ZAGREB, Aug 26, 2020 - Head of the national COVID-19 management team and Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Wednesday that the new measures for Split-Dalmatia County, announced by the county's team, would come into force at midnight.

"Split-Dalmatia County has decided to make wearing masks mandatory in bars and restaurants before consuming drinks and food, the number of people at weddings will be limited to 50, wakes are banned, and owners of restaurants are obliged to supervise their facilities more closely. Also, gyms will close, and sports competitions can take place but without spectators," Bozinovic said.

Broken down by counties, the number of new cases of the infection is the highest in Split-Dalmatia County - 136, followed by the City of Zagreb (58), Sibenik-Knin County (33), Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (20), Zagreb County (19), Zadar County (15), Varazdin County (11), Brod-Posavina County (11), while other counties have recorded fewer than 10 new cases.

Asked whether the national COVID-19 response team was considering a complete closure of Split-Dalmatia County, Bozinovic said that was not the case.

"We are not considering that this is the only way to avoid that, and I am convinced there will not be any lockdown. We are keeping the situation under control this way," he said.

Asked about the possibility of the spike in number due to the recent Feast of the Assumption, Bozinovic said that they had assigned local teams to conduct epidemiological surveillance, and they believe the prescribed measures had been implemented.

"Split-Dalmatia County is a hotspot and new measures are being taken there. We will have meetings with others on Thursday, so it is possible that some new measures may be introduced then in some counties," Bozinovic said.

Asked why gyms were closing in Split-Dalmatia County while bars remained open and Masses were allowed, Bozinovic said that the new measures would be in place for 14 days.

He underscored that measures could be dropped or extended. Fines for violating the measures are also possible, he added.

"There is always the possibility of penalizing. We hope there will be no need for that because our intention is that as many people as possible accept the recommendations by the Croatian Public Health Institute. The point is for people to follow the recommendations because then we will achieve the main goal, to reduce the number of new infections and control the situation," he said.

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ZAGREB, August 26, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Wednesday ahead of an inner cabinet meeting that today's numbers of coronavirus cases were not the best and that they are higher than yesterday, when 219 new cases were registered, adding that new clusters have emerged in Split.

"I am in contact with epidemiologists. It is good that, in line with our previous agreements, the county response team is recommending new measures that will be appropriate. It is of essential importance that people in the field have daily information about new clusters as new ones are emerging, including fitness centres, gyms," Beros told reporters.

Beros said he would meet with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic before the cabinet meeting because the latest developments require a speedy reaction.

In reference to a recording of a conversation between him and the deputy director of the Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Zagreb, Dijana Zadravec, Beros said that yesterday they had tried to identify who recorded that conversation and asked reporters to concentrate on the contents of the conversation.

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August 25, 2020 - Numerous Croatian media outlets revealed on Tuesday that sources close to HNS have said Croatia and Portugal will meet at Poljud this November. Here's what we know so far.

As 24 Sata and Index.hr reported on Tuesday, the Croatian Football Federation is in talks to hold the Nations League match between Croatia and Portugal on November 17, 2020, at Poljud stadium in Split.  

If all goes to plan, the famous Hajduk stadium will host the Croatia national team for the 14th time. After the match against Hungary passed without incident last year, and after absolutely everyone praised the organization, HNS allegedly decided that Modric and company would play at Poljud once they had the next big opportunity. We'd say bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to Poljud warrants just that. 

24 Sata reported that UEFA might allow a certain number of spectators for the November match. However, UEFA initially reported that the upcoming Nations League games would be played without the presence of spectators. We will have to wait and see what the umbrella organization decides given the current epidemiological situation.

Cristiano Ronaldo's national team, which is still the current European champion, should come to Split in the last round of Group 3 as part of the A League of this UEFA competition. Apart from Croatia and Portugal, Sweden and France are in that group.

Croatia kicks off their Nations League campaign on September 5 in Porto against Portugal, and three days later, they will play in Paris against France. The first home game in this competition will be played on October 11 against Sweden, and that game should, for now, be played at Maksimir.

Three days later, France should play at the same stadium, and before the spectacle at Poljud, Dalic's team will visit Sweden. That match will be played on November 14, three days before Portugal's visit to Split.

24 Sata concludes that the Croatian Football Federation has sent a letter to Split, in line with what they said after Hungary - and that is that the national team will play at Poljud very soon. Now, we await an answer from Split, though we foresee no issues. After all, who wouldn’t want to host Ronaldo?

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August 25, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates for Zagreb, Split and Pula. 

Croatian Aviation reports that British Airways has announced operational changes to its flight schedule for September this year. Direct lines from London to Zagreb, Pula and Split are no longer!

After the company had return tickets on sale at extremely favorable prices on routes to Croatia, obviously not achieving the earnings they expected, as many as three of the four British Airways routes to Croatian destinations will be canceled in September this year.

The last announced flight on the London Heathrow - Zagreb route is planned for less than two weeks away, on Sunday, September 6. All flights in September after the mentioned date are canceled.

The company is currently keeping flights on this route from October 1, but British Airways has not yet revised its flight schedule for that month. Apart from the reduced demand due to the current coronavirus pandemic, the decision of the United Kingdom that all passengers coming from Croatia are subject to a measure of 14-day self-isolation certainly contributed to this.

The airline's seasonal line between London (Heathrow) and Pula, which has operated twice a week so far, will be canceled on Saturday, September 5, and will not work for the rest of the year.

The London (Heathrow) - Split line will operate for most of September, but this line will also be interrupted earlier than initially planned, on Saturday, September 26.

The only British Airways route to Croatia that should operate throughout September is the line between London and Dubrovnik.

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August 23, 2020 - A total of 83,000 passengers will pass through Split's Ferry Port and Resnik Airport this weekend, while the total number of passengers who arrived at Split Airport will reach more than half a million passengers since the beginning of the year.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that Jelena Ivulic from Jadrolinija said that 55,000 passengers and 13,500 vehicles in both directions would pass through their ferry port on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"There are more people leaving the island this weekend than coming. However, despite the fact that the season is somewhat slowing down, there is still great interest in Brac, which is why an extra ferry line will sail across Supetar this morning," she added.

No less active is the Split Resnik Airport, where 150 aircraft will land and take off this weekend, taking 28,000 passengers. Among them are about 20 private planes.

"August this year is at 40 percent of last year's traffic, and we expect that we will have 250 thousand passengers by the end of the month. It is interesting that in the first seven months of this year, we had 277 thousand passengers, and only in August, 250 thousand passengers. Thus, the total number of passengers since the beginning of the year is more than half a million passengers. Indeed, August has lifted our declining traffic," said Mate Melvan of Split Airport.

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August 23, 2020 - The Archaeological Museum in Split is the oldest in Croatia and Southeastern Europe. Established in 1820, the museum initially didn't have its building, but the items were placed in rented warehouses. Dr. Karlo Lanza was appointed the first director, but the Golden Age of the Archaeological Museum and Archeology, in general, began in 1884 with the appointment of Don Frane Bulić, the father of Croatian archeology. 

Today the Museum has tens of thousands of different archaeological objects, sorted by historical periods and localities. The Archaeological Museum has a significant library and archive fund, and since 1878 it has been the publisher of the oldest archaeological journal "Journal of Dalmatian Archeology and History".

In addition to collecting, processing and presenting archaeological material and monuments, the Museum conducts systematic archaeological research at the sites in Salona and Issa, and has a handy collection at the site of Salona, ​​with a building in Solin - Tusculum, a collection in Issa in the Gospina Batarija building and the eponymous site in the town of Vis.

Namely, Slobodna Dalmacija reports that ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of the museum was held yesterday, on Marmontova Street, where an exhibition of photographs "Salona", by Vicko Vidan, was set up. After that, a concert by Terezija Kusanović and friends and the Papadopoulo quartet was held in the museum.

The director of the institution, Ante Jurčević, announced:  "Two hundred years since the founding of the Archaeological Museum in Split is a significant anniversary for Croatian archeology, which will be solemnly marked through numerous events in the coming months. The commemoration ceremony begins on the day of its founding, with a concert in the museum garden and an exhibition of photographs in Marmontova Street, while the culmination of the celebration is planned for December 15, with the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the archaeological research of the Hellenistic and ancient city of Issa and the ceremonial academy at the Croatian National Theater in Split".

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August 23, 2020 - Moving to a new country comes with a world of challenges, and the potential language barrier isn't the only thing you'll have to overcome. Meet Rent A Local, a new online platform launched in Split to facilitate all of your expat needs. 

Croatia is a dream for foreigners thanks to the sun, sparkling Adriatic Sea, untouched nature, UNESCO heritage and laidback lifestyle. For many, it is heaven on earth, that is, until you have to face the beast that is Croatian bureaucracy.

But what if we told you that these obstacles can now be overcome with the help of a new online platform that is here to serve you and all of your expat needs, from hiring a translator or lawyer to having your hand held through the long and painful residency or citizenship process?

And that's not all. 

"We're a group of local experts helping foreign citizens. Rent a local and let him help you with your every need. Whether it is a lawyer, a plumber, to schedule a trip or anything else. Enjoy the best things in Croatia - we'll handle the stressful ones!" 

TCN met up with Andela Prnjak, the brains behind Rent A Local, to find out more. 

"A few years ago, I came up with this entire idea and the name. I mean, Rent A Local is such a simple and cool name that already tells you everything you need to know. I have a lot of friends who are expats, as well as my boyfriend, and I know the troubles they have to go through. After I went through a lot of the processes with my boyfriend, I learned very quickly that this was anything but easy for expats to do alone. 

I am a producer here with 10 years of experience, and I have worked on a lot of documentaries, movies, commercials and series in Croatia, mostly with international companies, which also gave me a lot of knowledge in this field. I have to work through Croatian bureaucracy often, and if I don't know the answer to something, I find people who do. Now, I have an enormous group of people here that I can trust and will get things done," said Prnjak, who added that she could even hire magicians or helicopters for you, should you require such a service. 

"Because my job always required me to push my boundaries, I am now able to take on most of the challenges in Croatia."

When Croatia went on lockdown back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prnjak realized she had a bit more time on her hands - and it was the ideal time to launch Rent A Local. 

"And now, anything you need, from planning a wedding to hiring a boat, or getting your residence permit, we can do. We will link you up with the expert in their field to help you with whatever you need. We won't just set you up with someone doing this for the first time. We have collected experts that we trust, and we promise you won't experience any trouble or encounter any problems," Prnjak added. 

"Everyone we work with is mostly Croatian, though we also know some expats here that are qualified to help you as well. In our first year, we are only going to focus on Croatia, but we plan to expand into other countries in the region. While we are now mostly promoting this service for people in Croatia, because I have worked as a producer in the entire Balkan region, we can potentially help you with your needs in Bosnia or Serbia, too."

Rent A Local will offer a variety of agreements. Whether you want someone to hold your hand through the entire residency process, or just need to consult a lawyer for advice, anything is possible with Rent A Local. 

"Whatever your problem is, you tell us, and we will handle it how we think best!"

Apartment hunting is always a challenging process for expats. If you're clueless about where to live or are worried the landlord will take advantage of you, there is a lot more you'll have to consider than the price. 

"At Rent A Local, our experts will help you find the apartment, our lawyers will look at the contract, and we will protect you in every way we can."

So, what is the craziest thing they'll do for you?

"For now, all of our inquiries have been for one person that has one specific need, but I am really excited about taking on a group that has a lot of specific needs. And we are talking about something even more challenging than Croatian bureaucracy!" Prnjak says with enthusiasm. 

To conclude, Prnjak sends a message to the expats of Croatia.

"What I have to say to expats is that Croatia is a beautiful country with a great quality of life, but there are just some things that are not worth your stress. So, we are here to help you with that! We want you to take the best of Croatia - and don't worry about the rest."

Whether your an expat in Croatia or a local who doesn't want to go through some of these painful processes, Rent A Local is ready to take on your needs. 

You can learn more about Rent A Local on their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram! 

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August 23, 2020 - If Croatia strictly adheres to measures over the next ten days, can September tourism be saved? A look at the situation in Split.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that maybe this is not the end, but only a short break in this year's tourist season, because if Croatia manages to reverse the trends in the number of cases in the next 10 days, most of September's tourist traffic can be saved by working and behaving differently. 

This is what Croatian tourism workers and their partners from abroad have said after the UK, Germany and Slovenia placed Croatia, or its regions, on the list of high-risk countries.

This means that after returning from Croatia, their citizens must undergo mandatory self-isolation for 14 days and/or test negative for the coronavirus.

Although some public officials were shocked by the decisions of these countries, from which Croatia received the most guests this summer, no one is seriously surprised by the restrictions because, well, they weren't decided overnight.

This summer, everyone abroad was amazed by the leisure with which Croatia lives and entertains tourists, without fear, without masks, restrictions, or distance. Everything that was banned in Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, in the post-corona era, was allowed in Croatia. And while we interpreted it with our charm and spontaneity, Europe perceived it as - irresponsible.

They monitored, watched, counted and tested citizens on their return from Croatia, and in the end, Croatia arrived in the red. Exclusively and only thanks to too much relaxation and endless tolerance in the name of tourism, weddings, cross-border entries from third countries (BiH, Serbia, Kosovo) and nightclubs were the biggest culprits.

"What is there, is there. You can't go back now. The United Kingdom, Slovenia and Germany have clearly communicated their criteria for putting us on the red list and there are no questions. They also made it clear to us that they would remove us from that list of high-risk countries as soon as the epidemiological situation improved and the number of those infected decreased. So, again, everything depends only on us. Here, the Slovenes removed Portugal and Austria from that list yesterday because their data on the number of patients is much lower. So, we can do that and be on the list of countries again without restrictions for tourists, but only if in the next 10 days we do literally everything we can to make that happen. All these countries have left the door open for us to be quickly removed from the red list if we make the situation better ourselves," says Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association.

Mandatory self-isolation and coronavirus testing, which the UK has demanded from its citizens on holiday in Croatia since their return since Saturday, have led to a large number of Britons leaving the Adriatic. There were around 20,000 in the country. The most affected by the UK's decision is certainly Split and Split-Dalmatia County, which welcomes several planes a day on flights from the UK, whose citizens are the most numerous guests in Split.

"Split is certainly the most affected by the decisions of Great Britain and Germany because we welcomed the most guests from those two countries in August, and the announcements and reservations for September were above the planned and expected. But we do not want to talk about the end of the season in any way because we have not given up on tourism even in more complex situations and times. We continue to be present in all markets important to us, primarily those with which Split is connected with about 60 airlines. We hope and will do everything to make the epidemiological situation better and that this is the reason for the arrival of guests who planned to spend September in our city," said Alijana Vuksic, director of the Split Tourist Board.

And it is the air connections with Europe, which have been heading to Split since July, that have brought Split to the very top of traffic in Croatia in August. Thus, Split, as in the best tourist years, was in third place in terms of tourist visits in August, just behind Rovinj and Porec. Airlines to Split have been confirmed for the whole of September with excellent aircraft occupancy, so the question remains whether the new situation will change those plans.

At Split's Resnik Airport, the two largest markets in terms of the number of passengers are those from Germany and Great Britain, from where there are a dozen daily flights to Split from several airlines. In August, instead of the planned about 150 thousand passengers, 250 thousand of them arrived in Split, while for September, about 130 thousand passengers were planned to land at Resnik.

However, as both Germany and the United Kingdom update their list of high-risk countries every seven to 10 days, if the situation in Croatia improves in the coming days, tourist traffic in September and already made reservations can still be achieved.

Slovenia also stated that it is ready to react quickly and put Croatia back in the yellow travel zone if the figures confirm it.

"There are currently about 100,000 Slovenes in Croatia and they should return in the next three days. Slovenia wanted to bring the epidemiological situation under control before the start of the school year, now that 80 percent of Slovenes were already on the Adriatic. We in Slovenia really hope that in the coming days, the numbers of cases in Croatia will start to drop and that September will be the most beautiful month of vacation for Slovenes on the Adriatic. There are a lot of older Slovenes and those with preschool children who come to Croatia in September and I believe that will be the case. Now it is like this; we hope that this is a temporary closure and that the unhindered arrival of Slovenes in Croatia will continue again soon. Our government updates the list every week and as soon as Croatia has better numbers, it will be removed for sure. No one is interested in this situation and we hope that it will change quickly," said Primoz Longyka, editor of the Slovenian tourist magazine "Fokus Plus", a good connoisseur of Croatian tourism.

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August 21, 2020 - Igor Tudor has left Hajduk to become the assistant coach at Juventus, the Split club announced on Friday.

"As of today, Igor Tudor is no longer the coach of Hajduk after he decided to accept the offer of the new Juventus coach, Andrea Pirlo, to join him in Italy as an assistant in the professional staff.

Now the former coach of the 'Whites' spent eight months in his second term on the bench of Hajduk, and led them in 18 official matches.

We wish coach Tudor a lot of luck and success in his future career," Hajduk wrote on its official website. 

Tudor received an offer last weekend to return to Juventus, the club he played for from 1998 to 2007, after Andrea Pirlo took over the Turin club.

After training at Poljud on Monday, Tudor told Hajduk leaders that he would like to take the opportunity to go to Italy, where he led Udinese on two occasions. It was just a matter of waiting for the compensation amount to be agreed upon. The Italian champion will pay Hajduk 450 thousand euros.

Hajduk decided that Tudor's assistant Hari Vukas will lead the team in the match against Osijek, which is scheduled for Sunday at 5:55 pm at City Garden Stadium.

Vukas' first assistant will be Jurica Vucko, and Toni Golem joins the professional staff of the first team, who recently took over juniors II. In his career so far, he has already had experience working in the professional staff of Hajduk's first team.

Goalkeeping coach Hrvoje Sunara remains, and Toni Modric and Sime Versic are still in charge of preparing the players.

Pirlo ended his playing career three years ago, during which he won the 2006 World Cup with Italy and reached the Euro final in 2012. While playing for Milan (2001-2011) and Juventus (2011-2015), he won two Champions League titles (2003, 2007) and once again played in the final (2015) with six Italian league titles (two with Milan, four with Juventus).

The former Croatia national team player made 174 appearances for Juventus and another 39 for Siena. As a coach in Italy, he led Udinese and saved them from relegation in two seasons. He also led PAOK, Galatasaray, and Karabukspor. Tudor took over Hajduk in December last year, and under his leadership, the Split club finished the season in fifth place.

Source: Index.hr

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ZAGREB, Aug 21, 2020 - City authorities in Split, the second-largest city in Croatia, have allocated HRK 4.3 million for newborn babies as part of its demographic revival and social welfare measures, the local authorities informed on Friday.

In the first seven months of this year city, authorities allocated 4,303,500 kunas as an allowance for each newborn child.

The City of Split provides an allowance for each newborn child while the amount of the allowance depends on the number of children applicant families or foster parents have.

For each firstborn, the City ensures HRK 2,000, and then HRK 4,000 for a second child. The allowance for a third child and every one after that is HRK 55,000, which is paid through annual installments for the first ten years of a child's life, the press release said.

(€ 1 = HRK 7.5)

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