ZAGREB, 28 Oct 2021 - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's (ECDC) latest COVID map shows that Croatia is entirely dark red as are large parts of Eastern Europe.

Dark red signifies a very high risk of COVID-19 incidence.

Last week the capital Zagreb and Pannonian Croatia were dark red on the ECDC map, while Adriatic Croatia and North Croatia were red.

The ECDC estimates COVID-19 risk according to the bigger statistical regions within a country (NUTS 2).

NUTS 2 regions must have a minimum of 800,000 inhabitants and a maximum of three million. There are only four NUTS2 regions in Croatia - Pannonian Croatia, Adriatic Croatia, Northern Croatia, and the City of Zagreb.

ECDC Map for October 28th, 2021

Unlike during the summer months, when the epidemiological situation was worst in the west of the EU, now regions in the east of the EU are mostly marked red or dark red.

All regions of Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovenia are dark red, as are the largest parts of Slovakia and smaller parts of Greece. Hungary and Germany are entirely red, while neighboring Austria is partly red and partly dark red.

The epidemiological situation is better in the Czech Republic, where two regions are orange and the rest are red. The situation is similar in Poland, while all Baltic countries are entirely dark red.

Of the Scandinavian countries, Sweden has the best situation, being entirely orange, while Finland is completely red.

The Benelux countries as well as Ireland are red or dark red, while France is completely orange.

Italy and Spain have the best epidemiological situation, being green and orange, while Portugal is orange.

The ECDC updates its epidemiological map every Thursday.

Red means the number of active cases in the past two weeks has been between 75 and 200 per 100,000 population and that 4% or more of the COVID tests have been positive.

Dark red are those countries where the total number of cases in 14 days has been over 500.

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.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 21 Oct 2021 - Zagreb is still dark red and parts of central and eastern Croatia have been marked dark red on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's latest COVID map, released every Thursday.

Red means the number of active cases in the past two weeks has been between 75 and 200 per 100,000 population and that 4% or more of the COVID tests have been positive. Dark red is those countries where the total number of cases in 14 days has been over 500.

Today Croatia reported 3,053 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours as well as 17 related deaths. To date, 46.27% of its population has been vaccinated against COVID, including 55.46% of adults, of whom 52.18% fully.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 7 Oct 2021 - The Croatian capital city of Zagreb remained dark red, while the rest of the country was red on the new epidemiological map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), issued on Thursday.

Zagreb turned dark red last Thursday.

Slovenia, Estonia, and Lithuania are dark red completely, while the most favorable epidemiological situation considering the COVID-19 incidence rates is in the Czech Republic and Poland this week.

The color red means a 14-day incidence of 75-200 cases of the infection with coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants, with the share of positive cases exceeding 4%, and an area where the 14-day incidence is 200-500, while dark red is used to identify areas where the 14-day incidence exceeds 500.

The ECDC map is of a consultative character and some EU countries rely on it when imposing epidemiological restrictions for returning travelers.

For coronavirus resources specific to Croatia, including info on travel and the locations of vaccination points and testing centers, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language.

September 10, 2021 - As it currently stands, there is no quarantine for tourists returning from Croatia, even though the country turned red on yesterday's new ECDC corona map. 

Even though Croatia is red on the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) corona map, thanks to the standardization of travel processes within the EU, tourist flows continue, reports HRTurizam.

The same or similar rules apply to most countries depending on the epidemiological situation in individual countries. Therefore, regardless of Croatia being in the "red", tourists who return to their home countries do not currently need self-isolation but must present a negative PCR or rapid antigen test if they are not vaccinated.

"A favorable epidemiological situation is a precondition for the best possible development of social and economic events. More than half a million tourists are still staying in Croatia, which is more than in the same period in 2019. This should be an incentive and a reminder to everyone that with responsible behavior, tourism can still achieve excellent results. Therefore, I call on everyone to continue to adhere to epidemiological recommendations and vaccinate as many as possible to protect themselves and everyone living in Croatia," said Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac when the new ECDC map was released. 

To provide all travelers with everything they need on their journey, taking into account travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional 350 test points have been set up across the country so that, if necessary, all tourists can be tested in accessible locations before returning to their home countries.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has provided the distribution of one million and 81 thousand tests at more favorable prices for tourists who spend three or more nights in commercial accommodation, and the purchased tests were distributed to the county public health institutes. Also, given the conditions on crossing borders and the interest of vaccination in tourists, vaccination in Croatia is possible for foreign citizens.

Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić also commented on the impact of the new ECDC map:

“We do not expect that the new map will significantly affect tourist flows in the country, especially if we know that certain markets are important. Furthermore, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the USA, etc., have their own methodology system for monitoring and publishing travel recommendations, according to which Croatia is still a safe destination. However, I hereby appeal that we all continue to adhere to the prescribed epidemiological measures and to vaccinate in as many numbers as possible to achieve the best possible tourist results by the end of September and in October," said Staničić and stated that the tourist results in the previous part of the year, in which almost 73 million overnight stays have been realized so far, confirm that the tourist season in Croatia is very successful.

According to current data, about 550,000 tourists are currently staying in Croatia, while in the record-breaking 2019, about 470,000 were in the country at this time. By the way, more than 70% of the population in the EU is vaccinated, which means that most Europeans can travel without restrictions.

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

ZAGREB, 9 Sept 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at a government session on Thursday that Croatia's turning red on the epidemiological map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was as expected given the spread of the much more contagious Delta coronavirus variant. 

"After it was orange and green on the ECDC map the whole summer, Croatia has now turned red, which is as expected considering the rise in the number of infections," he said.

"We are faced with the much more contagious Delta variant, which is more aggressive and spreads faster, and Croatia is already seeing an increase in the number of infections. We continue to insist that vaccination is the best and most efficient way to protect ourselves," he stressed, noting that so far close to 52% of the adult population had been vaccinated.

He recalled the basic epidemiological measures, such as room airing, physical distancing, mask-wearing, and personal hygiene, warning citizens against relaxing entirely.

The epidemiological restrictions applied in Croatia were appropriate to our mentality, health protection, and economic and financial trends, Plenković said, adding that compared to other countries, they had enabled a very good quality of life for Croatian citizens.

"Now it is important that the figures that are relevant at the moment - the number of hospitalizations, the number of patients in serious condition and the number of fatalities - be kept as low as possible," he said, adding that of the ten latest fatalities, only two had been vaccinated.

Most important part of tourist season without alarming situations

He expressed satisfaction with the tourist season, noting that there had been no alarming situations during the peak season.

Commenting on the coming census, he said that for the first time citizens would be able to self-enumerate via the e-Citizens (e-Građani) system.

The census will be conducted digitally from 13 to 26 September, after which data will be collected by around 8,000 census-takers, who will be in the field until 17 October, Plenković said.

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

ZAGREB, 2 Sept 2021 - The eastern and central parts of Croatia turned red on the updated COVID transmission map produced by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Thursday.

The City of Zagreb, coastal counties, and the north of Croatia remain orange.

The red zones in Croatia are thus the counties with the seats in Karlovac, Sisak, Bjelovar, Slavonski Brod, Požaga, Virovitica, Osijek, and Vukovar.

ECDC (September 2, 2021)

The only "green" EU member-states on the updated map are Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

The ECDC publishes maps every Thursday in support of the EU Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was adopted by EU Member States on 13 October 2020 and amended on 28 January 2021 and 14 June 2021. The maps are based on data reported by EU Member States to the European Surveillance System database by 23:59 every Tuesday.

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.

August 26, 2021 - Good news - Croatia remains orange on the latest ECDC corona map on August 26, 2021. 

The latest European Center for Disease Prevention and Control corona map, which has been published around noon in recent weeks, was finally released on Thursday at 3:30 pm. The map revealed that Croatia remains orange, even though many media reports worried the country would turn red with the recent jump in cases. 

Health Minister Vili Beroš said at a press conference today before the map was released that Croatia remained orange and that there were no red zones.

"We contacted our sources in Stockholm and they had some difficulties in publishing the map, and those same sources told us that the whole of Croatia is still orange. So there are no red zones," Beroš said.

In the past 24 hours, 638 new cases were recorded, bringing the number of active cases in Croatia today to 3253, the Headquarters reported.

Among them, 358 patients are in hospital, of which 43 patients are on respirators. Six people died.

To date, a total of 371,623 people have been reported to be infected with the coronavirus, of whom 8,316 have died and 360,054 have recovered (330 in the past 24 hours).

There are currently 7058 people in self-isolation. To date, a total of 2,501,327 people have been tested, of which 10,428 in the last 24 hours.

The ECDC Epidemiological Map for Europe is published each week based on the 14-day incidence and the share of positive tests in the total number tested.

Green on the ECDC map are regions where the 14-day COVID-19 infection rate per 100,000 inhabitants is less than 50, and the share of COVID-19 positives tested is less than four percent, or the 14-day incidence was less than 75 percent, and the share of positives was less than one percent.

Orange means that the incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases is less than 50, but the share of positives is more than 4 percent, or the 14-day rate is between 75 and 200, and the share of positives among those tested is less than four percent.

Red means a 14-day incidence rate of 75-200, with a COVID-19 positive rate greater than 4 percent and a 14-day incidence rate of 200 to 500, and dark red encompasses areas where the 14-day rate is greater than 500.

ECDC assesses the COVID-19 risk by major statistical regions within the country (NUTS 2). NUTS 2 statistical regions must have a minimum population of 800 thousand and a maximum of three million. There are only four NUTS 2 regions in Croatia - Pannonian Croatia, Adriatic Croatia, Northern Croatia, and the City of Zagreb.

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.

August 18, 2021 - Will we see a red Croatian coast on the newest ECDC corona map on Thursday? Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac doesn't think so. 

On Wednesday, Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac said that she did not expect the Croatian coast to change from orange to red in the newest ECDC corona map on Thursday, reports T.portal.hr.

Answering questions from journalists before the Government session, the Minister pointed out that Croatia has much better numbers in tourism this year than last year.

"As of today, we are at 55.3 million overnight stays and 9 million tourist arrivals, which is 1.2 million more arrivals compared to 2020, and compared to 2109, we are at about 60 percent of arrivals and more than 70 percent of overnight stays. But what we are pleased about is the data on consumption, i.e., the value of fiscalized bills, which is about 70 percent compared to 2019, which means that more is spent this year in accommodation, especially in higher categories," said Brnjac.

For July and August, the value of fiscalized bills exceeded the results from the same months in 2019, which means that the tourism sector is stable and able to work the season in such conditions.

There are good announcements for the continuation of the season. Booking is good for both September and October, Brnjac pointed out, and therefore appealed to everyone to pay attention to the epidemiological situation, because, as she emphasized, if we continue with good numbers, we can remain the safest destination in the Mediterranean and try to stay in the orange zone on the ECDC map.

She hopes that good booking will continue. We need to stay responsible and get vaccinated in as many numbers as possible, and we need to look at the whole country, not just the coast, and do everything we can not to have closures like some countries had earlier this season.

She reminded that the Ministry co-finances rapid antigen tests for tourists with more than 20 million kuna, and that they held meetings with all prefects and the sector several times around the season, as well as other institutions, and established more than 350 testing points across the coast so tourists can return to their countries as easily and quickly as possible.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

August 12, 2021 - An orange City of Zagreb can be found on the latest ECDC map released on Thursday, August 12, 2021. The capital is no longer green, thus moving to orange where Croatia's coast has been for the last few weeks. 

The European Center for Disease Control has updated its corona map, reports Index.hr. The Croatian coast is still in the orange zone, and the City of Zagreb has changed from green to orange.

The ECDC Epidemiological Map for Europe is published weekly based on the 14-day incidence and the proportion of positive tests in the total number tested.

The ECDC map is advisory, but some Member States rely on it when introducing epidemiological restrictions upon returning to the country.

The situation in Europe is becoming more serious

Spain is marked totally in dark red. Parts of France have now turned red, and only one orange region remains. Italy is also changing colors, as are parts of Slovenia from green to orange.

Croatia's COVID-19 update

In the last 24 hours, 333 new cases were recorded, and the number of active cases in Croatia today is a total of 1552.

Among them are 192 patients on hospital treatment, of which 19 patients are on respirators. 3 people have died.

Since February 25, 2020, when the first case of infection was recorded in Croatia, a total of 366,049 people infected with the coronavirus have been recorded to date, of which 8,278 have died. A total of 356,219 people recovered, of which 176 in the last 24 hours. There are currently 4568 people in self-isolation.

Number of newly infected by counties according to Koronavirus.hr: City of Zagreb (92), Split-Dalmatia (69), Zagreb (34), Šibenik-Knin (33), Zadar (28), Dubrovnik-Neretva (12), Primorje-Gorski Kotar 11), Istarska (10), Ličko-senjska (7), Osječko-baranjska (7), Brodsko-posavska (6), Bjelovarsko-bilogorska (5), Varaždinska (5), Međimurska (4), Koprivničko-križevačka 3), Sisak-Moslavina (3), Karlovac (2), Krapina-Zagorje (1), Vukovar-Srijem (1), Požega-Slavonia (0) and Virovitica-Podravina (0).

You can see all of Croatia's COVID-19 data at koronovirus.hr. 

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.

ZAGREB, 22 July 2021 - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Thursday published a new map showing the COVID-19 situation in Europe, according to which Croatia's Adriatic region remains orange, while continental Croatia is in the green zone.

The ECDC publishes an epidemiological map for Europe every week based on the 14-day incidence rate and the test positivity rate.

The new map shows that the whole of Italy is no longer in the green and that three of its regions are in orange.

France has mostly turned orange, with only two of its central regions remaining green. Smaller parts of Sweden and Finland are also orange, as is most of Denmark.

The majority of Greece is orange and a part of it is red. Portugal is also red. Spain is dark red and red, and Cyprus is dark red. Ireland, Luxembourg, and parts of Denmark and the Netherlands have also gone red.

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.