ZAGREB, Dec 14, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Monday that his ministry had sent the KBC Zagreb hospital, the KB Dubrava hospital and the Hospital for Lung Diseases, also in Zagreb, an instruction to urgently take steps to increase their accommodation capacity for COVID-19 patients.

Beros said the instruction was sent in light of the current epidemiological situation and that the three hospitals would also secure additional staff and equipment.

He added that activities related to the reassignment of medical workers and equipment were ongoing, underlining the deployment of additional doctors and nurses to the hospitals in Varazdin and Cakovec.

"At the meeting with epidemiologists on December 11 we analysed the strategy for fast antigen testing in order to put hotpots under control. Today's meeting of the expert group of the COVID-19 response team discussed the need to increase the accommodation capacity of medical institutions and other current problems so as to determine steps to be taken in the coming weeks," Beros said.

He added that the distribution of 100,000 rapid antigen tests from commodity reserves to county institutes of public health had begun and that so far a total of 250,000 had been distributed.

Beros stressed that the number of COVID-19 patients who were being admitted to hospitals had grown mildly compared to last week, as had the number of new patients on ventilators.

"Even though it is resilient and sustainable in terms of organisation, the health system must be protected from maximum strain. Our main goal is to maintain, as long as possible, the centralised treatment of COVID-19 patients, that way we are reducing the possibility of the virus entering more hospitals, which will  make it possible to continue providing regular medical care," said the minister.

He reported that the number of coronavirus infections worldwide had exceeded 72,655,000 and that the number of related fatalities was above 1,619,999.

In Croatia, there are 1,430 active cases among medical workers while 807 are in self-isolation.

December 13, 2020 - Minister of Health Vili Beros spoke on HRT about a total lockdown in Croatia, the new measures, the current epidemiological situation, and the beginning of vaccination.

Asked if he felt responsible because, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Croatia is the worst in terms of the number of active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, he said:

"Of course, I feel responsible. However, this is a multidimensional, complex crisis, and there are no unambiguous solutions and answers. The only thing that is possible in the given circumstances is to monitor the epidemiological situation from day to day, to monitor all those elements that clearly describe it - the number of newly infected, their distribution, appearance, and based on these elements to prescribe measures," Beros said. 

He also added that two weeks is not a big enough period of time to indicate a trend. He also reminded that it took France six weeks after the national lockdown to stabilize the situation. But even after that, they have upward trends again. He believes that four to five weeks should pass after the measures are introduced, assuming that people adhere to them.

He claims that a full lockdown in Croatia is the final option and believes it will not happen.

"We have seen in the example of the neighboring countries what a hard lockdown brings. It is not a good thing. So we need to find a coexistence model in the circumstances of the new normal; we must enable certain economic activities while reducing everything we can reduce. And that is exactly what we are working on; we are trying to balance the measures. It would be easiest to introduce the toughest lockdown and close everything. But that is not realistic, especially since we do not know how long this situation will last," Beros said.

The health minister said that at the moment, it is not very certain that a ban on inter-county travel will be introduced around December 21, although they are discussing it as well. However, this will be introduced if the epidemiological situation is such that it requires a similar way of organizing work. 

"Personally, I don't think that will happen. But, if the epidemiological situation is not adequate, we will consider similar measures. Of course, taking into account the working circumstances, i.e., exceptions that would enable work processes," he said.

Emphasizing the importance of antigen tests, Beros said that Croatia procures significant quantities of these tests and will increase their number in hotspots where there are many newly infected.

Stating that the Croatian Institute of Public Health will conduct a national campaign to promote vaccination, Beros warned that - for vaccination to be effective - a large part of the population must be vaccinated. He pointed out that if, for example, less than 70 percent of the population is vaccinated, this will not guarantee significant prevention of the spread of the infection.

Beros also said that introducing a "COVID card" is not being considered at the moment. Still, if the virus continues to cause such severe clinical pictures after spring or summer - that is not ruled out either.

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ZAGREB, November 30, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros wrote on Monday on Facebook that he had recovered from the coronavirus infection and that he was working in his office again, calling on citizens to comply with anti-coronavirus restrictions.

In the first week of the new anti-COVID measures, the minister said that no sacrifice was too great to protect health and lives.

"We are denying ourselves a lot, but I believe this will result in fewer infections and deaths," Beros wrote, expressing gratitude to health workers for their self-sacrificing work.

Beros said on November 19 that he was positive, and two days later he said that he had probably got infected at the ministry despite the fact that he had been trying to protect himself.

ZAGREB, November 22, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros, who is isolating at home because he has coronavirus, said on Saturday the situation with the number of infections and related deaths was alarming and announced that he would talk with county heads on Tuesday.

Speaking for RTL television via video link, he again called for people to be more responsible.

"Tuesday is an important day, when all of us at national level will once again talk with prefects, which will be an opportunity for the national, local and regional governments to hold constructive talks and assess all problems."

Asked if that meant they would discuss new restrictions, Beros said every opportunity was good for talks.

He said many were criticising the national COVID response team's measures, but added that many in the world claimed that milder restrictions would be effective if people complied with them.

"We can impose stricter measures, but if people won't wear masks and (if they) socialise at private gatherings... Everything is an opportunity to show responsibility."

Asked if it was realistic for a vaccine to be in Croatia by Christmas, Beros said, "We joined early enough all European initiatives for procuring vaccines from various manufacturers. As a state, we have done everything. Now it's all up to the manufacturers."

ZAGREB, November 14, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Saturday that he would support the imposition of tighter restrictions if the current situation regarding the spread of coronavirus did not improve, however, there would be neither lockdown nor curfew.

Beros visited the city of Varazdin and the local hospital that is currently caring for 156 patients diagnosed with the coronavirus infection.

The minister held meetings with local authorities and admitted that the epidemiological situation in the north of the country was not good.

All that heightens the pressure on the healthcare system, and cooperation between the counties as well as at the level of the whole country is necessary, he added.

Considering new measures to suppress the virus, Bros said that he supported the activities aimed at tighter restrictions if the situation did not improve.

 "Another lockdown or curfew are out of question," he said adding that gatherings could be further restricted and working hours of some hospitality services could be changed.

Varazdin County Prefect Radimir Cacic said that currently this part of Croatia had the highest coronavirus numbers in Europe and that on average, about ten COVID patients were admitted to the Varazdin hospital on a daily basis.

October the 29th, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has taken firm hold once again across Europe, with numbers soaring and the number of patients infected with the new virus requiring hospitalisation on the rise. As many countries across Europe re-introduce stricter lockdown measures, Croatia's minister of health, Vili Beros, has stated that he's more interested in finding a balance.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of October, 2020, when commenting on the rising number of new cases of infection across Croatia, Health Minister Vili Beros said that the collapse of the already enfeebled Croatian health system was indeed a possibility, but that he was also working to enable maximum good functioning.

"It's excellent that a large number of retired doctors and students are stepping forward, so I'd like to appeal to everyone to join in with these joint efforts to suppress this epidemic," Vili Beros said.

He says he will continue to try to find the right balance between maintaining public health and not damaging economic activities. In some countries that have introduced curfews, there has been no reduction in the number of new infections, he noted, indicating that this appears a wasted effort in many cases.

"I respect, and I listen to everything, I understand the epidemiologists who say that they need stronger measures, but we should also look at businessmen for whom these measures are too much… We need to find a balance," said Vili Beros, clearly highlighting his awareness of how the economy is suffering, which is something he and others have previously been accused of not caring enough about.

He stated that Croatian epidemiologists are "a step ahead" of the coronavirus, so the Zagreb Arena is also ready to receive patients should that be necessary, as it was back in March when the new coronavirus first penetrated the country's line of defense, although it will be a long time before patients are admitted there.

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ZAGREB, Oct 28, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Wednesday that there were 12,736 active coronavirus cases in Croatia and that the number of COVID patients in need of hospitalization was growing, currently standing at 932 or 155 more than on Tuesday.

Sixty-eight people are on ventilators, 14 more than yesterday. Twenty-three people have died in the last 24 hours, and the death toll now stands at 493, Beros said ahead of an inner cabinet meeting.

The minister said that the respiratory support and intensive care unit of the KBC Split hospital was working at 50.68% capacity. Seventy-five patients are currently receiving treatment there, and if their number increases, the entire hospital block in the city's Krizine neighborhood will be converted to accommodate COVID-19 patients, he said.

The occupancy rate in the KBC Rijeka hospital is 30.43%, with 21 coronavirus patients, KBC Osijek's occupancy rate is 51.38% with 93 patients, while Zagreb's "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" hospital for infectious diseases has long been operating at more than 90% capacity and cannot admit new coronavirus patients.

Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital is operating at 90.20% capacity and an additional 200 beds are being set up. On Tuesday, ten new ventilators arrived and today another 20 will arrive as will new medical staff - 39 nurses and five anesthesiologists, said Beros.

"We will do our best so that the health system functions as long and as well as possible. We do not have a crystal ball to foretell a collapse which I read about in media reports. It is possible but as a responsible person I will do my best to make the system function in the best possible way," the minister said, adding that the health system at the moment still functioned one step ahead of the needs.

General practitioners must contact and inform people who have tested positive for coronavirus as well as their contacts, he said.

"Many countries are imposing a lockdown, but those measures are not yielding results. We will continue to issue recommendations that constitute a balance between health protection and keeping the economy going," said Beros.

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ZAGREB, October 22, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday that despite continual measures and responsible behaviour by most citizens, the past week has seen the largest number of people infected with coronavirus and related deaths.

"We cannot be pleased with the current epidemiological situation or with the irresponsible behaviour of some individuals. All of that puts a lot of pressure on epidemiologists and other health workers, physicians and nurses, hospitals and the health system overall," said Beros.

He added that today, the 241st day since the outbreak of coronavirus in Croatia, a total of 1,563 new cases were registered and that currently there are 7,380 active cases with 661 patients receiving hospital treatment.

In the past week 686 patients were admitted to hospital while 448 were released. Compared to the week before, there is a noticeable increase in the number of people being hospitalised.

Currently 610 health workers are infected and 1,341 are in self-isolation.

"Despite the increase in the number of new cases no major hotspots have emerged and on the most part they are micro-clusters and involve small groups," he added.

Hospitals increasing capacity to cater for coronavirus patients

Epidemiologists keep recording infections that are connected with family gatherings, parties, choirs, going out, training and sport events, from where they  spread into the working community. A significant portion of those infected have had contacts with people who were previously infected.

Beros said that he expects appropriate participation by all stakeholders in the health system. Primary health care has the obligation to work on prevention and curbing the spread of the epidemic, he said. 

We are in a situation when we all need to do our bit, just like medical staff in intensive care units have been doing for months, he underscored.

Hospitals have been instructed to increase their capacity to cater for Covid-19 patients and to provide daily reports of the number of health workers who have been infected as well as schedule examinations for patients whose diagnosis and condition do not allow deferrals.

October 22, 2020 - As coronavirus cases rise in Croatia, Health Minister Vili Beros says introducing a curfew is the last resort.

Index.hr reports that Health Minister Vili Beros warned on Wednesday that the number of newly infected is higher than ever and announced that possibly introducing some previous measures will be decided in a few more days.

"If there are no positive developments, it is quite certain that we will introduce some additional, but balanced measures that will primarily refer to the restriction of gatherings," Beros said. He reiterated that citizens could contribute to preventing the spread of the virus through responsible behavior.

"We are the best cure for this pandemic if we respect the measures. Only then can we expect the number of infected to slow down. However, I must say that the virus is spreading horizontally, radiantly among the population. Therefore, we need to be more careful than ever," he said.

He even told reporters that they were too close to each other.

"And you are too close to each other, even though you have masks on and we are outside," Beros said.

When asked about introducing a curfew, Beros answered that some countries had introduced a curfew but that he did not want to give an affirmative answer now. He pointed out that a curfew is the last thing he will introduce if necessary, adding several other measures that can be taken before that.

The head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters, Davor Bozinovic, said on Wednesday that in a situation where the number of people infected is growing, they would focus mostly on punishing all behaviors that are not in line with epidemiological measures, especially legal entities.

During his visit to Jastrebarsko, Bozinovic told reporters that there would be no need for additional activities to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection if the measures already adopted were applied as intended, negotiated, and ultimately prescribed.

"We are monitoring the situation; the numbers are growing, the numbers are growing outside Croatia," said Bozinovic, emphasizing that they will mostly concentrate on prescribed measures, especially the obligations of legal entities that organize events or engage in economic activity with fluctuating people.

In doing so, he said, they will be aimed at sanctioning all behaviors that are not in line with epidemiological measures.

He claimed that they had made a great effort, including the Croatian Institute of Public Health, which made detailed recommendations for all economic and social activities to not close.

"It is an effort that has been translated into concrete recommendations of the Headquarters," said Bozinovic, calling on all citizens to adhere to these measures because it is the only way to slow down the spread of the virus in Croatia.

He emphasized that citizens should refrain from large gatherings, private parties, and meetings as long as the epidemic lasts.

He noted that they prescribe measures for public events, while what happens in homes cannot and should not be controlled. However, he warned that it is in these circumstances that citizens relax the most, which is why the virus spreads when they return to their home or go to work.

"This is not a big philosophy. In practice, it is not comfortable or easy to wear a mask when we cannot maintain physical distance, but it is not so difficult as long as it is the only way to overcome the crisis," he said.

He pointed out that the headquarters can make decisions, and epidemiologists prescribe recommendations, but nothing will be achieved if the citizens do not accept it.

Bozinovic announced the intensified inspections aimed at irresponsible behavior, explaining that the facilities' organizers and owners will be sanctioned if the measures are not adhered to in their facility and stated that a 30 thousand kuna fine is prescribed for dancing in clubs.

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ZAGREB, October 16, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said on Friday that Croatia had a serious increase in new COVID-19 cases and called on citizens to act seriously otherwise the virus would control their lives.

"Today the number of new infections for the first time has exceeded one thousand. The virus is spreading to the health system, retirement homes and is a serious threat all around. It is high time we took matters into our own hands. If we give up on personal responsibility, the virus will control our lives," Beros said and called on the citizens to adhere to epidemiological measures.

The measures are not a punishment, the minister said, addressing the public together with Croatian Public Health Institute head Krunoslav Capak regarding the record high number of 1,131 new coronavirus infections in Croatia.

Over the past 24 hours, 117 patients have been admitted to hospital, and three people died yesterday, Beros said.

He said that the health system was still functioning.

"Our goal is not to shut down economy, but to find a way to coexist with the virus," the minister said.

Capak: Worrying increase in infections

Capak said that there was a serious and worrying increase in the number of new infections, although there were no particular hotspots.

"We call on the citizens to accept the measures we have adopted this week and to act responsibly because that is the only way we can stop the increase," Capak said.

He added that introducing new epidemiological measures was not being considered at the moment, as they were waiting for the recently adopted measures to take effect. However, there is still room to tighten the measures.

Arena hall and other facilities to be put into operation

Ivica Luksic from Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital said that KB Dubrava was becoming increasingly filled with patients, while Zagreb's "Dr Fran Mihaljevic" infectious diseases hospital was filled to capacity, but the number of patients requiring intensive care had not increased significantly.

We are keeping things under control, but we as a society have to be serious and protect the health system, Luksic said.

According to Beros, the health system should be able to meet the needs, and he noted that there are 917 intensive care specialists and residents, 14,460 hospital beds, 800 ventilators and about 1,450 beds in intensive care units.

Plans are underway to put additional facilities, including the Arena hall in Zagreb, into operation if the number of COVID patients continues to grow.

"If the health system becomes overburdened, there will be problems with treating all patients," the minister said.