ZAGREB, 25 March (2022) - Interior Minister Davor Božinović commented on a double murder committed in the southern coastal town of Ploče on Friday and the arrest of the perpetrator, saying that the police had reacted promptly, and that despite this tragedy, the number of murders in Croatia was decreasing.

"The county prosecutor's office is conducting a criminal investigation in cooperation with the police, who responded promptly and efficiently, identifying and arresting the person connected to the murders within half an hour. I would like to point out that despite this tragedy the number of murders in Croatia is decreasing each year," Božinović said.

Božinović underscored that Croatia is a safe country and that it is difficult to prevent incidents like the one in Ploče. He added that there has been one less murder this year than on the same day last year.

Božinović also commented on the Zadar County Court acquittal of two men who had insulted Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on social networks.

Asked if the police would appeal, Božinović said he hadn't seen the ruling and thought the police had not seen it yet either.

"The Croatian police don't receive orders from anyone. When the police receive the court dispatch, I expect it to be studied again, particularly in the context of the charges," he said. Asked again whether the police would appeal, he said that the police should be left to do their job.

Situation surrounding Minister Tramišak is unusual

Božinović also commented on the threats against Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak. "MinisterTramišak spoke to the police and they have opened an investigation after learning the information, primarily from the media," he said.

Asked about the minister's future in the government, Božinović said that this situation was unusual and that talks would be conducted in that regard after the prime minister returns from Brussels.

Given that the prime minister said earlier "that nothing is clear to him," regarding the case surrounding Minister Tramišak, reporters asked Božinović if the case was clear to him.

"I spoke with her as a colleague in the government and competent minister after I saw what was published in the media . It was very important to see the situation that Minister Tramišak pointed out and I did the only thing I could and that was correct, and that was to help her contact the police. That contact was made, and when more information is available the police will inform the public," said Božinović.

Asked whether Tramišak should have contacted the prime minister earlier, Božinović said that threats are reported so the police can act promptly. "The police cannot act on something they don't know about," he said.

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ZAGREB, Aug 14, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said about the warnings from abroad concerning a resurgence of COVID cases that efforts were being made to point out the particularity of epidemiological situations in different regions of Croatia.

The situation is not the same in counties where more than half of today's new cases were registered or in some others, he underscored.

In counties where there are mostly Austrian and Slovenian tourists, the epidemiological situation is good, Bozinovic told a press conference of the national COVID crisis management team.

He said they were communicating this to authorities in Vienna and Ljubljana.

10 counties with the incidence of fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 people in 14 days

Croatian Public Health Institute head Krunoslav Capak said that in 14 days 10 counties had an incidence of fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 people, which is by Slovenian criteria a green zone. These are Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Istria County, Koprivnica-Krizevci County, Krapina-Zagorje County, Medjimurje County, Pozega-Slavonija County, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Sisak-Moslavina County, Varazdin County and Virovitica-Podravina County.

Vukovar and Split Counties with more than 40 cases  per 100,000 people in 14 days

Two counties are in the red zone, with more than 40 cases in 14 days, and they are Vukovar-Srijem and Split-Dalmatia County.

Other countries are in the so-called orange zone, between 10 and 40, which Capak underscored as a good and favourable situation.

As for comparisons with other EU countries, he said that of the 27 countries we were not at the top or at the bottom, but in the middle, as the 13th country by incidence. The Netherlands, which has introduced measures for us, is below us, as one of the countries with a worse situation.

Commenting on the fact that the number of infected foreigners does not match data from abroad, Capak said that they had data they received officially and that since June there had been 54 persons for whom we had received a notification through the EWRS system that they had become infected in Croatia.

"We communicate with everyone, whoever officially sends us a report, we respond to it and conduct an investigation," Capak said.

June 20, 2020 - Passengers who tried to enter Croatia from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the last two days without a valid reason supported by documentation were returned to their home country from the Croatian border. 

T.portal reports that this is the result of stricter measures at border crossings with these countries, with which most new patients in Croatia have been connected in the last week. 

The news was confirmed for Jutarnji list by the Minister of the Interior and the Chief of the National Headquarters, Davor Bozinovic, who pointed out that the controls at these borders have been strengthened and the prescribed measures are strictly controlled.

"After new cases of the infection occurred, and most of them were related to those countries, we immediately started to carry out more intensive controls on Thursday. Anyone who wants to enter Croatia must state the reason for the trip and present documentation that supports it, such as the economic interest for our country," said Bozinovic. He also stressed that Croatia had never fully opened its borders to Serbia and BiH, as has been done to ten European countries that have a good epidemiological situation.

The complete borders closure with those countries is not yet being considered.

"Due to the current epidemiological situation, the Croatian Institute of Public Health and the Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy recommend that visits to residents of nursing homes should be banned in Split-Dalmatia County and the City of Zagreb until further notice. Furthermore, users should not be allowed to visit their family's homes so that they do not become infected during their stay outside the nursing home and potentially transmit the virus to other users upon their return.

In addition, the Croatian Institute of Public Health recommends that local headquarters, in cooperation with the competent public health institutes, monitor the epidemiological situation in their area and that based on continuous situational analyzes, make recommendations on further action regarding banning or permitting visits to users in the social welfare system," reported the Ministry.

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June 19, 2020 - On Dnevnik Nova TV, Davor Bozinovic revealed how the National Civil Protection Headquarters will react in case the number of coronavirus patients in Croatia continues to grow, but also whether strict measures will be introduced again.

"You know we have always said that with measures we balance between economic activities and the protection of life. There are currently no indications that some measures should be tightened, but this is always a possibility. We will see in which direction this hotspot is going," he said on T.portal.

He says citizens are not recommended to travel outside the country, unless necessary. "If you travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and other countries in the region, there really must be a reason, and you shouldn't go for something you can do without. We have long noted that cross-border movement carries risks. As far as tourists are concerned, we have prescribed all measures in catering and tourism," says Bozinovic.

Asked whether the measures at the borders will be tightened, Bozinovic said that there is no need for that at the moment because there have been no tourists in Croatia in recent days. He added that tourists fill in the data in the application for tourists coming to Croatia.

"We have opened a headquarters in Zadar and Split that deals with security in the coastal areas," he said, adding that in the event of an outbreak, they would react promptly. "I am sure we have, and if we don't, we will have the answer to every challenge," said Davor Bozinovic.

When it comes to weddings and larger celebrations, Bozinovic says that if everyone adhered to all the prescribed measures, there would be no need to talk about whether it will be possible to hold large celebrations normally. He revealed that the arrival of citizens from third countries would not be allowed soon. "We will certainly not go for liberalization in the foreseeable future. The European Commission has issued recommendations. We will see the epidemiological situation," concluded the Chief of the National Headquarters. 

Asked whether all citizens, including those in self-isolation, will be allowed to go to the parliamentary elections and fulfill their civic duty, Davor Bozinovic said that epidemiologists would make recommendations for those people as well. "But I wouldn't prejudge the numbers or whether there will be any. There is communication between the DIP and the Headquarters," he said.

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