances,'' the Croatian Prime Minister stated.

"As I said publicly three weeks ago, if we were unable to buy the airplanes we selected, the government will cancel its decision on the choice,'' he noted.

 Regarding a recent decision by the President of the Republic of Croatia to dismiss her adviser Mato Radeljić, the Croatian Prime Minister recalled the fact that there were a number of advisors who had also been dismissed, adding that he was talking about staffing issues under the authority of the Croatian president.

Commenting on Radeljić's allegations of alleged threats made to him from SOA, Plenković said that SOA had carried out internal controls and no pressure or threats of any kind had been found.

"I spoke with SOA's chief, he reported to me that SOA carried out its internal oversight of this issue, and even the slightest doubt that pressures or threats were being made to the former advisor were completely eliminated,'' he added.

 When asked about the now somewhat infamous SMS affair, the Croatian Prime Minister emphasised that this affair was particularly bad because it regarded absolutely unacceptable behavior.

''Fabrication, ie, the counterfeiting of alleged correspondence of the highest political and judicial officials, was aimed at destabilising the political scene, the institution and the legal order. We want to strengthen trust in our institutions, I expect the police, DORH and all the competent bodies to keep shedding light on this affair right up until the end,'' he said.

 Regarding the government's implemented tax reforms, the Croatian Prime Minister said that his government is continuing to reduce taxes, including VAT rates, as it committed to earlier in its program.

 "Our tax system is now simpler and fairer than it was at the beginning of this mandate, with a total tax deduction for citizens and entrepreneurs of 6.5 billion kuna,'' Plenković said, adding that tax on medicine will drop as of the 1st of January, 2019.

''We've seen that shops have already started lowering their prices, which hasn't been the case so far, and this way it [the tax reductions] will be felt by citizens,'' he added.

 Asked if he has now completely dropped the controversial idea of property tax, the Croatian Prime Minister simply said, "There will be no property tax."

Reflecting on the demographic measures implemented by his government so far, Plenković emphasised the fact that he believes that positive demographic figures are also showing that, over the first ten months of 2018, 351 children more were born than during the same period last year, and that this is a direct result of the Croatian Government's various demographic measures.

"When we keep in mind that this number has continued to decline over the last twenty years, and in 2017, 981 less children were born than there were one year earlier, this latest data provides moderate optimism," he said.

"We're subsidise housing loans for young people, thanks to which 5,200 families now have their homes. In the next two years, another 5 or 6 thousand families can expect to be helped to build or purchase a house or apartment," the Croatian Prime Minister added.

 In addition, he said, tax reforms had strong positive demographic effects on the country.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated politics page for much more.

In line with the fact that the Croatian National Tourist Board's budget is facing an increase, the plan is to allocate a hefty amount to strategic promotional campaigns, as well as to joint advertising.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of December, 2018, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has announced a tender for the selection of PR agencies and media agencies on as many as sixteen different broadcasting markets.

The aforementioned tender launched by the Croatian National Tourist Board for the selection of PR and media agencies will last from December to March.

The total lease budget for all broadcasting markets included in the 2019 tender amounts to more than a massive 42 million kuna, as was decided by the Croatian National Tourist Board's Tourism Council during a recently held session.

As is already well known, there are concrete plans to increase the Croatian National Tourist Board's budget during the coming year, the increase is expected to be one of around 14 percent and will amount to an enormous 331 million kuna, which is a result of the increase of the tourist tax revenue in accordance with the government decree.

Approximately 41 million kuna will be allocated for the implementation of the Croatian National Tourist Board's strategic promotional campaigns across various broadcasting markets, i.e, for strategic cooperation with numerous air carriers and tour operators who have organised programs for Croatia in their packages and offers.

When it comes to joint advertising, as much as 24.6 million kuna will be allocated. After the session of the Tourism Council, the ninth Croatian National Tourist Board parliament session was held, where the aforementioned budget for 2019 was adopted.

Make sure to stay up to date with more information like this by following our dedicated news and lifestyle pages.

Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

A couple of new names for both strategic and foreign and European policy for Croatian politics as the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, has appointed Mirjana Hrga and Sebastian Rogač as her advisors.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of December, 2018, the Croatian President dismissed Dario Mihelin as her advisor for external and European politics, a decision which will come into effect as of January the 15th, 2019.

Similarly, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović dismissed Mato Radeljić from his post of advisor for internal affairs on the 21st of December 2018.

The President of the Republic of Croatia has since appointed Mirjana Hrga as her advisor for strategic policies, relations with the Croatian Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Croatia, as well as Sebastian Rogač as her advisor for foreign and European policy. Both decisions will come into effect as of January the 16th, 2019.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated politics page for everything you need to know about the Croatian political scene.