May 1, 2020 - Labor Day, better known among Croats as Prvi Maj, is the main reason you'll organize a barbecue with friends or family. Will it be the same in the time of the coronavirus?

Members of the Civil Protection Headquarters have approved barbecues, but physical distance should be respected. "Within a family, it is normal to socialize. However, more people cannot gather because the provision of five people is still valid to the maximum," Capak said for RTL Television.

A small poll conducted on Facebook with the question "How will you spend Labor Day this year?" collected 175 answers (6 of them were empty). 169 is not a large number but leaves enough room to think.

Out of 169 people, 16 people won't respect physical distance. Some of them will be in a group of two, five, six, or ten people. They commented they hadn't seen their friends in a while due to the coronavirus, so Prvi maj is the perfect chance to spend time with them. For some of them, a barbecue is a must-have; for others, this is a day like every other in quarantine, so why not enjoy it with friends.

Out of the remaining 153 people, eight will go to work. Some of them because they have to, one of them because, "I love my job, so I don't see any reason not to enjoy it."
One man who filled out the poll wrote that he works with people with special needs. On Thursday, a day before Prvi maj, he was working a night shift. He wrote: "They hear, know, feel that something is not okay. This affects their life, but they don't understand why. It's like a riddle for them - why should they be in some "punishment", that is, quarantine? One more thing would bother them: if they got pocket money, why aren't they allowed to go to the store and buy themselves a bag of chips? I struggle to explain everything to them in a way they will understand, but I don't know how to do that.
Maybe this isn't an answer you needed, but this is mine for Prvi maj."

Finally, 145 people will respect the social distance and other precautions. Although the coronavirus wasn't mentioned in the question, a lot of people wrote they will be at home with their family, because the virus is still here. A few of them even wrote #stayhome. A lot of people see this day as a chance to gather the family around the table with a delicious meal - although some of them will be riding bikes with their family because that makes more sense for them than a barbecue.

All in all, 153 people out of 169 will be responsible and won't endanger others. For the rest of them who will be enjoying the day with their friends, we hope they can avoid the coronavirus. In some parts of Croatia, it's currently raining. Maybe this will make people stay at home?

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 29, 2020 - The City of Split has a clear message for citizens during the coronavirus crisis in Croatia - STAY HOME! 

Split-Dalmatia County currently has 52 coronavirus cases, a number that will likely change after the Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters press conference on Sunday. Behind Zagreb and Pula, Split has the third-highest number of infections, which includes citizens from Brela to Solin.

In contrast to the first days of the new measures banning gatherings in public areas, the citizens of Split, meanwhile, have been quite disciplined. They also seem to be adhering to the restrictions on moving between cities, which was announced earlier this week. 

I did an article the other day outlining my shopping experience at Spar in the Firule neighborhood, which is otherwise bustling with grocery stores, bakeries, and cafes. On Thursday, however, the neighborhood was a ghost town, with citizens strictly following the hygiene measures in place by supermarket chains and pharmacies. You can read more here. 

Apart from the constant warnings about the importance of sticking to these measures, there is no doubt that the disciplined citizens of Split have helped to control the spread of the virus in the city. 

And now, the citizens of Split will be reminded to stay home thanks to an illuminated #oSTanidoma (‘Stay Home’) light display set up on the west side of the Riva, at the end of Marmontova. The ‘ST’ is cleverly capitalized as the abbreviation of the city's name.

The City posted a photo of the new sign on their Facebook page Saturday night, and as Dalmacija Danas learned, the winter decorations were donated to Split by Zima, reports Dalmacija Danas.

It didn't take long before Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara posted his thoughts on Facebook. The Mayor shared the photo with a short message: Thank you for staying home!

We can only hope this new attraction doesn't attract groups of Instagrammers.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.