ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - Vukovar-Srijem County Public Health Institute head Kata Kresic said on Saturday that based on epidemiological data, the recent increase in the number of new coronavirus infections in the county was not related to the Vukovar Remembrance Procession of November 18.

"The number of new infections has been growing since early November and we think it is primarily connected with family gatherings, including church fetes as well as pig butchering, which is common at this time of year and is usually attended by several families which help one another," Kresic told a news conference in Vinkovci, calling on everyone planning pig butchering to do so within their own family.

The increase in new cases is also due to the introduction of fast antigen testing, and the number of new infections is expected to continue to grow in the coming days, Kresic said.

"What is worrying is the fact that there is a larger number of patients who do not know how they got infected, which indicates horizontal transmission of the virus and a high risk of infection," Kresic said, calling on the residents of Vukovar-Srijem County to comply with epidemiological restrictions and behave responsibly.

Currently, 62 people are hospitalised due to COVID-19 and the number of hospitalisations and releases has been even recently.

An additional facility has been prepared for the admission of patients with milder clinical symptoms as the number of new infections is expected to grow.

A record 226 new infections were confirmed in this eastern county on Saturday, and 1,406 people are self-isolating.

ZAGREB, November 18, 2020 - Several thousand people, who arrived in Vukovar from various parts of Croatia and neighbouring countries on Homeland War Victims Remembrance Day, took part in the traditional Remembrance Procession on Wednesday morning.

The participants were separated in several groups being led by flag bearers.

In the past days, epidemiologists recommended that the number of participants in the procession in Vukovar should be capped at 500 and that anti-COVID measures including wearing masks and keeping a distance should be respected.

Some participants in the procession failed to keep a distance, however, large groups were separated by the flag bearers. Also, anti-COVID monitors distributed protective masks to those who were without them.

At the beginning of the procession, participants were asked to adhere to the restrictions.

In Vukovar, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic, Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milosevic, and some other officials took part in the procession.

President Zoran Milanovic laid a wreath at memorial site at Ovcara on Wednesday morning.

In Skabrnja, commemorative events were also held, however, this year, there were considerably fewer participants than on the occasion of previous anniversaries due to the epidemic of coronavirus.