ZAGREB, Dec 11, 2020 - Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) director Krunoslav Capak has said that the number of new coronavirus infections is still high, as is incidence, and that more than 50% of employees of care homes and their residents as well as medical workers want to get vaccinated.

"Our figures are still high and they differ from county to county. Varazdin County continues to have the worst statistics, with incidence being almost twice as high as the average incidence in the country," Capak said on Friday at a news conference held by the national COVID-19 response team.

The latest figures show that there are 4,396 new infections out of 11,687 tests. A week ago, on December 4, there were 3,955 infections out of 10,626 tests and a week before that, on November 27, there were 4,080 new cases out of 11,091 tests, said Capak.

The current 14-day incidence for the entire country is 1,183 per 100,000 population, while Varazdin, Medjimurje and Krapina-Zagorje counties have the highest incidence.

Istria, Dubrovnik-Neretva and Pozega-Slavonia counties have much lower incidence rates.

The only other EU country that has a higher incidence than Croatia is Luxembourg, according to Capak.

As for the mortality rate, Croatia is currently 16th in the EU, with a rate of 580.7 per one million inhabitants.

As for the share of positive tests in the total number of tests, in the last 14 days it has been 35.6%, and the total rate so far has been slightly above 23%, Capak said.

Antigen testing in Varazdin County, care homes

Capak also said that rapid antigen testing was underway in Varazdin County, that currently workers of the Calzedonia company were being tested and that of the 339 tests done, 10 had returned positive, which was a rate of less than 3%.

Testing has also started in care homes, and information on that will be provided on a weekly basis, the HZJZ head said.

As for the new criteria of the European Centre for Disease Control, according to which the results of fast antigen tests should be added to the number of confirmed infections as of December 3, Capak said that the ECDC did not pass laws.

He cited the example of Slovakia, where over a period of two weeks, two-thirds of the country's population were tested with rapid antigen tests and those results were not included in official statistics. 38,000 infections were found and daily figures ranged between 2,000 and 3,000, he said.

"Other countries act the same way as well, so this (ECDC criteria) is not a law. For the time being, we are carefully monitoring both sets of figures," Capak said.

Speaking of the relaxation of restrictions, Capak said that it was difficult to predict how the situation would develop, adding that there was no formula to calculate how cold weather and longer stay indoors would affect the figures.

He also stressed that many European counties that had announced relaxation of restrictions and opening of ski resorts had given up on such plans due to the bad epidemiological situation.

More than 50% of residents of care homes, medical workers want to get tested

As for vaccination lists, Capak said that the national COVID-19 team had requested family doctors and the HZJZ to provide them with data relevant for vaccination roll-out planning.

More than 50% of staff and residents of care homes are interested in getting vaccinated, and the situation in similar in health institutions for which data are available, Capak said.

Vaccination will be conducted according to priority, not all medical workers will be vaccinated but those who are in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, notably those exposed to aerosols, said Capak.

As for the storing of vaccines, Capak said that there were no problems with that and that the entire quantity of the Pfizer vaccine can be stored at the Institute of Immunology, KBC Rebro hospital and the Rudjer Boskovic Institute, while county HZJZ branches have additional storage capacity.

ZAGREB, November 23, 2020 - Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) head Krunoslav Capak on Monday called for patience before the completion of trials of the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.

Earlier in the day, media outlets reported that the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford stops 70% of people from developing Covid symptoms, according to a large-scale trial.

"This information is too serious. A few hours ago, reports said that the efficiency of the vaccine was estimated at 70%, and later AstraZeneca insisted on the rebuttal of that information, claiming that it could increase protection up to 90%," Capak told a news conference, adding that he would rahter wait for the completion of the vaccination trials.

KB Dubrava hospital has enough room and ventilators 

Assistant Health Minister Vera Katalinic Jankovic told the news conference that the situation in Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital, which was converted into an institution for treating COVID-19 patients, was stable.

Currently, the hospital is providing for 420 patients and there is enough room in six intensive care units. There are enough ventilators, and we will procure new ones if necessary, the assistant minister said.

The head of the Zagreb-based Dr. Fran Mihaljevic hospital for infectious diseases, Alemka Markotic, said that currently 26 patients in that hospital were placed on ventilators.

"All over the world, there is a marked rise in the number of COVID patients, their clinical picture is graver than the situation in the spring, much more people have developed pneumonia. The situation is under control, but all are following the developments with concern," Markotic said.

Two to three winter months are ahead of us, it will be more and more difficult to keep the situation under control. We must be aware that all this will not be over in a few weeks' time. We are going to face an increasing pressure to care for patients who fall ill from the coronavirus infection, she said.

1,973 new coronavirus infections, 45 deaths in last 24 hours

Croatia has registered 1,973 new cases of the coronavirus infection over the past 24 hours, as well as 45 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said today.

The number of active cases in Croatia stands at 19,275. There are 2,060 COVID patients in hospitals, including 235 on ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case, a total of 105,691 people have contracted coronavirus, 1,398 of them have died, and 85,018 have recovered, including 2,638 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 40,083 people in self-isolation.

To date, 683,104 people have been tested for coronavirus, including 6,139 in the last 24 hours.

ZAGREB, September 21, 2020 - Head of the Croatian Institute for Public Health (HZJZ)  Krunoslav Capak announced on Monday that isolation for people who have been infected with the coronavirus would be shortened from 14 to 10 days.

Talking to N1 commercial broadcaster, Capak said the the most important change relates to criteria to end isolation. HZJZ documents that were released today note that isolation lasts for ten days instead of the 14 as was the case until now.

"The latest data indicates that a person's infectiousness declines significantly after seven days. After ten days that person is no longer contagious. There is no need for them to be in isolation for more than 10 days. If they have not had a temperature or symptoms in the preceding 24 hours, they can come out of isolation, with the exception of serious cases," said Capak.

He underscored that people who had been positive or have evidence that they have recovered from the infections, do not need to go into self-isolation for a period of three months, upon their recovery, even if they come into contact with an infected person.

The epidemiologist added that the criteria for testing will not change significantly except for students in dormitories and for people attending medically related courses and they will be treated as medical staff. Medical staff, people at risk and people who work in aged care facilities will continue to have priority for testing, he added.

Capak explains that today's figure of 70 new cases of the virus does not match the reality as Covid clinics work shorter hours during the weekend with less staff and fewer tests are conducted, however, it is a good sign that for two days the numbers have been declining.

As far as the spike in numbers over the summer is concerned, Capak said that this was more manifest at the end of August. "It takes some time for more complicated cases of the disease to appear and for someone who needs to be put on a ventilator to succumb to the disease," he said.

People with grave symptoms, with chronic diseases or some other underlying conditions are hospitalised, he said, adding that there were about 2,500 such cases while a little under ten percent of those with such grave symptoms die.

Currently there are no clusters anywhere in Croatia but we will need to follow the consequences of the folklore festival in Vinkovci and the pride parade in Zagreb which were held last weekend, where a lot of people gathered, he said.

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ZAGREB, September 3, 2020 - The Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) on Wednesday published recommendations for classes at associate degree colleges, noting that holding physical classes while complying with the epidemiological measures in force is the optimal type of classes for those institutions.

Noting that its recommendations were adopted in line with positions of the National Council for Science, Higher Education and Technological Development, the HZJZ said that classes would be held live, with the presence of both professors and students, and take the form of distance learning in exceptional situations, when the study programme or epidemiological measures require it.

Students are encouraged to show solidarity with and help their colleagues who are unable to attend classes due to the epidemiologial situation while professors are encouraged to regularly hold face-to-face consultations while complying with epidemiological measures in order to maintain the quality of classes.

Exams will be held online in exceptional situations, when written examinations will be avoided and preference will be given to oral exams.

In order to reduce the number of weekly arrivals of students at college, it is recommended that classes be adapted in such a way to enable students to attend more than one class in a row, while respecting epidemiological measures.

If the epidemiological situation deteriorates or there are no physical conditions to hold classes in more spacious rooms, the college may decide to shorten classes.

Students, professors and other employees must not enter the college building if they have elevated body temperature or respiratory symptoms or if they are self-isolating or have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Rules of physical distancing and personal hygiene will be have to be complied with and the wearing of face masks will be obligatory, except in cases when it hampers the teaching process.

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August 26, 2020 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health (CNIPH) published a report for the previous week, which was marked by record numbers of new coronavirus cases in Croatia.

Vecernji List reports that from August 17 to August 24, all counties recorded new cases of COVID-19. The highest number of new cases is recorded in Split-Dalmatia County, followed by the City of Zagreb and the Sibenik-Knin and Zadar Counties, which have the same number of new cases in the last week.

HZJZ

Split-Dalmatia County also has the highest 7-day rate, followed by Sibenik-Knin and Brod-Posavina counties. According to the CNIPH, the percentage of those infected at weddings is not as high as it is thought. In the past seven days, it has been confirmed that only 1.68 percent of cases were infected at weddings.

Most tourists were infected in Makarska from July 7 to August 24, and out of the 70 infected, 63 are Austrian citizens. The largest number of patients cites summer vacations and going out to nightclubs as a source of hotspots, and recently, a significant share of sick players from smaller football clubs stands out.

"Last week, a large number of patients from NK Rudes were recorded in the City of Zagreb, and a few from NK Lokomotiva. In Split-Dalmatia County, a football player whose club played a match with NK Marsonia from Slavnoski Brod fell ill. This week, another case from a Split-Dalmatia County club was recorded, and a large number of players from NK Marsonia also fell ill. Two NK Vrbovec players also fell ill, and 5 more players have symptoms," they say.

HZJZ

Also, imported cases from Kosovo, BiH and European Union countries were recorded.

"County epidemiologists in the field have been under great pressure in the last week due to the increased influx of new patients whose epidemiological treatment, in addition to interviews (taking epidemiological history), includes contact processing - i.e., contacting all persons listed by individual patients who are not self-isolated. Despite that, according to information from the field, especially in the most affected Split-Dalmatia County, they still do not have a delay in the treatment of sick people and their contacts," concluded the CNIPH report.

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ZAGREB, Aug 12, 2020 - The Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) on Tuesday amended its recommendations for nightclubs, suggesting that its owners organise their work in the open and prevent the stay of their guests indoors in order to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus.

The HZJZ said its latest recommendations for nightclubs were in line with the current situation regarding the coronavirus disease in Croatia.

Nightclubs that cannot organise their work in the open are allowed to continue operating as cafes.

The HZJZ has also banned dance floors, recommending that instead seating areas with tables and chairs be set up, with a distance of 1.5 metres between them.

The latest recommendations were made in light of the appearance of new coronavirus hot spots, notably in nightclubs along the coast.

ZAGREB, June 22, 2020 - Despite Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic meeting with tennis players in Zadar, according to epidemiological classification, he is not at risk of catching the coronavirus because he was not in contact with any of the people diagnosed with the virus, the Croatian Institute for Public Health (HZJZ) said on Monday.

"The epidemiological classification of persons at risk of catching COVID-19, are those who were in the vicinity or in contact with persons diagnosed or suffering from the disease as the disease is transferred through close contact. In determining who was and who wasn't in close contact one needs to know the scientific basis of how a close contact is defined," HZJZ said in a response to Hina, noting that Croatia has taken that definition from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

That definition determines, and in this case which is relevant to Plenkovic's visit to the Zadar tournament, that the coronavirus can be transferred if a person has been in contact with an infected person face to face at a distance of fewer than 2 meters for more than 15 minutes, and if a person has spent time with an infected person in closed premises (e.g. household, classroom, meeting room, hospital waiting room, etc.) for more than 15 minutes, HZJZ said.

"In this specific case it needs to taken into account that Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic, whom the prime minister greeted briefly without shaking hands and with whom he spoke (3 minutes) were not positive to COVID-19 but (for now) they were in contact with (Grigor) Dimitrov who is positive and contact with contact is not considered as a close contact unless that contact becomes positive within 48 hours of the said contact, which in this case is irrelevant because there was no close contact between the prime minister and the tennis players," HZJZ explained.

May 13,  2020 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) has published recommendations for the operation of hotels and rentals in Croatia. 

HRTurizam reports that in accordance with reactivating certain activities based on looser measures, it is recommended that hotels and rental activities act per the following recommendations.

1. General rules and conditions for hotel premises
- Physical distance. During their stay in the hotel, visitors must adhere to a measure of physical distance of 1.5 meters concerning other visitors, unless they are members of the same family or group.

- Disinfectant. At the entrances of hotel premises (lobby, reception, sports, and recreational facilities, counters for payment of services) and in the work area of ​​employees it is necessary to install dispensers with disinfectant (based on alcohol in a concentration of not less than 70% or other means suitable for use on the skin with declared virucidal action).

- Visible notices and informing guests. At the entrances of the hotel premises in a visible place, it is necessary to place information on hygienic procedures or place information with guidelines on proper behavior and protection measures in the rooms where guests stay, or give this information to guests upon check-in or put an information leaflet in the accommodation unit. The telephone number of the responsible person in the hotel is available in the accommodation unit, who then takes contact with the health care institutions in case of COVID-19 suspicion. 

- Maximum number of people on the premises. Observe the rules of the maximum number of persons allowed in certain areas following the defined criteria of physical distance of 1.5 meters to other visitors, unless they are members of the same family or group.

- Paper towels and disposable material. It is necessary to provide a sufficient amount of paper towels and other disposable materials, means and equipment for cleaning, washing and disinfection.

- Waste disposal. It is recommended to place a rubbish bin with appropriate lids in all public areas inside the hotel.

- Protective equipment. It is necessary to provide a sufficient amount of protective masks and gloves for employees entering the guest accommodation units (eg maintenance staff, cleaners, etc.).

- Adhere to all general and hygienic measures. Instructions for cleaning and disinfection are available at the following link:

Persons suspected or suffering from COVID-19: HERE

2. Reception, lobby and other public spaces

- Ventilation. Ventilate all areas regularly.

- Reception hygiene. Disinfection of reception areas at regular intervals (eg every hour), and disinfect the area of reception and check-out of guests (contact areas) with a higher frequency than other reception areas.

- Physical distance at the reception. Ensure sufficient distance between reception staff and guest and staff, reduce check-in / check-out time below 15 minutes (which is the definition of close contact) or, if this is not possible, place partitions (made of Plexiglas or similar material that provides the required sanitary distance). The maximum number of people in the reception area is regulated and limited in accordance with the measures of physical distance of 1.5 meters.

- Informing guests and staff. Reception staff should be sufficiently informed about COVID-19 to be able to carry out the assigned tasks without difficulty and to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 within the institution. They should be able to inform guests inquiring about the hotel's policy regarding the implementation of preventive measures or other services that guests may request (for example, medical and pharmacy services available in the area or in the facility itself, telephone numbers of emergency epidemiologists, etc.).

- Application of technology. Emphasizing online / booking check-in and check-in from home (the option is to find the technical possibility of direct guest registration on the e-visitor), contactless payment, payment by proforma invoice, self-scanning of documents, etc. (where applicable and possible).

- Check out. Advise guests to announce their check-out plans in advance so that bills can be prepared on time and avoid being delayed at reception.

- Currency exchange and ATMs. Prefer where it is possible to change and withdraw money at ATMs located on the outside / outside the reception. ATMs are located in public areas that are covered with a disinfectant dispenser.

- Elevators. Set up safety instructions, including the maximum number of guests allowed at one time, in front of and inside the elevator. Elevators are located in public spaces with disinfectants, and the distance from the max. number of users of each elevator should be made unless the users are part of a family or share a common accommodation unit.

- Conditions for maintaining the hygiene of sanitary facilities. Increased cleaning, disinfection and ventilation of public sanitary facilities every two hours (and more often if necessary), increase the number of employees for daily cleaning in each sanitary facility. Limit the simultaneous use of sanitary facilities in accordance with the size and prescribed sanitary conditions.

- Business centers/conference rooms. Mandatory disinfection of tables and all equipment after use. Respect for the physical distance of 1.5 meters between individual groups of guests.

- Children's facilities. Ensure work in the manner prescribed by the operation of kindergartens and playgrounds in cities. Recommendations are available on the HZJZ website.

- Equipment availability. If necessary, provide guests with available thermometers and protective masks and gloves (on request).

3. Food and beverage service areas and commercial facilities

Shops and catering facilities in the hotel should operate in accordance with the decisions of the Civil Protection Headquarters and the existing recommendations for these activities outside the hotel.

Instructions for catering facilities available HERE

4. Accommodation units

Cleaning frequency of accommodation units. Cleaning and change of bed linen and towels will be done in accordance with existing standards, informing guests that if they want, the rules of cleaning and change of bed linen and towels can be arranged differently, or adjusted to guest requirements (eg only on arrival/departure room is cleaned and changed towels and bed linen and to eliminate the principle of changing towels and bed linen and cleaning during the stay of guests).

- Cleaning of surfaces and sanitary facilities. All surfaces that have come in contact with the guest (nightstand, table, chair, coffee table, any furniture, amenities, telephone, remote control, etc.) must be cleaned with a suitable detergent and disinfectant. Cleaning of all bathroom surfaces must be given special attention when changing guests.

- Bed linen and towels. Used bedding (bedding and towels in the bathroom) must be stored in a closed container separate from the cart with clean bedding; dirty and clean bedding must always be separated and must not come into contact.

- Informing guests. Ensure that information/instructions on new room cleaning and linen change procedures are clearly visible and accessible to guests.

5. Recommendations for hotel staff

General protective measures. Avoid close contact with people who show symptoms of fever, cough and / or difficulty breathing. Avoid touching the face, mouth, nose and eyes, shaking hands and close conversation, and maintain social distance. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with an elbow or tissue to be immediately thrown in the trash and wash your hands. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water and / or use an alcohol-based or other skin-friendly disinfectant with virucidal effects according to the manufacturer's instructions.

- Maximum protection of customers and hotel staff. If possible, install a protective barrier at the serving point and at the cash register, which will physically separate the cashier from the customer. Contactless credit card payments should be encouraged. During their stay in the hotel, visitors must adhere to a measure of physical distance of 1.5 meters in relation to other visitors, unless they are members of the same family or group.

- Daily body temperature measurement. Staff should take their body temperature before arriving on the morning shift. If the body temperature is higher than 37.2 ° C in the morning, if the person feels sick or has any signs of illness (applies to all symptoms and signs of illness, not just respiratory diseases), they should contact their superior and not come to work until the competent family doctor is called.

- Two-shift operation. If possible, organize the work twice, so that there is at least an hour between the first and second shifts, which will be used to clean and disinfect the surfaces during routine cleaning. The surfaces shall be disinfected by wiping with an alcohol-based disinfectant in a concentration of not less than 70% or another agent suitable for use on the skin with declared virucidal action according to the manufacturer's instructions.

- Staff awareness. Before starting work / opening, educate staff about all measures that are being implemented.

6. Technical service and maintenance

- Water use and chlorination. Maintaining the hygienic conditions of the pool water (bathing water) and ensuring the smooth operation of the water treatment device is carried out in the usual way. Concerning pool water, it is possible to use the maximum permitted concentrations of chlorine.

- Textile washing and dishwashing equipment. It is necessary to check the proper functioning of the equipment for washing dishes and laundry, especially the working temperature, as well as the correct dose of chemicals for cleaning and disinfection.

- Air conditioners, heating and ventilation devices (HVAC). Pay special attention to monitoring the condition of the filter and maintaining the correct condition of the air exchange rate indoors. The proper functioning of equipment for ventilation, air exchange and dehumidification of indoor pools should be checked. Increased ventilation of hotel spaces is recommended, for example, by increasing the number of ventilations, by increasing the percentage of outside air circulating in the system.

- Dispensers and other devices for disinfectants. Regular inspections should be carried out to ensure the proper functioning of the soap and disinfectant device. It is recommended to put the hand dryers out of order and replace them with disposable paper hand towels. Defective units should be repaired or replaced quickly.

7. Pools, beaches and sports - recreational and other service activities

- Pools and beaches. Separate deck chairs in such a way as to ensure physical distance from in relation to other visitors unless they are members of the same family or group. The hotel staff must disinfect the deckchairs several times a day, and certainly after guests leave the deckchair and another guest wants to use it.

- Recreational sports. In the spaces provided for recreational sports indoors, the instructions "Recommendation for training and sports-recreational activities in indoor sports facilities during the COVID-19 epidemic" published on the HZJZ website are applied.

Cosmetic services. Instructions available HERE
Massage services. Instructions available HERE

- Wellness and saunas. Limit the number of people, especially in closed facilities (eg wellness) and spaces, in accordance with the available space. It is recommended to put all wet saunas out of function. Dry saunas, such as the Finnish sauna, can continue to operate. Ventilate, clean and disinfect all surfaces in hallways and toilets more frequently.

8. Receiving associates and unannounced guests

- Associates. The arrival of other persons (eg couriers) should be organized in such a way that before the arrival of that person, the phone is announced and the temperature is measured.

- If the body temperature is higher than 37.2 ° C in the morning, if the person feels sick or has any signs of illness (applies to all symptoms and signs of illness, not just respiratory diseases), they should contact their superior and not come to the hotel until the competent family doctor has been contacted by telephone.

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April 20, 2020 - A look at the guidelines for catering facilities in Croatia published by the Croatian Institute of Public Health on Sunday.

The Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) has published guidelines for catering establishments, according to which the catering objects of the following groups are allowed to operate: restaurants, bars (coffee shops, pubs, buffet, tavern and cellar) and catering facilities, but subject to all anti-pandemic measures and strict social distance measures.

HRTurizam presents the list as follows:

1. It is forbidden to serve meals, drinks or beverages within the property.

2. The buyer picks up their purchase at the door, window or just outside the door of the property.

3. Adherence to the highest hygiene standards and keeping a limited number of customers apart must be ensured in order to reduce physical contact and maintain a prescribed distance of 2 meters between buyers, sellers and buyers, and sellers.

4. It is recommended that, unless otherwise arranged, the installation of a plexiglass barrier/protection or other disinfectants meets all the requirements and safety measures to protect buyers and sellers.

5.  Payment with contactless cards is recommended, if possible.

6. For cash payments, it is recommended that the buyer first puts the money on the counter and then takes the returned balance. After each buyer, the counter is disinfected.

7. The product (beverage, meal, etc.) should be ordered and paid for separately from where it is served/pickup, if this cannot be arranged, the seller must disinfect the hands between payment and ordering and disinfect the surface/counter between payment and ordering.

8.  Ensure that no crowds are created and clear instructions are placed at all entrances and visible places. 

9. If possible, it is recommended to ensure the flow of customers in such a way that there is a separate entrance/driveway from the exit/departure.

10. Prominently state instructions and recommendations for the observance of general hygiene rules and a strict measure of physical distance.

11. If a drive-in system is organized, it is forbidden to leave the car and the measures specified in points 3, 7 and 10 must be observed.

The director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, explained how relaxed measures would look. As the measures are currently in place until May 4, the rules in cafes and restaurants will gradually be loosened. For starters, only those who have terraces and can provide distance to guests will be able to open.

He cited an example of cafes where people would not be able to sit side by side, and would instead sit one to two people at a table for four people. In addition, they will have to adhere to hygiene measures and disinfect everything after the guest leaves.

Stay tuned.

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A bus of Chinese tourists from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the Coronavirus epidemic was first detected, recently arrived in Croatia. Just before noon yesterday, the bus reached the border crossing at Bregana.

*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.

According to reports, they arrived in Europe by plane to Milan, and arrived by bus to Croatia. Before their arrival in Croatia they were screened for signs of the virus at Milan airport. No one showed symptoms of the disease, as reported by Index on January 25,2020.

Chinese Tourist Bus Driver Advised by Croatian Epidemiologists

They stopped at Bregana and were instructed what to do if they notice symptoms. As Index learned, the bus driver also received the phone number of epidemiologists and must contact them if any passengers show any symptoms of the Coronavirus.

Croatian Institute of Public Health Issues Travel Advice for China

The Croatian Institute of Public Health was informed of the event and had previously issued precautions for travelers going to China and returnees or tourists from China, as reported by Iva Tatić/Total Croatia News on January 25, 2020. Those precautions follow below:

In view of the emergence of a new Coronavirus in China and the unknown about transmission routes, HZJZ advises international travelers traveling to affected areas to follow the usual precautions advised to reduce the risk of other travel-related diseases (i.e. alimentary infections which are transmitted by fecal-oral means or insufficiently processed foods, respiratory infections transmitted by aerosols and droplets, sexually transmitted diseases transmitted by unprotected sexual contact, blood-transmitted diseases transmitted by the sharing of drug and drug injection supplies).

• Avoiding close contact with people who have an acute respiratory infection.
• Frequent hand washing, especially after direct contact with people who are ill or while in their surroundings. If contact with an affected person cannot be avoided, use a surgical mask to cover your mouth and nose, do not touch your eyes, mouth of nose after contact with the patient. And mandatory washing and disinfection of hands after contact with the patient.
• Avoiding close contact with live or dead animals: both domestic and wild animals.
• Consuming properly processed foods, preferably immediately after preparation; thorough peeling of fruits and vegetables, drinking bottled water without ice.
• Avoidance of unprotected sexual intercourse with persons whose health status is unknown.
• Avoiding the sharing of drug paraphernalia (or illicit drugs) with others.

Health Precautions for Travel Returnees

Measures to reduce the spread of the disease on and upon return from the affected area:

• Passengers who have symptoms of acute respiratory infection should cover their nose and mouth with disposable wipes and wash their hands when coughing and sneezing.
• If an international traveler becomes ill, he/she is advised not to travel during the illness for several reasons: The demands of the journey may worsen his/her health. In some countries a passenger will not be allowed to board a means of transport (airplane, ship, train, bus) if he/she is recognized to be ill due to the possibility of transmitting the infection to other passengers.
• If the passenger becomes ill while traveling in a vehicle in international traffic, they should report their symptoms of the disease to staff to ensure that the patient remains comfortable and has the necessary protective equipment (surgical mask), medication (antipyretic, analgesic), and so that arrangements can be made for the patient with be met at the destination by the local health service.
• If a passenger develops fever and/or coughing and breathing difficulties within 14 days of leaving the affected area (at this time, Wuhan City is considered the only affected area), the doctor should be informed and informed that he/she has stayed in Wuhan for (or other affected area, if identified).

"The reason for promptly reporting a passenger with a fever with respiratory symptoms to a physician is to permit timely diagnosis and determine the true cause of the disease. It is much more likely that the returning traveler has the flu or other respiratory illness than the disease caused by the new Coronavirus. It also enables timely initiation of the proper treatment, prevention of further transmission of the disease to persons in close contact and ensures the necessary monitoring of the health persons who have been in close contact with the patient.

A returnee from the affected area may announce his/her arrival by telephone to the doctor to avoid staying in the waiting room and to arrange a way of arrival (it is not advisable for the patient to travel by public transport). If he/she does not know who to contact, the person may call the local epidemiologist or the epidemiologist of the Croatian Institute of Public Health for advice," the HZJZ advised.

What have scientists discovered about the Coronavirus so far?

The new Coronavirus has taken scientists by surprise according to Index on January 26, 2020. They do not know exactly where it originated, but it has already traveled 9500 kilometers since being discovered in China at the end of December. Despite quarantines, the epidemic is spreading. The number of fatalities is on the rise too.

If this was a Hollywood movie, now would be the time to panic. However, most people just need to wash their hands and continue going about their daily lives.

"Don't panic if you're not paid to panic," says epidemiologist Brandon Brown of the University of California, who has studied many deadly epidemics. "Health professionals need to be on standby and governments need to provide them with resources. Timely and accurate publicity is the key, and everyone else can relax," Brown adds.

Within three weeks of the outbreak, which spread to at least 941 people in 11 countries, scientists learned more about the virus. It is a Coronavirus, a relative of the pathogen causing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a disease that has caused hundreds of deaths worldwide.

Other Coronaviruses cause nothing more severe than a cold. In addition to humans, Coronaviruses can infect cows, pigs, cats, chickens, camels, bats and other animals. Most of the initial victims of the current epidemic reported they had visited a large '' live market '' in the Chinese city of Wuhan, suggesting that the virus had passed from a different species to humans.

Coronavirus Causes Only Mild Symptoms in Young and Healthy

When experts examined the genetic code, they found a sequence previously unknown to science. This means that humans have not been able to develop natural immunity to the Coronavirus called n-CoV2019. Fortunately, it seems to only cause mild symptoms in young and healthy people. Most of the reported deaths are occurring in people over 50, those who have been previously ill or have weakened immune systems. "So far, we have no evidence that this is more dangerous than the flu. Most people will be fine with decent medical care," reports Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at Harvard.

"In fact, it is possible that hundreds or thousands of people have already been infected in China and elsewhere but have experienced such mild symptoms that no one has noticed," adds Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "It's too early to know. In new outbreaks; the most severe cases are often identified first and can result in a distorted picture of how dangerous the situation is," Inglesby points out.

Information Updates Spreading Faster Than Coronavirus

Epidemiologists are now trying to find out when the new Coronavirus acquired the ability to transmit from person to person since the public market in Wuhan, which is considered the starting point, is clearly no longer the source of the epidemic's spread. Health workers expect human-to-human spread to continue in the short term, which means new cases will emerge across Asia, in the US and possibly in Europe. The news is that information about the virus is spreading faster than a virus.

The SARS epidemic erupted in 2002 in the Chinese province of Guangdong and by the time of its suppression in 2003; it had killed 774 people in 29 countries. The registered number of patients exceeded eight thousand. However, at the beginning of the crisis, the Chinese government was falsifying the number of sick people, refusing assistance from abroad, which undermined the ability of their own citizens to protect themselves. The public outrage led to the resignation of the Chinese Health Minister.

This time it's different. Chinese authorities quickly informed other countries of the epidemic's development. They also shared the genetic sequence of the virus, which can help epidemiologists track its spread and predict what to do next.

"This is definitely not 2003. The speed at which the virus was identified is a testament to that," adds Michael Mina from Harvard.

Scientists Develop Diagnostic Test Within 24 Hours

After receiving the Coronavirus genome, it took scientists 24 hours to develop a diagnostic test.This fact further supports the argument to avoid panic. The rapid increase in the number of patients can be misleading. Before the diagnostic test was developed, doctors had no reliable way of distinguishing n-CoV2019 virus infection from the virus causing pneumonia. And that means the number of registered cases will now skyrocket.

"You may hear about 300 new cases, but maybe 300 were before. An increase in the number of patients may not mean spreading the virus, but better detection," she added.

Follow our Lifestyle page for updates on the spread of Coronavirus and recommended protective measures for Croatia and abroad. 

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