March 24, 2020 - The images of women from the Petrova maternity ward walking around in the cold with newborns in hand after the earthquake struck Zagreb on Sunday will stay with us forever. Among the first to come to their aid was Dinamo Zagreb fan group Bad Blue Boys. 

Often condemned for excessive flares in the stands and highways brawls, Croatian football fan groups are usually characterized as unruly and dangerous. But when it comes to helping those in need, they’ll be the first on the front line, writes Vecernji List.

The Bad Blue Boys, for example, have shown over the past two days that their ideals, courage and heart should be appreciated, as they first helped move newborns at Petrova, then continued to assist the Dubrava hospital by moving it to Jordanovac at night. During the day, many of them cleaned Zagreb from the rubble caused by the earthquake. But that's not all.

“A few days ago, together with the Red Cross City Society, we launched the Blue Heart Action to help elderly, infirm, and chronically ill fellow citizens, bring them food and medicine so that they do not have to be exposed to the coronavirus. And many of us have put ourselves at the disposal of Civil Protection,” the Bad Blue Boys said, explaining how they act so quickly:

“We have a group message, and as soon as something happens, we move to help. Around 500 people arrived in front of the Jordanovac in half an hour, but 100 of us left as they no longer needed us.”

The Bad Blue Boys also invited all their members to donate blood on Tuesday from 8 am to 7 pm at Petrova 3 to maintain constant medical care for our fellow citizens in these crisis days, reports Gol.hr.

"Join us, Zagreb needs us all," the Boys said.

Due to the cancellation of several large field donation campaigns and low blood supplies, the Croatian Institute for Transfusion Medicine calls on everyone to donate blood.

It is recommended that you come in smaller groups and follow the instructions on social distancing, avoid direct physical contact, and wear a face mask.

It is Croatian football fan groups who, in the most difficult moments, re-prove their loyalty to the state and help those who need it most. The Bad Blue Boys, as well as other fans groups like Torcida, Armada, and Kohorta, were the first to defend the country from aggression in 1991, the first to start building flood protection fences, the first to help put out fires in Dalmatia, and are now moving hospitals and clearing rubble. 

“Whether we like it or not, we are not doing it for others but for our ideals, we will continue to defend the colors of the city and our club in our own way, however unclear it may be to many, and we will be the first to help in any crisis,  again, however uncertain it may be to some,” said one Bad Blue Boys member to Vecernji List. 

Stay up to date on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia by following our dedicated page.

March 24, 2020 - After a  very mild winter with almost no snow Croatia wakes up to a rather colder Spring morning. 

There is only one certainty in Croatia at the moment, and that is that absolutely nothing is certain. 

With the country reeling from the Zagreb earthquakes and dealing with the coronavirus threat, at least the weather was warm in most parts of the country. 

In fact, the weather has been unusually warm throughout winter, with very little snow at all. I remember clearing the drive in temperatures of minus 18 last winter in Varazdin, but I didn't need to get my shovel out this year, and it only snowed twice.

But this is Croatia, the current global leader in unpredictability, a land where Winter is Spring and Spring is Winter. 

The morning view for Steve Gaunt in Vinkovci.

And with severe restrictions on travel imposed in an attempt to combat the coronavirus threat, Croatia's motorways resemble a winter wonderland. 

But perhaps the place where the snow and sudden colder weather will be least welcome will be in Zagreb and surroundings. Many are still recovering from the recent earthquakes and unable to return to their homes, while there are still some residents without gas. 

According to weather forecasts, the cold weather looks set to continue in Zagreb for a couple of days before warming up again. 

You can follow the latest information about the situation on the TCN daily live update feed. 

For the latest news on the aftermath of the earthquakes in Zagreb, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

For the latest news on coronavirus in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

March 23, 2020 - While all the earthquake media focus has understandably been on Zagreb, TCN intern Janja Sestak reports from the epicenter in Kasina.

While there were many reports about the catastrophic consequences of the earthquakes in the center of Zagreb, few covered real epicenter and its surroundings.

Photo Dolores Rogic

As local citizens are genuinely disappointed in the media and politicians for not giving them any help or coverage, many of them started to send messages and share photos on social media about the conditions after the earthquake. Many of them are witnesses of ruined roofs and chimneys and cracked walls and windows.

Photo Dolores Rogic

"People from Čučerje, Markuševac, and surroundings were sleeping with their clothes and shoes on, in the houses which are no longer habitable. Some people were sleeping in cars on meadows, because of the fear. Nobody answered on those telephone numbers."

Photo Dolores Rogic

"I am from Markuševac, and yesterday's events were terrible. The epicenter was 200 meters from my house, which remains untouched, but many homes were destoyed. People don't have anywhere to go. Yesterday the cathedral was 15 times on TV, which is also a tragedy, but people here are helpless. They are literally crying. Why does nobody cover this?"

Photo Dolores Rogic

People are sleeping in vineyard cottages; they are too scared to stay in the house. Also, they are angry due to the lack of concern for them: "After they resolved the situation with hospitals and when the alternative accommodation was ensured for the people from the center of Zagreb, they must should have come here. Everyone here has damage to their houses, some serious, some not. Not a word about any help to these poor people."

Photo Joao Reinert Bruch

Places also rocked by the earthquakes:

Photo Joao Reinert Bruch

The municipality Gornja Dubrava: Čučerje, Granešina

The municipality Maksimir: Markuševec

Photo Dolores Rogic

The municipality Sesvete: Kašina, Kašinska Sopnica, Kučilovina, Vugrovec Gornji i Donji, Šimunčevec, Moravče.

Photo Monika Pipek

Our thoughts are with all the people who are going through these hard times.

Photo Joao Reinert Bruch

For all the TCN coverage of the earthquake, follow the dedicated section. 

Photo Dolores Rogic

Photo Petra Buhin

Photo Monika Pipek

 March 23, 2020 - One day after the devastating Zagreb earthquake of March 22, 2020, a new, strong earthquake has hit the Croatian capital. 

 A new Zagreb earthquake hit the Croatian capital about 11:15 this morning, reports Index.hr.

Early indications from EMSC suggest that is was 3.7 in magnitude. 

Initial reports suggest that the epicenter of the earthquake was ten kilometers deep, 4km north of Zagreb and 8km southwest of Kašina.

During the night, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) recorded a series of reports of new earthquakes in Zagreb.

The first was recorded at 1:59, the second at 3am, the third at 5:15, the fourth at 5:26 and the fifth at 6:52.

The Croatian Seismological Service confirmed that more earthquakes were recorded during the night.

The strongest was the one at 3 a.m., and the magnitude was 3.1 per Richter, an index from the Seismological Service told.

Recall, the main earthquake was at 6:24 a.m. yesterday and had a magnitude 5.5, and there were about 30 new earthquakes yesterday.

This is a breaking news story, and we will update with as much information as soon as we can. 

To follow the latest on the Zagreb earthquake, follow the TCN dedicated section. 

March 23, 2020 - At 9 am, the National Civil Protection Headquarters held a press conference, briefing the public on the latest about the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, as well as the terrible earthquake that hit Zagreb on Sunday.

Index.hr reports that the Headquarters is dealing with two crises, Minister Bozinovic said. "Our records show that 27 were injured in the quake, 18 of which were more serious. Twelve were hospitalized. The 15-year-old girl is in critical condition," he added.

"The night passed peacefully; there were no incidents. The police are securing the affected part of the city. Electricity, water, gas was dealt with during the day, and now it works to the best of its ability. Everyone who couldn't sleep in their homes was taken care of. Fifty-nine of them spent the night in a dorm,” Bozinovic said. He announced that Bandic would hold a press conference today.

"According to the earthquake report, there were 37 earthquakes between 6 am Sunday and 6 am this morning, which is expected," Bozinovic added. He warned that citizens should be careful because Zagreb is now a seismologically active area. "The services have shown a high degree of organization and activity and I thank them all," Bozinovic concluded.

52 new cases in Croatia

Minister Beros said that as of Sunday at 4 pm, Croatia had 52 new cases, which is a total of 306 on Monday morning. 

"A plane with a donation of masks from the United Arab Emirates has landed in Croatia," Beros said.

Capak said two of the three labs had suffered damage and, therefore, could not send diagnoses. "Laboratories have been opened in Rijeka and Osijek. We will know the epidemiological situation in the afternoon, the work of the service has not come into question even though building number 2 has been significantly damaged," said the head of the CES.

"The Headquarters have decided to raise the work of epidemiological services to the highest level. All epidemiologists are on standby," Capak added.

Minister Beros said that the health status of the patients had not deteriorated. Five people are on a respirator.

Citizens are prohibited from leaving their place of residence

Minister Bozinovic announced that he would sign a Decision to prohibit leaving the city of your place of residence or permanent residence. "The number of infected people is increasing; we expect further growth and these are necessary measures. It is important that the exceptions are those which are essential for the traffic and movement of goods and supplies - daily migrations in essential services, drug delivery, utilities, gas and electricity supply, journalists, emergency medical care,” Bozinovic said.

Every time we see a measure being violated, we will bring even more stringent measures, said Minister Bozinovic. "What is the goal? The spread of the infection can only be prevented by staying in the house. Therefore, the HZJZ issued a special recommendation on how people in households should behave in order not to spread the infection," Bozinovic concluded.

People of Zagreb should come back home

When asked if Zagreb residents who fled the earthquake may return, Bozinovic said the number of citizens is not that large. "It is a reflex reaction, there are more than we expected. These citizens will be able to return, the Decision may take effect immediately, but we will give time during the day to return home," Bozinovic said.

"My recommendation is that these people return to Zagreb, it is better for them and for the small communities they went to,” Bozinovic said. "I understand it was a reflex reaction, but it is better for them to return home, because if they need help they will not be given adequate medical help as if they were in Zagreb," he warned.

"Today is the last day that long-distance traffic can take place, both by car and every other way. I ask employers to be rational when they ask for permits for their workers. Be responsible and rational, let it be just the people who need to travel,” Bozinovic said.

For more about the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, follow our dedicated COVID-19 page.

UPDATE MARCH 29, 2020 - The TCN Live Update has moved to this link due to the size of this article.

March 28, 2020 - There are 657 confirmed Croatia COVID-19 cases and 22 new cases as of this morning, or 71 since yesterday. 49 patients have recovered. A fifth person has died. 14 patients are on respirators. There are currently 607 active cases in Croatia.

With developments happening so quickly with both the Croatia COVID-19 crisis and the Zagreb earthquake, TCN has decided to turn our regular daily overview into live updates, powered by Index, whose coverage of coronavirus has been the most comprehensive from the outset.

You can now track the progress of the curve of cases and recoveries on the official koronvirus.hr homepage. (You can also follow it into the English version here, which has less content but covers the essential information).

Note that koronavirus.hr is now mapping cases by county instead of town/city. Koronavirus.hr will update their map after the 9:00 and 16:00 CET daily press conferences.

Index also has a very useful breakdown of cases by town and city. Please note that these numbers may not correspondent to the total number, as the locations of some cases are usually confirmed later. We will update this information as we get it. 

Index has now added two more stat counter - unemployment numbers and a more detailed look at the curve with new cases by day. . 

The private sector has called for the dismissal of Minister for the Economy, Darko Horvat, and the forming of an Economic Crisis Committee, warning that 300,000 jobs could be lost in the private sector in the next three months. 

More than 27,370 people are dead from the virus, which originated in Wuhan City, China. Over 597,458 cases have been confirmed globally. USA has the highest number of recorded cases (104,256) and Italy the highest number of deaths (9,134) deaths.

UPDATED: March 28, 2020 15:00 CET

20:48: There are 13 more cases in Split-Dalmatia County since this morning, when four cases were reported positive for coronavirus, the County Civil Protection Headquarters reported tonight. Of the 13 newly infected persons, one is from Brela and Solin, while the others are from the Split area.

18:32: The condition of two infected persons has worsened, and they have been urgently transferred from Dubrovnik to Split. They are on respirators.

17:27: Three newly infected persons with coronavirus have been registered in Vukovar-Srijem County today. Among them is a doctor from the Vinkovci Health Center who is positive for coronavirus. In total, six people have been infected in Vukovar-Srijem County.

17:10: Some TCN articles so far today:

President Milanovic Calls for Minimum Wage for All Who Lost Their Jobs

Civil Society Groups Warn Democracy Must Not Be Forgotten

Croatian Tourism Association Proposes Measures to Save Tourism Sector

Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Dalmatian Solution: Meet the Imotsi Prsut Mask!

Zagreb Earthquake Aftermath: Moving Video Footage Meets Poignant PoetryZagreb Earthquake Aftermath: Moving Video Footage Meets Poignant Poetry

16:36: The spouse of a prison guard in Split, who normally works in the County Court there, has tested positive for the coronavirus. It is not known whether any of the prisoners are positive, but as of yesterday, they were transferred from the Bilice prison in Bilice to other prisons, reports Dalmatian Portal.

16:00: Civil Protection Headquarters press conference:

The Civil Protection Headquarters released the latest coronavirus data in Croatia.

49 new patients were reported this morning and another 22 confirmed in the afternoon. A total of 657 people are infected.

"We have 22 positive new patients, a total of 657 patients," Beros said, adding: "In 24 hours, that's 71 patients."

The Headquarters confirmed the fifth coronavirus death. It is a 60-year-old from Karlovac, who otherwise had high blood pressure.

Director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic "Fran Mihaljevic" Alemka Markotic confirmed that there are no new patients on respirators. There are 240 respirators in Zagreb, and some are distributed, Beros said. Respirators are in other major cities as well.

"Unfortunately, one patient died. He had high blood pressure, which is one of the riskier diseases for the coronavirus. Those who have some chronic diseases are at high risk and should be very carefully taken care of," said Markotic.

The director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, said that there were 3,135 close contacts infected, and 20,070 people were in self-isolation, of which 542 are health care workers.

865 violations of self-isolation have been identified, Minister Davor Bozinovic confirmed.

Bozinovic says the government has launched a donation program for anyone who wants to donate money to fight the coronavirus. All information is at koronavirus.hr.

"We are entering a critically important period in the next few weeks. We must endure. We ask the citizens not to go out without urgent need," Bozinovic said.

The next Headquarters press conference will be at 2 pm tomorrow.

15:09: Karlovac media reports that the fifth coronavirus fatality in Croatia is a man from Karlovac. The family of the deceased man has confirmed the news. 

The man had been undergoing treatment at the Fran Mihaljevic Clinic in Zagreb for the past ten days and died this morning, Karlovac media reported. 

He was transferred to Zagreb for treatment seven days ago and was on a respirator.

KAportal writes that he, as well as more Karlovac residents, became infected at the Karlovac Rotary Club tournament and that he was in serious condition for several days and was assisted by a respirator to stays alive.

Official confirmation of this news is expected at the Civil Protection Headquarters press conference, which will take place at 4pm.

13:58: After a visit to the earthquake-damaged structures in Gornja and Donja Stubica, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic spoke about the condition of damaged structures after the earthquake, the law that the Government plans to enact, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

"The magnitude of the impact of the pandemic on the economy is very large. This economic damage is more severe and greater than the economic crisis of 2008. We really responded promptly with 63 measures. We will be preparing another package of measures over the next week," said the Prime Minister

13:52: Two new cases in the Bjelovar area, all infected within the family

13:34: The State Inspectorate issues a statement on masks:

"Cotton, reusable, washable masks should not be marketed or used as protective masks," the State Inspectorate reported Saturday after receiving numerous inquiries regarding these products and their price.

"These products are not covered by the Decision on Exceptional Price Control Measures for Certain Products and consequently the Decision and the Law on Exceptional Price Control Measures cannot be applied.

The decision covers surgical protective masks that fall under medical devices and FFP2 and FFP3 that fall under personal protective equipment, for which the manufacturer must carry out an appropriate compliance assessment procedure and develop technical documentation. They must bear the CE marking of compliance and have an EU declaration of compliance.

Cotton masks are not considered as a given product category. They do not have such protective properties, so they should not be marketed or used as protective masks," the Inspectorate points out.

If the inspection establishes that the trader is advertising and selling "cotton, washable masks" as "protective cotton masks", they will be prohibited from misleading or unfair business practices under the Consumer Protection Act and misdemeanor measures will be taken under the Consumer Protection Act."

13:20: In the last 24 hours, four new cases were recorded in Osijek-Baranja County, bringing the total to 41, and four patients on a respirator, according to the County Civil Protection Headquarters.

12:55: Croatian scientist Ivan Djikic addressed the media with a recording and a text explaining the current state of the fight against coronavirus. Read more on Index

12:42: A new case has been confirmed in Varaždin County in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of patients in the County to 21, four of whom have recovered.

The County Civil Protection Headquarters on Saturday said the new case was in close contact with someone infected earlier.

At Varazdin General Hospital, 17 people are being treated for the virus, all of which are currently in generally good condition.

The overall picture of the patients shows that 11 cases came from abroad, two from Zagreb, and eight cases are close contacts of these infected persons.

It has been found that up to 21 days have elapsed from the onset of the symptoms of the virus to the negative swabs or cure.

Robert Vugrin also said that a total of 231 people have been tested in the county so far, currently, there are 2404 people under self-isolation measures, and only one violation of that measure has been reported in the last 24 hours.

Vugrin said police identified 66 cases of leaving the city of residence without a valid pass at the same time.

12:31: President Zoran Milanovic said public sector wages should be reduced.

"I have not been invited to the council and it is no place for me, but I am always there to talk. I have said that I am not here to hide or to confuse sectors I am not responsible for. Every council is welcome, but the decisions are made by the Government and measures They are an economic shield and not a stimulus. This is an economic shield and the protection of those who need the most help.

Measures will change on the move, it is important for the economically most vulnerable to send a message very early, because people who dismiss workers, who close companies that are on artificial respiration, need a clear message that Croatia will be behind them in a concretely.

Well-intentioned promises are not enough and this is where the communication gap between the Government and those who suffer most is the biggest, with tens of thousands of people in the private sector lacking strong liquidity who have to secure wage money.

Under normal circumstances, it is a self-sustaining system that does not need external intervention; there is also an opportunity for the public sector to become involved with the burden and to reduce public sector wages by a certain percentage, not to the minimum, and that at the first opportunity, public sector wages are reduced by a certain percentage, not to the minimum, and as soon as possible, so in half a year we will see where we are. Now the state needs to guarantee everyone who has lost their job at least a minimum," Milanovic said

12:21: Goran Tesovic, a pediatric doctor at the Infectious Diseases Clinic "Dr Fran Mihaljevic", visited N1, where he explained the development of coronavirus in children and the situation at "Fran Mihaljevic". Read more on Index

12:20: The strawberry harvest in Vrgorac and its surroundings is seriously threatened. Even if strawberries were to be harvested in the Vrgorac area in mid-April, there are no pickers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, the strawberry season is in danger as 200 seasonal workers are needed to harvest.

12:10: 865 Croats were caught violating self-isolation, some violated it repeatedly. The police director provided details.

Police Director Nikola Milina referred to cases of violating self-isolation, as well as forging passes for leaving the place of residence.

"So far, we have recorded about 3300 people who did not have passes, but I am talking about those early days. We have noticed 66 people who were under self-isolation and were left the city of residence," Milina said.

He noted that information had emerged that certain legal entity passes were not credible.

"It is about establishing a complete system of passes through a central government body - the Ministry of Administration. There are irresponsible individuals. Once that system is made complete, it will be easier to check," Milina said, adding that forging documents was a criminal offense, which is prescribed by a prison sentence of 6 months to 5 years.

"We have recorded 865 cases of violating self-isolation so far. In all these cases, we regularly report to the State Inspectorate, and they issue misdemeanor orders of HRK 8,000," Milina said.

11:45: 8 points on why one Index journalist will stay home for weeks. Read more on Index

11:40: Two more cases confirmed in Zadar County, bringing the total to 21. On Sunday, the Special Hospital for Orthopedics in Biograd will be completely disinfected, which will then treat those infected with milder symptoms.

11:35: The Istrian Crisis Headquarters released the latest information:

"The deceased person was placed in the infectious disease department of the Pula General Hospital and was a Covid-19 positive woman, who w as 92-years-old. As of yesterday, we have 11 new patients, most of them related to cases from Brtonigla and Umag. Together, we have 65 coronavirus positive people in the County of Istria," said the Headquarters.

"Recently, people in self-isolation have been spreading the virus to the people they live with. This means that they are not adhering to the measures. We are seeing an increase in the number of people living with people in self-isolation, so the virus is spreading in the household," they warned.

11:20 There are four new cases in the Split-Dalmatia County area since yesterday afternoon. All four persons are from the city of Split and none of the new cases are healthcare professionals. In Split-Dalmatia County, there are currently 52 coronavirus cases. There are now 14 people quarantined at the Zagreb Hotel.

11:15: Equipment from Shanghai that is coming to Croatia. The equipment is supposed to be in Frankfurt tonight, so it is expected in Croatia shortly thereafter.

11:00: There are no new cases in Vukovar-Srijem County and three people still ill, a report from the County Civil Protection Headquarters said Saturday, noting that the results of 20 samples sent for testing on Friday are still in progress.

There were 1054 people under self-isolation measures, and there were five reports of violations of self-isolation measures that were found to be inaccurate.

The quarantine facilities accommodate eight people or two truck drivers. There was not one single invitation received from citizens at the Vukovar branch office, and there were five at the branch office in Vinkovci.

The Headquarters also notes that no county suspected of COVID-19 virus was transported by the county Department of Emergency Medicine.

10:25: To preserve the availability of dental care, two dental practice offices will be available in Rijeka from the Health Center of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County from Monday.

The offices will act for emergency dental interventions as reported by the Health Center on Saturday.

The office at Studentska 1 will be open on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 8am to 8pm, and the office at 18 Martin Kontus Street will be open only on weekdays from 8am to 8pm.

10:00: Index has updated its map of cases.

09:30: "I didn't announce this type of application, but an application will be made through which certificates will be issued to allow people to leave their place of residence. At the time of the earthquake, we needed to react at that very moment because many people left Zagreb. The Public Administration Ministry will present the application at the beginning of the week and then launch it through the local civil protection headquarters,'' Bozinovic stated.

09:25: Bozinovic commented on the application to monitor those who violate self-isolation. "People have started to understand our instructions. The key point is that we all understand that we have to keep a physical distance. It's best for people to stay home, this is a fight against a virus that is invisible, it may seem to everyone that nothing is threatening, but it is very threatening. and is expanding globally. Until a solution is found, this is a battle that will be won in the simplest way possible - stay home," Bozinovic said.

09:20: Krunoslav Capak said the average incubation duration was 5 to 6 days. "It is possible that the new cases in Zagreb are related to the events that occurred after the earthquake. We have to wait a while to evaluate this situation," he said.

09:15: Alemka Markotic commented on the number of Zagreb staff caring for patients. "They work at the Clinic around the clock, I have to commend them all," she said.

"The patients are mostly mild to moderate, we have 10 people on a respirator at the Clinic, one is critical," said Markotic.

09:10: "We have tested 4938 patients. Unfortunately, four have died. One patient died in Pula overnight. There are 19 patients on the respirator and 45 have been discharged and recovered," Health Minister Vili Beros said.

"We want to thank everyone who behaves appropriately in self-isolation and all those who adhere to the measures," Beros said.

Krunoslav Capak commented on air pollution yesterday in Zagreb. "These are particulate matter, tiny particles of dust that enter the lungs and can enter the bloodstream. They can cause acute, chronic respiratory problems. After a large WHO study, they have been shown to cause cardiovascular damage. This contamination has nothing to do with In Croatia, it did not come from Croatia, it came to us and is spreading further to the west. Yesterday's situation was critical, it is better today.

No new measures so far

Minister Bozinovic said a number of measures had been taken to protect people.

"We have taken measures to open specialized stores in the markets. We are not considering new measures," Bozinovic said. "If we are successful and consistent in the implementation of all measures, it will be easier to deal with the situation," he added.

Asked if he had a case of coronavirus in the Bilice prison, Bozinovic said that the prisons were strictly carrying out epidemiological measures. "There was some self-isolation, there was a suspicion of one case that turned out to be negative. There is no information in the system that a positive finding on the coronavirus has been reported," he said.

"The number of patients on the respirator is 19, of which 9 are in Fran Mihaljevic," said Minister Beros. "We have formed a secondary center in the Arena. We have prepared a system for this threat. There are 14,500 beds in the health system," Beros said.

09:01: We have 49 new cases, Beros said.

Another person has died, the fourth casualty since the outbreak.

"We want to thank everyone who behaves appropriately in self-isolation and all those who adhere to the measures," Beros said.

08:59: Unemployment numbers go over 140,000, with another 1,140 jobs lost, according to the daily count on Index.

08:45: The Ombudsman considers it necessary to restrict rights and freedoms for the protection of health in an epidemic situation, saying from the Human Rights House that these restrictions must pass the test of proportionality, and from Gong they claim that we must not forget about democracy even now.

In order to protect public health and in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, the National Civil Protection Headquarters has made a number of restrictive decisions in recent weeks aimed at preventing the spread of this infectious disease. It is forbidden to work in catering establishments, public gatherings, stay in public areas, and even leave the place of residence and permanent residence.

Ombudsman Lora Vidovic said that in the situation of a coronavirus epidemic it is necessary to restrict some rights and freedoms in order to protect the health of that freedom and the rights of others.

He points out, however, that restrictions can only be enacted by law or on the basis of explicit legal authority, and to the minimum necessary to protect the public interest.

Ivan Novosel of the Human Rights House says restrictive measures must be proportionate to the dangers of a particular occurrence.

Democratic standards, he added, require that decisions to limit the scope of human rights be made on a case-by-case basis.

08:30: As many as 13 newly infected coronaviruses were confirmed in Istria yesterday, which is by far the largest daily increase so far. The director of the Institute for Public Health of the County of Istria, Aleksandar Stojanovic, said at today's cross-section of the Civil Protection Headquarters there.

He stated that a new coronavirus source had arrived in Istria. It is a plane flight from Turkey that has infected six Istrians. He explained that they were in contact with an already infected person on the flight, but the passengers were put into self-isolation immediately upon arrival to Zagreb.

Furthermore, one newly infected person is related to a family from Umag in which already has an infected case, two are related to hospitality workers who came from Austria, and four to the Brtonigla area. In addition to these six people, one new infected person is a family contact from Umag related to a funeral in Umag on March 7, and two are contacts of an already infected hospitality worker who came from Austria.

Four other positive people are linked to the funeral in Umag and the Astarea Tavern in Brtonigla, which owns the first casualty of this epidemic.

07:55: Members of the 11th Croatian contingent, who participated in the Resolute Support peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, returned to Croatia on Friday night for the first time by Croatia Airlines aircraft.

105 members of the 11th HRVCON have returned to Croatia, and were greeted at the "Dr. Franjo Tudjman" Zagreb Airport by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Damir Krsticevic, Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Robert Hranj and Commander of the Operational Command Center Brigadier General Krešo Tuškan.

It was the first return of military personnel by Croatia Airlines.

07:15: Epidemiologist Krunoslav Capak said on Nova TV last night that he was not worried about yesterday's 91 new cases.

"I'm not worried for now. Our curve of cumulative number of patients is rising, not upright, but so far the number of patients has been flat so far. It all depends on how many there will be tomorrow," Capak said.

Capak stressed that the effects of the earthquake, ie the interruption of self-isolation, will soon be revealed, since the average incubation period is five to six days.

"It is now ten days since we adopted the measures of public gatherings. These measures have been taken seriously, and now is the time to take notice," Capak said, adding that he hoped the growth of new cases would remain at this level and not grow.

Capak acknowledged that a measure is being considered to reduce the number of people at public gatherings from the current five to two, such as in Germany. He will consider the measure, he says, over the weekend.

When it came to better weather, Capak did not give the green light to leave their homes, he merely advised citizens to open windows to allow micro-organisms to leave their habitat.

07:00: Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said Friday, commenting on the possibility of introducing a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, that the parliament would resort to this measure if necessary, but other provisions of the Constitution could be worked on at this time.

Asked if opposition amendments to the Law on Electronic Monitoring of Persons in Self-Isolation would be accepted so that it would be adopted by a two-thirds majority, Jandroković replied that he thought that the law should not be adopted by a two-thirds majority.

06:30: Welcome to today's live updates. We start the day with 586 cases, of which 37 have recovered, with 3 deaths. The numbers will be updated at the 09:00 press conference.

Some TCN articles from yesterday:

PM Plenkovic Discusses Procurement of Medical Equipment with Chinese Prime Minister 

Church Buiding Promise: How Croatian Parliament Battled the 1739 Plague

A Video Tour Meeting the Frontline Workers at Pula Hospital

Croatian Mathematician Toni Milun Explains Healthcare Limitations

Restrictions Will Be Alleviated as Long as Infection Growth is Linear

Voice of the Entrepreneur: Are We (They) Ignoring the Reality? Davor Huic Interview

Measures Proposed By Croatian Entrepreneurs Would Drastically Reduce Unavoidable Layoffs

16 Measures to Save Croatian Economy: Zagreb Institute of Economics Chief Explains

European Union Earmarks 1.16 Billion Euro for Croatia

Some useful TCN articles on what you need to know.

Croatia Travel Update - overview of borders, flights, ferries, new travel restrictions

Croatian Government Opens Donation Fund.

Who Needs to Wear a Mask?

What is Open and What is Closed?

Igor Rudan: Why We Must ALL Stay Home For at Least 1 Month

New Viber Update Service from Croatian Government - 400,000 Followers in First 24 Hours. Here is How to Join.

A Behind the Scenes Look at Running TCN in the Corona Era

(Live updates provided by Index)

Entry into Republic of Croatia

As of midnight on March 19, 2020; crossing the border of the Republic of Croatia is temporarily restricted. Croatian citizens and residents will be allowed to return to Croatia, which means that they may go to the country where they work and reside and must follow the instructions and measures of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) upon their return. These measures went into effect at 00:01 on March 19, 2020 and are valid for 30 days. More information and exceptions here.

For the latest Croatia travel advice in these uncertain times, click here.

Social Distancing Measures Implemented

Also as of March 19, 2020; it is compulsory to strictly adhere to anti-epidemic measures and strict social distance measures. A strict measure of social distance requires avoiding close personal contact at a distance of at least:

• Two (2) meters indoors
• One (1) meter outdoors

The anti-epidemic measures required according to this decision include a ban on holding all public events, gatherings of more than 5 people in one place and the suspension of all retail and trade activities. EXCEPTIONS and details can be found here. These measures were strengthened today March 21, 2020. Residents are being ordered not to leave home except to get food or medicine. 

Total Slovenia News & Total Montenegro News Updates

• COVID-19 in Slovenia - here.
• COVID-19 in Montenegro - here

Live World Coronavirus Updates

• Live world updates from CNN here.
• Live world updates from The Guardian here.
• Live world updates from Al Jazeera here.

World Health Organization Coronavirus Updates

• Live updated international map tracking spread of coronavirus from Johns Hopkins CSSE here.
• Live updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) here.

Croatian Health Organization Coronavirus Updates

• Live updates from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (daily updates at 15:00 CET in Croatian) here.
• Live updates from Croatian Government at their dedicated website koronavirus.hr here and their Facebook page here.

Other Croatia Resources for Updates, Information and Assistance

• COVID-19 INFO CROATIA - A Facebook group with updates and information in English here.
• Jedni za druge - A Facebook group of volunteers who do deliveries in several cities here.

*Follow this page for updates on the coronavirus in Croatia from Total Croatia News. 

*Follow this page for updates on the Zagreb earthquake in Croatia from Total Croatia News. 

UPDATES FROM March 27, 2020

20:00: Epidemiologist Krunoslav Capak has admitted that a measure is being considered to reduce the number of people at public gatherings from the current number of five down to two, as is being done in Germany. He will consider the measure, he says, over the weekend. 

19:34: Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic commented on RTL Danas regarding the decision to open parts of markets and specialty stores.

"Of course, some might see this as an opportunity to get outside of the house, to socialize ... Which they should by no means do, because this measure will continue to coincide with other measures," Bozinovic said, adding that the decision would come into force tomorrow.

"The aim is to awaken the awareness of everyone in the field to understand that this does not mean that the markets will be a meeting place and a social gathering. On the one hand, it is intended to help supply, but also domestic production. With strict measures, prescribed by the Croatian Bureau of public health. If the measures are not implemented, then we are in trouble," Bozinovic said. He also commented on the repeal of other measures.

19:00: Oncology patients or people who have oncology patients in the family began to appear during the week after the Zagreb earthquake. Index was told that chemotherapy had been delayed in some hospitals in Zagreb. Minister Beros commented on the whole situation. More here.

18:55: Alemka Markotic, Head of the Infectious Diseases Clinic Fran Mihaljevic, answered questions about the coronavirus today as reported by Index.

Can people who have recovered get the coronavirus again?

We don't know one hundred percent. People have immunity for a certain time. We have no tests for now. Those who have recovered should not get sick again.

Will the virus weaken with warmer weather?

It is a disease we call drip and such diseases tend to disappear with warmer weather because people are no longer indoors, not indoors in large communities. We have a situation in Australia where warmer weather has not stopped its spread. SARS disappeared after 6 months and did not reappear.

How long is the COVID-19 test results wait time for and what is the procedure?

Depending on the device, some may test the complete sample, and some require RNA to be isolated.

You need to make an appointment and see your doctor. He will evaluate what the symptoms are. A swab is sent and sent to the laboratory. Analysis is a slower procedure. If a person has had symptoms and the findings are negative, then he or she will be in isolation. These are rarer situations, most often the findings are clearly positive or clearly negative. If the finding is positive and the person is feeling well, they will remain in self-isolation at home or be admitted to the hospital.

Wouldn't it be useful to test randomly?

This would require a controlled and large study. This can be done in situations where there is peace. It is very important to reach the target populations. We have a high percentage of positives in a group we tested and so it should work. Now that the next phase has come, when we have many health professionals in contact, we are establishing additional checkpoints and doing more testing among them. These tests may be negative, but this does not mean that they do not have a coronavirus, rather that they are currently negative.

Comparison with Influenza - Why aren't seasonal flu measures applied?

There is a vaccine for the flu and there are medicines. Flu is not a new disease that causes such rapidly and abruptly severe infections of chronic patients. Flu is a problem, but when people get vaccinated and see a doctor on time, complications are prevented. We have neither medicine nor vaccines here.

The skin gets dry due to frequent hand washing. Am I more exposed to the virus now, can it enter through wounds?

The virus is abundant in the pharynx and stool. It is not proven in urine and there is no evidence that it is transmitted by blood. Theoretically, it can happen if there are wounds and someone coughs up, and blood comes in, but that would be extremely rare.

Spring Allergies - How to identify coronavirus vs. allergy symptoms?

Most allergy sufferers know what their problems are. Allergy and coronavirus differences – allergies do not come with a temperature. And allergic people can get the coronavirus - if they get fever, pressure in their chest, they'll know it's something other than an allergy.

Autoimmune diseases - What about people who have them and how can they be protected?

These are extremely vulnerable people. They must adhere strictly to safeguards and ensure self-isolation. They should not go to the shops and pharmacies. If they don't have to, they should by no means move around the hospitals.

How at-risk are people who have lung inflammation?

They are not in more danger than others if they have had pneumonia and have no problems.

Is 14 days of self-isolation enough?

We did not see in our isolates that the disease appeared after 14 days. So far, 14 days seems safe.

What medicines do patients in Croatia receive?

Symptomatic therapy - the temperature is taken off with paracetamol, they will receive an infusion, they need to rest. Those with more severe forms are given a drug used for HIV or hydroxychloroquine. People need to know, they don't need to go buy chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, it won't save them. There is no clear confirmation that these drugs help. They do no harm, but there is no information that they treat the coronavirus.

How much do we pay for each test?

We have to be very careful with tests. There are numerous interests here. There cannot be many quality tests on the market. You have companies and people who see a chance to make money there. Any kind of home testing cannot be certain. It will be great if someone is able to quickly develop a test that can quickly detect through blood whether one is positive. However, people have to be careful, if someone offers them, that there are no quality tests of this kind for now.

The Spanish government has ordered a lot of these tests, so it turns out they only have 30 percent confirmation, it's a scandal. That is why we, the experts, strive to inform ourselves about the quality of the market.

How do you comment on the indication that there are a large number of people who are symptom-free and potentially spread the infection?

There are people without symptoms, one part of them cannot be proven to be a virus. We had a person who was in close contact with the patient, came in with symptoms and was negative after the test. After two days she was positive. If we were to test each and everything Iceland can do, they have a smaller population ... Self-isolation benefits even more than endless testing. Responsible measures and behavior can prevent the coronavirus, not just endless testing.

How important is room humidification for prevention?

It is known that in order for our mucous membranes to be healthy, we must have humidity. The mucous membranes are our shield against viruses and bacteria. They have a certain level of humidity and molecules that attack microorganisms. These mucous membranes must be healthy and intact, if they are, then they successfully protect us. If they are dried, they are damaged, there is a greater chance that we will be infected not only with the coronavirus. You need a humidified room in the home.

Why are so many differences in precautionary measures now and a month ago, when it was the first case in Croatia?

We thought a lot about it. We were teaching residents how to protect themselves. Then it was the beginning and then people couldn't figure out how to protect themselves. Secondly, it is a new disease that has emerged and it was important that we first isolate the first contacts immediately and see if milder forms of the disease can develop. We had to see how they would behave and we learned a lot from them. This virus also causes a lot of nonspecific situations, there were changes in the lungs, it was all something we had to evaluate.

When can we expect a vaccine?

At best, if everything goes well, it would take a year and a half or two to wait. The vaccine will certainly develop, and we need to stick to other measures during this time.

How to behave in the store?

It is important not to touch products, not sneeze or cough.

Most of the recently ill remain home undergoing treatment. What is the reason for this?

The reason is that no existing hospital capacity can hospitalize and retain all patients with mild disease. For all, isolation can be done at home. And smallpox is a disease that we wouldn’t keep everyone infected at the hospital. Now, the place of mass placement of those infected with mild symptoms is also a danger for other patients who need to be in hospitals.

How long will this take? What is your message?

We are optimistic, every epidemic ends, and this one will too. The virus has its ecology, it must end. We must adhere to all the measures we communicate with the public. The more we adhere to these measures, the sooner we will get out of this situation.

18:20: Two more employees of the Split-Dalmatia County Emergency Medicine Institute, a nurse and a technician were infected with the coronavirus, and now five employees have become infected with the virus at the hospital, the County Civil Protection Headquarters announced on Friday afternoon. More here.

17:45: The Croatian Immunological Institute in Zagreb is actively involved in testing for coronavirus today, but according to the director of that institution, it could have done much more if it had not left without most of its production seven years ago.

17:10: The Zadar County Civilian Protection Headquarters announced Friday afternoon that there were a total of 19 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Zadar area.

17:00: Summary of today's 16:00 CET press conference.

The National Civil Protection Headquarters has published the latest information on the coronavirus at 16:00 CET, as reported by Index

At the beginning of the press conference, Bozinovic released details of a man who died after falling from a Zagreb building today. It is soldier who had three children, Bozinovic said.

35 people are newly infected, Minister Beros said. That's an increase of 91 in one day. A total of 586 people were infected.

"The reason for the accumulation of new cases in the area of ​​Biograd and Zadar is that they most likely started at the Biograd hospital and transferred to Zadar. A significant portion of the workers are in self-isolation. It was decided that the hospital should be disinfected and the patients transferred to a hospital which houses all patients who would be COVID-19 positive in the same area," said Minister Beros.

Increased Infections Among Healthcare Professionals

Krunoslav Capak said we have an increase in the number of patients among healthcare professionals.

"Two doctors were positive in Biograd. In the meantime, we have 9 new patients in the area of ​​Biograd and Zadar, three of whom are patients at a hospital in Biograd. We have one nurse and a member of her family and one health worker from a Zadar hospital who was in contact one of the patients from the Biograd hospital, and the other cases have nothing to do with the Biograd and Zadar hospitals," Capak said.

"We have 34 doctors from Zadar, these are doctors and specialists in health care institutions and 9 nurses and technicians and three dentists," Capak added.

Markets in Croatia

Minister Bozinovic further clarified which stores would be opened in the markets. "It is not a bulk sale or a fruit and vegetable sale. Everyone is familiar with the measures, they are specialized stores. We are trying to balance between maintaining the economy, but it must not be interpreted that now everyone can go outside and stay in the markets and these areas. Stores are open for the moment and for goods it is important to keep your stay as short as possible: buy what you need, and then go home. The main message is - stay home," Bozinovic warned.

Krunoslav Capak warned once again that we must all keep our physical distance. "We said from the beginning that we would adjust the measures in accordance with people's behavior. We estimated that some stores could be opened, but not as it used to be. Both those who sell and those who buy must be protected because of that we have allowed them to be open and I pray that this is not misinterpreted. At these newsstands (kiosks), people will not be allowed to stand in rows, but will have to maintain distance. The most important is social distance," warns again Krunoslav Capak.

Patients on Respirators Stable

Markotic said there was no deterioration of people on the respirator. "It was thought that we would be able to get one off the respirator, but we couldn't do it," she said, adding that there were still people who could end up on the respirator but were not in critical condition.

Finally, Minister Bozinovic sent a message: "Don't let the good weather get you out. Stay home!"

16:26: In a 24-hour period, we have an increase of 91 patients, and the minister cited a new micro-location in the area of Biograd and Zadar as the cause, believing that a more intense spread of the infection began at the Biograd hospital.

16:14: Vili Beros said on Friday that efforts were being made to find contacts of the coronavirus-infected people linked to the case of the Special Orthopedic Hospital in Biograd, noting that the situation would not lead to a disruption in health care services. 

16:10: 35 people are newly infected, Minister Beros said. That's an increase of 91 in one day. There are total of 586 COVID-19 cases in Croatia. This is the largest increase in cases in one day.

15:50: Two more patients are coronavirus positive. These are two employees of the Split-Dalmatia County Emergency Department; a medical technician and a nurse. They have been in self-isolation for several days now. Their contacts are being reviewed and evaluated. There are currently 48 cases in the Dalmatian county.

15:38: There are five new coronavirus cases in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, so the current total number of cases is 31, and 14 more samples were sent for testing today, the Civil Protection County Headquarters announced on Friday.

15:36: There are no newly infected people in the Lika-Senj County, 491 are under self-isolation and 258 are under active health surveillance.

15:34: Will the virus weaken with the arrival warmer weather? "It is a disease we call drip and such diseases usually disappear with warmer weather because people are outside longer, they are not indoors in large groups. We have a situation in Australia where warmer weather has not stopped spreading the virus. After 6 months, SARS disappeared and did not appear anymore," replied Alemka Markotic.

15:30: The Međimurje Civil Protection Headquarters requested that the markets in Čakovec and Prelog be permitted to operate in accordance with a decision announced by the National Civil Protection Headquarters on Friday.

15:24: The wife of the deceased restaurateur from Istra has taken a turn for the worse and was put on a respirator. More here.

15:20: A new coronavirus source arrived in Istria. It was a plane flight from Turkey which has infected 6 Istrians. It was explained that the passengers had been in contact with an infected person on the flight, but they were put in self-isolation immediately upon arrival to Zagreb. More here.

14:43: Three new COVID-19 infections in Varazdin County, four people have recovered. More here.

14:24: In Krapina-Zagorje County, there are no new patients with the coronavirus and there are still 35 total cases, the civil protection county headquarters revealed in a news conference on Friday.

The director of Zabok General Hospital and Croatian Veterans' Hospital Tihomir Vancin said that they have been housed in a new isolation room for positive patients since Tuesday.

14:13: According to Sisak.info in the area of Sisak-Moslavina County, six newly diagnosed coronavirus cases were reported in 24 hours. Two are from the Sisak area, three from the Kutina area and one from the Novska area. So far, 13 people have been infected in the county, with one patient going to Pozega to his area of residence. Of the 13 infected, four are hospitalized and the others are undergoing home treatment, Sisak Hospital reports.

14:00: "In the last 24 hours, three new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Varazdin County, which brings the total to 20 confirmed cases. Four people have recovered, so we currently have 16 people for treatment in OBV.

All patients are currently in good general condition and have a good clinical prognosis.

Two newly diagnosed patients, who are older, returned early last week from Germany. They were in self-isolation and developed symptoms yesterday.

The third new case is a close contact with the last infected person," Varaždin headquarters reported.

13:34: As many as 13 newly infected coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Istria within the last 24 hours, which is by far the largest daily increase.

13:25: The director of the Zagreb Children's Clinic Goran Roic commented on the case of a mother from Velika Gorica who needed emergency medical care for her child, and allegedly could not get help immediately because she was under self-isolation measures. You can read more on Index.

13:24: The Railway Worker's Union sent a letter to the government about passing a law allegedly to suspend, during the pandemic, some workers' rights under the Labor Law. The letter says they are against employers unilaterally deciding such matters and saying that, citing Minister Beros's words, when the crisis is over, everyone's input will be evaluated, and so will the unions evaluate the government's work in the upcoming elections.

13:00: In the news today on TCN:

Voice of the Entrepreneur: Are We (They) Ignoring the Reality? Davor Huic Interview
Measures Proposed By Croatian Entrepreneurs Would Drastically Reduce Unavoidable Layoffs
16 Measures to Save Croatian Economy: Zagreb Institute of Economics Chief Explains
Bošnjaković Calls on Split Prisoners to End Strike
European Union Earmarks 1.16 Billion Euro for Croatia
10,575 Tourists Registered in Croatia
Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker: Croatia Implementing Strictest Measures in World
PHOTO: Child from Nustar Draws Croatian Civil Protection Team as Superheroes
Have Some Shops Raised Prices Despite Croatian Government Freeze?
Shopping Online in Coronavirus Isolation? Some Helpful Links

12:54: The Ministry of Science and Education has issued a Recommendation on organizing students' day-to-day work during distance education in order to make the system work better and to ensure that the content and work of teachers in online teaching are balanced. Read more on Index

12:35 At a press conference of the Civil Protection Headquarters, it was announced that one employee of the Split Public Health Institute was positive for the coronavirus. 9 people from the health system were positive, namely: 2 from the Teaching Institute, 2 from the Emergency Room, 1 from a private pharmacy and the rest from private dental clinics.

12:00: The Split-Dalmatia County press conference begins.

11:45: At a press conference of the Brod-Posavina County Civil Protection HQ, it was announced that 55 people would be sent into self-isolation due to the death of a patient. 25 of them are health workers and other staff of the United Emergency Hospital Reception who started work after the disinfection.

The press also said that the 65-year-old patient had been treated at the Oncology ward since March 19, and therefore epidemiological examinations would be performed there, but according to what the director of the hospital Dr. Josip Samardzic said, it has been a long time since and no emergency situations are expected.

"The patient was admitted at night in poor condition, and after suspected COVID-19, tests and findings confirmed the infection," the hospital director said.

11:29: Dinamo is calling for donations. "We invite you to submit a donation to GNK Dinamo at Maksimir Stadium today at 1:15 pm, attended by Mr. Vili Beros, Minister of Health of the Republic of Croatia, Ms. Maja Grba Bujevic, Member of the Civil Protection HQ and Mr. Robert Markt, Executive President of the Croatian Red Cross."

11:20: A second coronavirus case in Bribir in the Vinodol municipality has been confirmed, according to the municipal Civil Protection Headquarters. This is the second of two spouses who returned from a trip abroad on March 16. First, the wife felt the symptoms and then the husband and both were hospitalized. One member of their family is in self-isolation and tested negative for COVID-19.

11:09: In the last three days, seven persons were stopped by the Istrian police in an attempt to leave their place of residence or permanent residence under self-isolation, and reported them to the State Inspectorate for sentencing.

11:03: Osijek press conference begins

10:54: Kaufland has placed protective barriers at the checkout stands and gloves for shoppers to use at the entrance, while Konzum restricted the purchase of yeast to a maximum of 10 packets per person. 

10:03: Zadar Press Conference: "Of the 9 new patients, 7 are related to the orthopedic hospital. What happened is an ugly scenario. One newly infected person worked at Zadar General Hospital, and is the son of an infected doctor from a Biograd hospital."

10:03: Zagreb Children's Hospital Deputy Director Iva Hojsak said that they are a hospital for the care of chronically ill children and that they do not deal primarily with infectious etiology, but that they have organized wards and rooms within the hospital for isolation and hospitalization of suspected coronavirus patients.

"Children, in general, have a milder clinical picture than adults, but it makes it difficult for us to have patients who are seriously ill and, because of their primary illnesses, coronavirus infection can further endanger them," she told HRT.

9:48: The 'Voice of Entrepreneurs' initiative says the measures it proposes can save 250,000 jobs by the end of the year. The three key, previously announced requirements for the initiative to Save Jobs and Launch Economic Recovery are the exemption from income taxes, contributions and surtax for 3 + 3 months; exemption from collection of utility bills, rent of state and city spaces, public areas and other levies of cities and municipalities also in the duration of 3 + 3; moratorium on repayment of loans and leases free of charge and interest for 12 months.

9:12: About nursing homes and healthcare:

"All healthcare professionals will have their temperature measured before entering their workplaces. With regard to nursing homes, we have given clear instructions on how and what to do. I think some guidance for nursing homes is being prepared as well.

"We will intensify certain hygiene, distance and ban measures, and announce today what this is about."

"All of us in the system need to be aware of our responsibility. Everybody on the field has very detailed instructions. 

It is necessary for everyone, and primary care physicians, to fulfill their role."

About the prison system:

"Within the prison system, everyone must comply with the measures. For specific information, contact the Ministry of Justice responsible for the prison system."

9:10: Head of the Red Cross on volunteers:

"Do not open the door to those who ask for your money. Our volunteers do not ask for money. I ask all those who have asked for volunteers to report this to our police. We care for about 10,000 families."

Markotic about the sick:

"Eight people are on a respirator. The wife of the deceased is not life-threatening."

About passes and breaching  measures:

"781 people are in violation of isolation measures.

As for the passes, the police informed me that there were some suspicions of manipulation. Forging documents is a serious crime. It is an offense that, depending on the severity, can be punished from 6 months to 5 years in prison. And I guess it's clear to everyone that in such a situation, there will be no minimum sentence."

9:05: Božinović spoke about the work of shops

"Our growth is linear, indicating that citizens are adhering to the instructions. The first decision is to allow certain specialized shops within the markets to increase the supply capacity for Croatian citizens and help the Croatian agricultural industry. These are food and hygiene stores, agricultural shops and shops that have animal feed.

The Civil Protection Headquarters must pay particular attention to the situation in the marketplaces. Once everything is checked, within a few hours, we expect these stores to start operating.

The second exemption relates to the operation of shops selling building materials for the City of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje County due to the consequences of repairing earthquake damage.

As long as there is linear growth, we will discount the measures to function more and more optimally in these extraordinary conditions.

New decisions take effect today. It is realistic to expect stores to start operating tomorrow morning. I want to get feedback from the Headquarters that they have taken all the epidemiological measures upfront that work can start. So the measure is going to work from tomorrow."

09:01: Beros: "We have 56 new cases, bringing the number to 551. In the past 24 hours, 70 patients were detected. We are still in the linear growth phase, which is good. The average age is 48.02 years. The percentage of patients over the age of 60 is 25 percent. 37 people were recovered and hopefully more will show signs of recovery."

I hope that our joint efforts will come to that. "

08:42: Only one county in Croatia still has a single case of coronavirus. This became clear after the first case was confirmed yesterday in Požega-Slavonia County, which until, yesterday, was also coronavirus-free. 

08:33: The director of a Split hospital has discovered that there are a total of 44 coronavirus positives in the Split-Dalmatia County area. N1 said one of the infected was on a respirator, one had a somewhat more severe clinical condition, the others had a mild and moderate clinical picture.

08:15: "It is very important to explain to people what is going on because they are facing a crisis that we have never imagined. Suddenly, they find themselves isolated, imprisoned, not allowed to socialize. People who know something about this problem must speak about it. We don't have a vaccine and probably won't have one in the next year, a year and a half, "said Rijeka doctor Zlatko Trobonjača.

"People have to understand and accept these measures. We assume it will take a couple of months, but we still can't know anything. I think complete quarantine can produce results. This is not complete quarantine yet. We need to be aware that if these headquarters measures do not deliver the results will be exacerbated because the disease has been shown to be highly contagious. The mortality rate in South Korea is now over 1 percent, and I think it will grow over 2 percent. So if 100,000 people get sick, that means it could be 2,000 dead  "said a doctor visiting the HRT Studio 4.

08:12: MUP has reported that a third police officer was infected with coronavirus.

07:57: "It seems to us that the measures are working relatively well, of course there are always individuals, but we think we can still provide people with the opportunity to buy Croatian products in the markets. We will not open a section of the market, but shops in the market, because everything can be controlled there," Capak revealed about the partial opening of the markets, which has been discussed since yesterday. > More

07:51: "We have situations where one of the families gets infected by a doctor. This is a situation we have not encountered in the last 100 years. Even then, there were different conditions. Let everyone use as much technology, remote work, internet contacts as possible. I mean everything from doctors to citizens and businesses, because any kind of contact carries a risk, and everything we do remotely prevents the virus from spreading, "Capak commented on Croatian Radio.

07:50: Due to the prevention of coronavirus infection and the impossibility of epidemiological monitoring outside the institution, the Special Hospital for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation "Prim. Dr. Martin Horvat" is closing its doors.

07:49: "Some hospitals have introduced teamwork. Part of the team remains working and part is in reserve. This practice needs to be harmonized. I welcome the minister's decision to introduce this type of work. It is good that there are always enough doctors in reserve. This is important now because we do not yet know how the curve will go, "said Luetic of the Croatian Medical Chamber.

07:38: "This is a global problem, and that all countries in the world are currently testing and buying reagents for tests. Thanks to Professor Markotic's team, we were among the first to have tests. The global statement was made yesterday at the headquarters that all pharmaceutical companies can cover only 10 percent of coronavirus needs We have complied with all WHO recommendations regarding the criteria We have not only tested the virus spread in the population  We already have very wide network of laboratories set up in Croatia," Capak said.

"We figured it would be best to extend our testing indications to health professionals. We should test the medical staff where the most vulnerable are more often. Let's go to that now.

"Without protective equipment, there is no swab. We now have a system where epidemiologists take swabs, but every doctor can do this after education," Capak says, adding that work is being done. "Some are already ready, but we cannot go wide because there is not enough protective equipment at the moment. But the good news is that the equipment is coming and soon we will have enough protective equipment for everyone," Capak said.

07:31: "We will announce the new figures at a regular press conference. Condolences to the families over the deaths.

A person who died in Zagreb yesterday afternoon was being treated for cancer. In the afternoon, a 55-year-old woman, who was an oncology patient and had previously been treated at the same hospital with chemotherapy, passed away. It's about people who have had chronic illnesses," Capak said of the deaths.

"When you look at the curve of the daily number of the sick, then we are doing well. Since Saturday, every day we have a slightly smaller number. If we manage to keep it that way, it will be great news, to keep our curve flat. There are 14 people on respirators, if I remember correctly. "said Capak.

"23 doctors, 6 specialists, 9 nurses and 2 dentists are among the infected healthcare professionals," he revealed.

07:28: Half of Murter is under quarantine on an island that has a population of 2500. Rigorous measures are in place in Betina and Murter.

06:55: Epidemiologist Jasna Nincevic, Head of the Public Health and Health Promotion Service of the Split-Dalmatia County Public Health Institute, has coronavirus. On Sunday, she felt her first symptoms at work, and the final confirmation of a coronary positive test came yesterday. She doesn't know how she got infected.

06:45: An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 struck near Zadar at 03:37 this morning. (More on Index) 

06:40: Links to some TCN articles from yesterday.

Igor Rudan: How Do We Move from Defence to Attack in Coronavirus Fight?

Croatian Media Adds Unemployment Statistics to COVID-19 Updates

Shopping Online in Coronavirus Isolation? Some Helpful Links

War on Coronavirus: Murter Under Quarantine

New Croatian Travel Restrictions: Meet the Neighbourhood Borders of Varazdin

Voices from the Earthquake Epicentre by Karla Lemaic

06:30: Welcome to today's live updates. Let's hope for a quiet day. We start the day with 495 cases, of which 22 have recovered and 3 died, two of them yesterday. 

First COVID-19 death in Zagreb.

First COVID-19 death in Slavonski Brod.

UPDATES FROM March 26, 2020

21:40: A coronavirus positive patient passed away in Slavonski Brod this afternoon. 

21:22: Split doctor Jasna Nincevic told Index how she felt when she found out she had coronavirus and what her symptoms were. Read more on Index

20:19: A man from Nustar, not far from Vinkovci, was hospitalized at the General County Hospital in Vinkovci, and is coronavirus positive. Unofficially, he was apparently infected by a man who returned from Austria and violated self-isolation measures.

20:13: Croatian measures have been declared one of the most stringent in the world, but Markotic believes they were timely. He believes that the rapid growth of the seriously ill did not occur, only 5 percent, which is below expectations. 

19:55: About the claims of the Osijek-Baranja County Headquarters chief that the Virovitica-Podravina County closed the borders with their county by some measures, Virovitica said that it was not a blockade, but just implementing the ban on leaving the place of residence.

19:20: Minister Vili Beros explained what will change from tomorrow, as they announced a certain reduction of these measures.

"The news from tomorrow is that certain shops within markets will be able to operate under the conditions applicable in cases of infection and which have been prescribed by epidemiologists," the minister explained and said that all details would be known tomorrow. 

18:59: Božinović clarifies new rules for drivers and what stores will open in the markets. 

Bozinovic told N1 that the authorities did not want the economy to stop, provided everyone respected the measures. In this context, a new decision was also made concerning truck drivers.

"As far as truck drivers are concerned, Croatian drivers, as well as foreigners who work for Croatian companies, can now use home isolation. We introduced the measure that all truck drivers must go into self-isolation and quarantine when the return wave started, actually when the borders were still open.

However, we now think that the epidemiological situation is such that we can provide home isolation which will allow for greater mobility. I ask that they be very responsible so that they do not pass on the virus to their household if they are carrying it, because they are possible carriers of the virus, even though they do not leave their homes. The measure is in force from tonight," Minister Bozinovic said.

Tomorrow, a new measure will be announced, which deals with the operation of specialized stores in the markets. "Markets are a traditional place where people gather, however, we have estimated after the closure of all the facilities, that specialized stores, for meat, milk, eggs and the like, assist Croatian agriculture. We are in contact with cities and municipalities and civil protection and want to establish a strict regime to have a limited number of people who can go in and make a purchase and go out and leave room for others. This can be a certain risk, depending on how much anyone respects the measure," Bozinovic said. "We will announce that measure tomorrow," he said, adding, "But serious anti-epidemic preparations are needed."

18:50: A 31-year-old coronavirus positive Croatian describes symptoms: "The virus does not care how old you are."

18:45: Health Minister Vili Beros announced ten days ago that KB Dubrava would be the primary intensive respiratory center during the coronavirus epidemic, a so-called clean room, so that the virus could not penetrate from the emergency room to other parts of the hospital premises.

Beros told the Index that we may be the only country in the EU to have such a thing. Take a closer look on Index.

18:29: There are no coronavirus infected doctors at Split KBC and the County Health Center, only one Nuclear Medicine staff member is hospitalized in self-isolation because she is positive. However, this is not a doctor.

18:05: Croatia is quarantined, the economy is collapsing, and tax inspectors are touring companies. You can read more on Index

18:00: Prisoners who began striking at the Bilice prison in Split, refusing prison food for fear that the coronavirus could penetrate the prison, have been called to stop by Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic.

17:47: A coronavirus case has been reported at the Clinical Institute for Nuclear Medicine of Split Hospital.

17:00: "A positive COVID-19 test in dialysis at KBC Split was confirmed today. Immediately upon confirming, the epidemiological service was informed. They singled out staff who were in contact.

All employees, as well as the patient herself, wore prescribed personal protective equipment. Employees who were in direct contact were instructed to self-isolate. The entire dialysis area was disinfected immediately. The evening dialysis shift has been postponed for two hours and as of today, work in dialysis has been completely normalized with a full-time staff and a replacement team of doctors," said KBC Director Julija Meštrović in a statement.

17:00: In the first two days, the secretaries of city districts and local committees in the Split area issued 1,131 passes, the City of Split office announced in the afternoon.

16:30: Chief of the National Headquarters Davor Bozinovic signed a new decision for truck drivers in international transport. Other measures that go towards the liberalization of strict rules are being considered.

16:27: "We don't want to go for stricter measures, we want to maintain balance. Only the one who protects himself is the best protector," he added.

He also uncovered information about two infected police officers. One is from Zagreb and the other is from Međimurje. "Numerous self-protection instructions have been sent to the police, of course, everything cannot be predicted. It has happened, but the system is doing everything to protect Croatian police officers," he added.

16:24: He again appealed to the merchants. "Don't invite people to the shops to warm up. Have people wait outside, get warmer clothes and keep distance from each other. You don't need whole families and kids to go shopping, let only one person go. I invite everyone who can, let them organize selling, or buying online, ”Bozinovic said.

16:15: "Similarly, we will consider other measures that go towards liberalizing the strict rules. Tonight we will be thinking about opening specialized stores within the markets, but we will prescribe very strict measures to the owner. This will be controlled very strictly," Bozinovic said.

16:07: Krunoslav Capak said there is no need for quarantine in Biograd so far. "It doesn't make sense at this point, the measures are prescribed and the epidemiological service is continuing to address this situation," he said.

Minister Bozinovic signed a decision for truck drivers in international transport. 

"You know that we have given a recommendation from the beginning that all the drivers from Croatia can continue their work, but provided that they are quarantined while in Croatia. Since the first shock passed, we decided to liberalize the procedure for drivers in international transport. They can now use home insulation in their home, while respecting the measures of self-isolation. If you notice symptoms, they must be communicated to the doctor. If there are those who do not have requirements for home insulation, they can still use quarantine Headquarters. Those whose stay is less than 24 between loading or unloading are required to spend time in the cabin for drivers," said Bozinovic.

"I ask that they comply with all the measures prescribed," he added.

16:05: "It is still too early to conclude on trends, but we believe that the measures taken will produce certain results," Minister Beros said.

"During the morning, a 74-year-old patient from Zagreb who was an oncology patient died. We offer our condolences to his family. We must fight this infection at the same time," Minister Beros said.

Alemka Markotic said eight patients were on a respirator, one of them awaiting a laboratory test. The other 70 patients at the Clinic are stable. "We hope they don't need more support. Three of them are slightly more ill," she said.

16:01: Beros: We have 14 new cases, which is 495 in total.

15:43: Branko Bacic said today that it is not yet time to declare a state of emergency, even though it is being considered. 

15:28: In Bjelovar-Bilogora County, only two people are infected with coronavirus, but the number of people in self-isolation has increased from 50 to 764 people, a press conference of the County Civil Protection Headquarters said. Mayor Damir Bajs said his health status is under control and they are awaiting results for eight samples sent to Zagreb for coronavirus testing.

15:26: Preparations for the production of tools for the production of 50,000 transparent masks - visors designed by the student of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FESB) Slaven Damjanovic, began on Thursday at AD Plastik in Solin.

15:20: A Croatia Airlines employee is positive for coronavirus, the company confirmed. It is an employee of the Technical Services Division, who performs his work duties in the office premises. The aforementioned employee has been using sick leave since March 17 and has been in home isolation ever since, therefore he has not been in direct contact with his work colleagues since March 16.

14:55: There are no new patients in the Šibenik-Knin County today. Of the 15 patients who are ill, four are still in the Infectious Diseases Department and not on a respirator. Since yesterday, a total of 5 reports of violations of self-isolation measures were received at the Šibenik-Knin Police Department.

14:20: In Krapina-Zagorje County, there are 3 new coronavirus cases, making 35 in total, said Anđelko Ferek-Jambrek. One case is from Pregrada, one from Krapina, and one from Opatija who came from Austria to Pregrada.

"There are 14 from Pregrada area, 8 from Krapina, 6 from Hum on Sutli, 4 from Zabok, 2 from Donja Stubica and 1 from Opatija," said Ferek-Jambrek for Zagorje.com.

13:45: The director of the Pediatric Disease Clinic in Zagreb Goran Roic denied the claim that the father, who brought his child to the hospital during self-isolation and was later confirmed to be coronavirus positive, did so because of the child's life.

13:44: According to the Index, a finding from Zagreb confirmed that a Split Emergency doctor also has the coronavirus.

13:13: Osijek Headquarters angry: Virovitica-Podravina County has set up barricades.

13:12: Health Minister Vili Beros announced at a government session that Zagreb's Infectious Diseases Clinic "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" is becoming a center for the treatment of the most severe cases of coronavirus patients, including children.

13:00: Two more cases were registered in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, so the total number of cases is 26 - seven were hospitalized but none were on a respirator while 19 were in self-isolation, the County Civil Protection Headquarters reported on Thursday.

12:59: Among the eight infected in Brtonigla is the mayor of the town, Pavao Klarić. He revealed in an interview with Glas Istre that he was in contact with the deceased Istrian restaurateur Nino Kernjus. All employees of the Brtonigla municipality are in self-isolation.

12:26: The second coronavirus death confirmed in Croatia. Index reports:

At the Infectious Disease Clinic Fran Mihaljević, a 74-year-old Zagreb resident who has been on a respirator for the last few days due to the coronavirus has passed away.

His wife is also in serious condition.

The 74-year-old is the second victim of coronavirus in Croatia. Yesterday it was confirmed that a caterer from Istria died of the coronavirus.

12:17 What will graduation look like this year? A look at several scenarios on Index

12:15: Mayor of Vodnjan: The elderly and the chronically ill should be in isolation.

12:11: HDZ MP Ivan Domagoj Milosevic has said that it is not a question of whether, but when and how much we will cut public spending at all levels because of the current crisis

12:11: The small municipality of Murter, where eight locals have been infected with the coronavirus, is under quarantine. Mayor Toni Turchinov explains how things stand now on Index

12:10: The Governing Board of the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (Hanfa) on Thursday banned insurance companies in Croatia and the Raiffeisen Pension Insurance Company (ILO) from paying dividends on profits made until 30 April 2021

12:09: Nino Kernjus, a well-known Istrian caterer, is the first coronavirus victim in Croatia. The day after his death, it was confirmed that he was positive, and yesterday an autopsy arrived confirming that the cause of death was the coronavirus. His sister-in-law Keti Visintin told Glas Istre that he did not refuse treatment and hospitalization, as the media reported

12:07: "In the new situation, it is of great importance to prevent the spread of the virus among emergency services personnel who must continue to perform their tasks. The HZZ has, according to the HZZZ guidelines, developed a series of guidelines to prevent the virus from spreading among firefighters," said Chief Fire Officer Slavko Tucakovic.

11:39: "Dear fellow citizens, protective masks were distributed to the neediest by the previous call, and as of this afternoon we have started to divide the masks by houses.

The DVD and JVP Crikvenica, City Red Cross Society of the City of Crikvenica, Home Help, City of Crikvenica, Eko Murvica, VIO Zrnovnica Crikvenica-Vinodol and volunteers will participate in the division. The masks will be disributed over the next few days," Crikvenica said.

11:37: "Three new cases were recorded in Varaždin County, bringing the total number of infected to 17, but the number of cured patients increased by three, while the current number of infected patients being treated at the Varaždin General Hospital remained unchanged, i.e., 13.

In the case of new patients, two people were in close contact with a previously infected person, and one new patient returned from Germany and was self-isolating as of 17.03. All patients are in good general condition," the Varaždin County Civil Protection Headquarters said.

11:10: According to data from the Zagreb County Institute of Public Health - epidemiological service this morning, a total of 6 people tested positive for the coronavirus in Velika Gorica. Two people reported yesterday are in home isolation and another four are hospitalized. Of these, two are middle-aged and two are elderly.

11:00: At 11 am, the Osijek press conference began.

"There are 32 positive cases in our county, three on the respirator since yesterday. They are stable and not in critical condition," said Dr. Zubcic.

10:56: "We have 671 people in health surveillance, and as of yesterday, two new patients, a doctor from a Biograd hospital and a patient, also from Biograd, who is in the Zadar General Hospital," said epidemiologist Alan Medic, adding that there is still 100 people in self-isolation, and these are the contacts of two newly diagnosed health care professionals from Biograd.

"We will see if it is necessary to introduce more stringent measures for Biograd. We will decide on this in coordination with the National Headquarters. By the end of the day, we will know if we will close Biograd," they said at a press conference.

10:51: There are three new cases in Istria, the total number is now 41! Most cases are in Brtonigla, which has eight. There are two hotspots, the first is the funeral home of a winemaker and the second a tavern whose owner has passed away.

10:23: The Split-Dalmatia County Civic Headquarters sent a press release containing new information.

"In the area of ​​Split-Dalmatia County, as compared to yesterday, 5 more people tested positive for the COVID - 19, and as of 26.03.2020, 36 people were positive for COVID - 19.

At the moment, in Split, 24 people are positive for the coronavirus, 5 people in Sinj, 3 people in Solin, 1 person in Dugi Rat, 1 person in Podstrana, 1 person on Hvar, and 1 person in and Kastela.
Out of the total number of infected persons, 6 are healthcare professionals, including 2 doctors, 2 dentists, 1 engineer and 1 secondary education worker. There are 55 health professionals in self-isolation.

The general health of all those infected from the area of ​​Split-Dalmatia County is stable, while one person from the area of ​​Šibenik-Knin County is on a respirator at KBC Split.

All contacts of the infected were processed by the epidemiological service. Please note that all health services at KBC Split are provided as before.

There are currently 29 people quarantined at the Zagreb Hotel; of which 21 are Croatian citizens and 8 are foreign nationals," the statement said.

10:15: Djikic also appeared on HRT this morning. Among other things, he commented on creating the vaccine. As for the vaccine, he said that there is currently no effective vaccine or cure, and that it can be expected in the next 12-18 months.

10:03: Economic expert Andrej Grubišić visited HRT Studio 4, commenting on government measures to help the economy.

"What happens in the business world falls into the category of the black swan, it is an event that is unforeseen in all prediction models. The characteristic of the black swan is that, when it happens, it usually has devastating negative consequences. It is evident that the world, especially the rich, completely unprepared; I'm talking about the business world, not the scientific one.

Now we must not repeat the mistakes of 2008. Namely, then, instead of aggressively taxing the government, the government not only kept the existing taxes but also increased them, which led to devastating results for the economy," said Grubisic

10:00: Miroslav Skoro posted on Facebook and said that the government should not open humanitarian funds through which citizens could donate to the Zagreb earthquake and coronavirus crisis, but return the money to the citizens.

09:55: Some TCN articles so far today on the subject:

Who issues passes to travel between cities in Croatia, useful contact numbers, and a clarification on what 'place of residence' means - from the English version of the official website. 

What happens if you are a tourist staying more than 90 days due to the restrictions? MUP answers

Krunoslav Capak: I am Disappointed in Croats: They are Violating All Measures

495 Medical Workers in Self-Isolation, System Not in Danger

Shops are Well Supplied with Goods

Banks Suspend Fees for ATM Transactions

09:30: About the situation in Vinogradska

"Fortunately for 200 people, self-isolation just sounds alarming. The institution itself, thanks to its organizational skills, has pulled some doctors to the clinic and no major problems. All those in contact have been tested and are negative."

About truck driver problems

"What happened with BiH is the result of a misunderstanding. Of course, more border crossings have been opened. Our border police chiefs are in contact. And I don't expect any problems there anymore. They all went to one border crossing and there was no need for that.

09:25: I do not know the situation in Biograd, if it turns out that a quarantine measure is justified by the national headquarters, we will do it, Capak said.

About the deceased in Istria

The health inspection went to the field, talked to everyone relevant, the clinical picture was not strong, according to my information, the family felt that medical transportation was not needed at that moment, although the epidemiologist recommended it as well as going to the hospital. To my knowledge, this was not a difficult clinical picture at this time.

About testing

"It's about not complying with the regulations, not about testing with these retirees who came to the gas station. What is being done in diagnostics is that all closer contacts and beginning to develop symptoms are tested. We stick to the rules that many European countries adhere to. We will write specific questions and give specific answers about testing because we see there are a lot of questions. These questions will be answered by other doctors who have been appearing in recent days, we will take everything into consideration, "said Markotic.

"There has been talk of the state planning to carry out 20,000 tests. We may get 180 infected. Testing does not prevent the spread. This is not a method that can stop the epidemic from spreading. By keeping the rules and measures in place, we will prevent the spread from testing," Beros said.

"We tested all people who were in self-isolation and who had contacts from patients who had symptoms, but we also tested a lot of contacts who were in contact with the sick and a lot of other contacts. And we did tests to release the secondary contacts. "My opinion is that they should step up testing in healthcare facilities," Capak said.

09:20: As of this morning, a third person is on the respirator in Osijek. We determined that there was no omission. It was an emergency and that's the problem. When it is necessary to act to save someone's life then sometimes there is no time to wait for the test result.

09:15: About the sick on respirators

"80 percent of these patients have chronic illnesses, some age structures are somewhat lower, about 61 years old, because we had a larger number of infected people in the younger population. So that's all we expect. so we warn again that they do not go to the shops. Someone who is on the respirator is endangered in some way. We know that sometimes complications occur and sometimes some cannot be saved. So we ask older people not to go out. We currently have one person in critical condition, "Markotic said.

09:01: "There are 39 new cases. As of yesterday morning, there are a total of 63 patients. There is no exponential growth, which is extremely important. There are 14 patients on the respirator," Beros said. This brings the number of cases to 481.

Prior to donations, the people involved in dealing with this should be contacted in order for the resources to be allocated appropriately. Yesterday the heaters for the camp in Dubrava began being collected, which is not necessary because these tents were already heated. Please contact Maja Grbi-Bujević if you would like to help.

Capak statement

"We have 18 specialist doctors who are positive, 6 specialists, 7 nurses and 2 dentists. The average age of patients is 49 years, 18,,601 people are in self-isolation, 2437 intensive epidemiologically supervised contacts, 546 health professionals who are in self-isolation."

Director of Police on Infected Policemen

"We received confirmation yesterday that we have two police officers infected with the coronavirus. Police officers are the biggest supporter of the health system, so we have been taking preventative measures all the time and our officers are in self-isolation measures, about 90 of them ... Now epidemiological tests are being conducted and there are no more contacts with infections."

08:40: Press release from the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists. They said that the manufacture of masks and disinfectants has increased sharply and that raw materials were much more expensive to procure than at the beginning of the year. Because of this, they say, there has been a sharp jump in the price of masks.

07:36: Early morning media appearances for Health Minister Vili Beros.

"We will report everything at 09:00, but I can say that there are no significant new situations," Beros said on the programme.

"The situation with equipment is not optimal," Beros said.

He says the Chinese market is now open and he hopes more equipment will come.

"I would not rule out this possibility, but it is not current at the moment," said Beros, who added that the measures have been balanced so far.

"We expect the current measures to show results," he says.

07:35:  A new useful feature from the official Koronavirus.hr website - a chart showing the number of new cases per day. 

07:34: The Civil Protection Headquarters has decided to ban leaving the place of residence and permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia with exceptions such as supplies, daily migration of employees in essential services, emergency medical care and the like, reports HAK.

On the A6 Rijeka-Zagreb motorway at the Kikovica junction in the direction of Zagreb, one traffic lane is being used, and for all traffic the Oštrovica and Vrata junctions are closed and the state road between the Lučica and Kikovica (DC3) junctions in the Rijeka direction due to control at the Kikovica junction .

07:12: Coronavirus measures have undoubtedly restricted some otherwise basic civil liberties, such as freedom of movement, for a certain period, which in itself is sufficient reason to be vigilant when it comes to government behavior during a pandemic. (More on Index)

07:07: Croatian scientist Ivan Djikic explained in an interview with RTL what could help fight coronavirus. (More on Index)

07:05: Murter prepares to deal with the outbreak of cases on the island. "The health centre has arrived, and we have located it near the church and kindergarten, on a large plateau. They are just connecting it to the electricity. We also have a team that cares for the elderly. The Murteris have always been great fighters when needed, and so will the fight against coronavirus, "the Murter Mayor said yesterday, noting to everyone that he was available on the cellphone 24 hours a day," SibenikIn reports. The locals will be able to go to the street briefly, to the shops once a week, possibly twice, this is still to be decided. There are three shops in this place, but since there are a lot of people who do not live there, they will also organize shifts.

06:30: Welcome to today's live update from TCN, powered by Index.hr. We start the day with numbers of 442 cases, 22, recovered and 1 dead. New numbers are expected at the 09:00 press conference.

UPDATES FROM March 25, 2020 08:00 CET (Central European Time)

20:03: "I am disappointed with the behavior of the Croats, the measures prescribed by the headquarters are being violated on all sides. However, we receive information on violations every day, but we urge citizens to help us," said Krunoslav Capak. Therefore, even stricter measures can be expected, although they are already stringent.

19:55: In Osijek-Baranja County there are a total of 26 coronavirus cases, including Mario Ravlic, director of the Meat Industry Ravlic, whose infection was confirmed on Sunday. 

19:41 Mario Zovak, director of the Zagreb KBC Sisters of Mercy, where the head of the Department of Anesthesiology was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Wednesday, and more than 200 doctors and nurses are in isolation, says his hospital has a large enough staff capable of managing the situation.

19:30 On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with 12 prominent Croatian scientists through a video conference who highlighted Croatia's timely and effective response to the fight against coronaviruses.

19:15: The Prison and Probation Administration has restricted the right of visits to prisoners, which is one of the measures gradually introduced in Croatian prisons since mid-March based on monitoring epidemiological indicators of an increased risk of coronavirus infection.

18:48: A woman in Biograd was operated on by an infected doctor, and has contracted the coronavirus

18:45: In the context of the Government's activities in combating the spread of the global pandemic of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic held a meeting and video conference in Banski Dvor today with prominent Croatian scientists, public health experts, molecular biologists, epidemiologists, and virologists from Croatia and abroad.

The meeting was attended by academician prof. dr. sc. Miroslav Radman (molecular biologist, MedILS), academician prof. dr. sc. Igor Rudan (University of Edinburgh), prof. dr. sc. Nenad Ban (Molecular Biologist, ETH Zurich), prof. dr. sc. Ozren Polašek (epidemiologist, School of Medicine Split), prof. dr. sc. Alemka Markotić (Infectious Diseases Clinic "Fran Mihaljević"), prof. dr. sc. Dragan Primorac (geneticist, president of the Croatian Society for Human Genetics), prof. dr. sc. Gordan Lauc (Molecular Biologist, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry), Assoc. dr. sc. Joseph Car (Health Systems Specialist, Imperial College London & NTU Singapore), Assoc. dr. sc. Branko Kolarić (epidemiologist, Teaching Institute for Public Health "Andrija Štampar" and Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka), doc. dr. sc. Krunoslav Capak (epidemiologist, Croatian Institute of Public Health), doc. dr. sc. Petra Klepac (epidemiologist, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) et al. Andreja Ambriović Ristov (virologist, Ruđer Bošković Institute).

The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views with a multidisciplinary group of scientists on the measures Croatia has taken so far to combat the epidemic, assess the current state of affairs, and scientific reflections and suggestions for further steps in the fight against COVID-19.

All interlocutors emphasized Croatia's timely and effective response and expressed readiness to continue to participate in such exchanges of scientific thinking in order to deal with the pandemic as effectively as possible.

Thanking everyone for their participation, Prime Minister Plenkovic said it was important to make every effort every day, at all levels, to minimize the lives lost and to protect the health of Croatian citizens.

18:19: Tax Expert on Measures: Why is a waiter worth less than a civil servant? Read more on Index

18:06: Split-Dalmatia County Mayor Blazenko Boban announced on Wednesday that the AD Plastik company from Solin will start manufacturing about 50,000 transparent protective masks tomorrow - visors designed by the student of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FESB) from Slaven Damjanovic.

17:58: Police officers from the Zagreb Police Department conducted a criminal investigation into a 72-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman old on suspicion of committing the crime because they did not adhere to the instructions for preventing the spread of the infectious disease or the protection measures which were ordered.

17:50: Health Minister Vili Beros visits KBC Osijek in which two patients are infected with the coronavirus.

"These are circumstances that are not good, but they are as they are, I came to support the staff and the director of KBC Osijek," Beros said.

17:38: Police are most harsh on any unlawful behavior in their ranks, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic commented on the case of two Zagreb police officers who were removed from service.

17:20: The autopsy findings of Istrian Nino Kernjus, owner of the well-known Astarea Tavern in Brtonigla, have been published after a week. He was confirmed to have died of coronavirus.

"It has been confirmed that the pathological examination of a deceased person from Istria showed that the person died of coronavirus," Krunoslav Capak said at a press conference.

1715: "The number of newly infected people is 24, which means that the total number of patients so far is 442. In the last 24 hours, 60 new people have been infected, which means that our number is not increasing. On Saturday, we had 87 new cases, but after that the number dropped. This gives us hope that our case growth will be more gradual than upright, ”said CIPH Director Krunoslav Capak.

As for the situation at Vinogradska Hospital, where more than 200 doctors and nurses are in isolation, Capak said there was no new information. Asked about the situation in Osijek, Capak said there was always an option for other hospitals in Croatia to take over patients.

Asked if they were using a combination of medicines with Sumamed, Alemka Markotic said no. "There is no need to become irrational with Sumamed. It cannot act on the virus, but it can act on the immune system to soothe inflammation. we need to be smart and not run with this drug. Research shows that the virus in the first few days silences our immune system. If we were going to give Sumamed, we would have to have a study to see that it could not cause harm," said Markotic.

Minister Bozinovic commented on the case of two police officers who were removed from service and said that the police should set an example.

"One person on a respirator, her condition got worse," said Alemka Markotic.

About conducting tests

Markotic also commented on the criticism that not enough tests were being conducted.

"Diagnosis is to do the test on people you think make sense of the test, have symptoms or have been in contact. You need to know and interpret that test appropriately.

Even if we test all 800,000 people in Zagreb in the morning, at least 100,000 of them could have symptoms in the evening.

For anyone who thinks we need to test more, let them tell me by what criteria this should be done and I will be happy to discuss it with them," said Markotic.

17:10: The press conference has begun. 442 people are now infected, a rise of 24 from this morning, while 22 have recovered, an increase of 6.

It has been confirmed that a pathological examination of a deceased person from Istria showed that the person died of coronavirus. This presumably is the confirmation of the restaurant owner from Brtonigla, which many sources already have counted, but we will confirm this. This has now been confirmed. 

16:38: The former director of Daruvarske Toplice, who was relieved of his duties yesterday by the Governing Council after holding a corona party, has been offered the post of senior expert advisor in the finance, accounting and procurement department. (More on Index)

16:15: The Croatian Driver's Union today warned the Civil Protection Staff of the unsustainability of the decision to place drivers in quarantined facilities and called for new regulations that would also take into account the human needs of the drivers themselves, who are at the limits of their endurance.

16:11: The Varazdin County Civilian Protection Headquarters requested all local headquarters to keep records of the issuance of passes in order to prevent their uncontrolled issuance and to check for violations of self-isolation measures.

16:00: Tatjana Nemeth Blažić, an epidemiologist from the Croatian Institute of Public Health, on the Government's website Koronavirus.hr, which publishes the latest information on combating the epidemic in Croatia, explained who should be self-isolated and what rules should be followed by a person who is in self-isolation in their own household.

15:57: Two more cases of coronavirus have been reported in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, so the total number of infected is now 24, the County Civil Protection Headquarters reported on Wednesday.

"Seven people are still hospitalised for coronavirus treatment at the Dubrovnik General Hospital and all of them have mild symptoms, while the other 17 are in home self-isolation. No cases of violations of self-isolation measures have been identified in the last 24 hours," the headquarters said.

15:53: The Croatian National Bank (CNB) reported today that all banks in Croatia have temporarily suspended fees for withdrawing cash from ATMs outside their own ATM network.

15:52: Ivan Mrvos, the young Solin entrepreneur and founder of Include, maker of smart benches, has posted on Facebook about government measures to help the economy. (More on Index)

15:48: The National Headquarters press conference has moved from 4 pm to 5 pm.

15:20: The Ministry of Tourism (MINT) and Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) have announced new instructions for registering guests and registering with eVisitor, with the news that during the COVID-19, residents must report guests who came to them from others places.

"In view of the coronavirus situation, we have published new instructions for holiday home owners and residents and municipalities regarding eVisitor guest registration, so that the entire registration process can be completed online. Health care is of paramount importance and every measure is being taken to reduce the spread of the virus," MINT and HTZ point out on the website. (More on Index)

15:06: In Karlovac County there are a total of 18 people infected with coronavirus, including two new patients confirmed to be infected yesterday, one of whom was in contact with a previously infected person and the other became infected abroad. Deputy Mayor Vesna Hajsan Dolinar told citizens in the county that they have 24 hours a day and seven days a week facility at the "Covid 19" health centre at 48 Vlatka Maceka Street in Karlovac, on mobile number 091/614 90 52.

15:00: Many people are trying to get the travel permits in Split. New information has been released about the infected, including the end of the quarantine period of people on board the ship, Marko Polo. (More on Index)

15:00: A look at other stories on TCN today

Shops Are Well Supplied with Goods

Parliament Speaker to Request Opinion on Restrictions of Civil Liberties

TCN Survey: Still Planning Croatia Visit? Health or Economy Biggest Worry?

14:50: In Istria, there was a disturbance of public order and peace when a man entered the post office without a mask. After being warned, he began to retaliate and insult employees.

14:35: Slovenian Interior Minister Ales Hojs said on Wednesday that the involvement of the Slovenian army at the border with Croatia would be necessary, both because of illegal migration and because of the police's extra workload at the time of the epidemiological crisis.

Activating the military to guard our southern border will be necessary for the current situation of the spread of the coronavirus, Hojs said at a news conference in Ljubljana. 

14:30: Police have installed tire spikes on roads on the island of Murter. A police patrol is circulating around the island.

Leaving the island is forbidden.

14:20: The director of the Rijeka Clinical Hospital Davor Stimac says the situation is stable regarding 26 coronavirus patients being treated at this hospital, except for one older woman who needs a respirator.

Stimac said it was a woman over 60 whose condition was more severe but stable, and she was the first to develop a coronavirus with a need for a respirator at a hospital in Rijeka.

It is located in a separate isolated area of the Susak site, where it is planned to house the first few patients who need a respirator, he said.

There are 26 infected in KBC Rijeka. Several other patients have a more severe clinical picture, and several more are housed in the Otolaryngology Clinic building to confirm whether their sample is coronavirus positive.

14:10: According to the latest information, about 210 employees of Vinogradska Hospital are in isolation.

13:43: The government's inadequate response to the economic catastrophe that just started under heavy pressure has put accounting services in check as well. Government measures consisting of bureaucratically moving from a hollow to a blank will not save hundreds of thousands of jobs, but has created confusion among thousands of endangered businesses. But, in addition, contractors must also comply with all other usual deadlines for submitting documents, such as financial statements or various forms, which has made it impossible for accounting services. Read more on Index

13:43: Epidemiologists answer citizens' questions about the coronavirus: How long does it take? What about masks? Read more on Index.

13:38: The second case was confirmed in Međimurje County, the patient is in a worse condition, but it is not life-threatening

13:11: Thirteen coronavirus cases in Karlovac County have been linked to a March 9 tennis event, a video news conference by the County Civil Protection HQ said yesterday. This is a tournament organized by the Rotary Club there. 

13:10: "The City of Crikvenica has adopted a series of measures that will help all its citizens, and especially all entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on those who work eight months or more, and parents whose children attend the Kindergarten Radost and extended stay in elementary schools in Crikvenica.

In order to reduce the pressure on the finances of all citizens of Crikvenica, by individual segments of activity, and in conditions where the economy is rather slow and weak due to the situation with the coronavirus, the City of Crikvenica will endeavor to make it easier for its citizens to jointly overcome this emergency.

Entrepreneurs who have been living for eight months or more are the pillar of the economy of Crikvenica, and it is very important to help them in these circumstances so that they can continue their business without difficulty, which is now very difficult or even impossible," Crikvenica said.

13:04: There are no coronavirus infections in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, and a result of 15 findings is expected throughout the day, so the current total number of positives is still 22, the County Civil Protection Headquarters reported on Wednesday.

13:03: The latest Croatian Chamber of Commerce poll shows that coronavirus has a growing negative impact on the domestic economy, with micro-companies most affected. As many as 95 companies surveyed report a drop in turnover, with 28 percent having a 100 percent drop. Three quarters (74 percent) reported a decline in production, of which a fifth (21 percent) had a 100 percent drop, according to a statement from the Croatian Chamber of Economy. 

12:43: Several trucks from the Port of Rijeka carrying goods to Zagreb are stuck on the highway, which is closed to freight traffic due to snow and strong wind (Read more on Index)

12:30 Coronavirus detected at the Split Institute of Emergency Medicine: one technician has tested positive for the virus. Symptoms felt two days ago, had a slight fever.

12:29 A newly diagnosed person in the Zadar area is a health care worker from the Special Hospital for Orthopedics in Biograd. 

12:26: A quarantine has been declared in the areas of Murter and Betina. "Epidemiologists consider this to be the best measure because there is great doubt about the local transmission of the virus."

12:20: There are 31 cases in the Split-Dalmatia County area, 18 of which are in the City of Split.

12:08: Murter and Betina are a red zone, reports HRT. The police are not letting anyone in or out. Eight are positive, another 30 have symptoms, the chief claims. About 2500 people are in the area in total. In a press release from the Šibenik-Knin headquarters, the doctor said that 67 people were in self-isolation and that five people reported having symptoms.

12:07: According to today's report of the Civil Protection Headquarters of Istria County, out of 19 samples from Istria County, submitted to the Infectious Diseases Clinic "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", three are positive. In all three cases, there was contact with a coronavirus positive person. The number of patients in Istria is now 35, plus 2 foreigners and one deceased, a caterer from Brtonigla.

11:59 Primorje-Gorski Kotar County has 30 patients and said: If we stick to the prescribed measures, we have a chance to stop the coronavirus infection. Mayor of Komadin visited Radio Rijeka: "Fortunately, we do not have a significant upward curve in the number of people suffering from coronavirus in our county, and if we all adhere to the recommended measures, unnecessary movement and avoiding social contacts, we have a chance to stop the spread of the infection.

He also provided up-to-date data on a total of 30 recorded cases, 26 of which were hospitalized, and only one person was on a respirator due to a somewhat more severe clinical picture. So far, one person has been cured and another is expected to be healed soon.

11:54: A truck with protective equipment arrived from Zabok.

11:50: A specialist from the Vinogradska hospital has a coronavirus, 164 employees in isolation. 

The news was confirmed by the director of the Vinogradska hospital, prof. Dr. Mario Zovak.

"We had an incident, the young specialist in petrology is unfortunately positive for the coronavirus and as a result, the entire dialysis team was put in isolation. The infected colleague was allegedly in contact with someone from Dubrava hospital," Zovak said.

"Thanks to the cooperation with the Ministry, we have received two doctors from Dubrava. None of the patients are positive. Patients on dialysis are wearing masks. There are 164 people in isolation, the criteria are clear when one is put in isolation," Zovak said.

When asked, he said that they are managing the hospital's human capacity so far, despite more than 160 employees being put in isolation.

"We are fine with capacity, we have teams in reserve anyway, and we have also reduced our scope of work in cold services. I have to say that we are offsetting these incidents and self-isolation for the time being," Vinogradska director prof. Dr. Mario Zovak.

"We had an incident, the young specialist in petrology is unfortunately positive for the coronavirus and as a result, the entire dialysis team was put in isolation. An infected colleague was allegedly contacted by the infected from Dubrava hospital," Zovak told Index.

11:37: At noon, the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, will lead the Prayer program on Croatian Catholic Radio, responding to Pope Francis' call to all Christians to pray together against the global pandemic.

11:40: Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic is holding a press conference on the Zagreb earthquake.

Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic said he would propose to the Government to form a joint working team to urgently draft law on rehabilitation after Sunday's earthquake in Zagreb.

HRT reports: 

Bandic said he was sorry that the proposal on facade renovation and remediation had not received a positive response in the last four years.

"80 percent was offered by the City of Zagreb to help people, and 20 percent provided by them. I am unhappy about it, because if there was an understanding and if it were done, we would not have 5 percent of the damage we suffered in the lower and upper city blocks."

He expressed condolences to the family of the girl who died after the earthquake and to all those affected by the coronavirus or earthquake.

Bandic said that Zagreb and Holding would release all buildings and houses that have been or will be marked "temporarily unusable" and "unusable" by the directors of all companies that supply the public service - Holding, utility fees and reserves.

"I urge that HEP, HEP-Toplinarstvo and Croatian Water do the same," Bandic said.

Bandic said more than 400,000 businesses in Zagreb have released 30 percent of the utility charge during the coronavirus crisis. As mayor, without the Assembly, he decided to exempt entrepreneurs from rent for city-owned premises, as well as leased public spaces

11:10: Head of Osijek HJZJ: The situation is still under control. We are trying; the virus is what it is. It is slowly spreading everywhere; you hear what's going on in the world, and we're trying to control it. Even with what happened at the hospital, we still managed to limit it from spreading.

Police Chief in Osijek: "In the last 24 hours, we received 13 reports of violations of self-isolation. Six have been confirmed. Several hundred people have been put in isolation since yesterday, so a total of 991 people are in self-isolation. We were tolerant and released people without passes yesterday, but there is no more of that today.

We have put up 200 beds for the sick, we have them in preparation. We have a message for citizens: it is up to you whether these beds fill up."

Dr. Zubcic: "We are listening to the professionals. Everyone who should have been tested has been tested and so far, all are negative. Those patients who do not have a clear epidemiological history are coming to the hospital, that's clear. We'll listen to all the tips on what to do after a virus breaks into the hospital. "

Warning to caterers: We know you're opening the back door and welcoming guests. We have reports and surveys, don't question your business after all this is over. We understand that you are the people who paid taxes and surtaxes, and we consider you our partner in this.

10:55: Osijek Headquarters press conference was announced at 11 am.

Mayor Anusic. "We need to move more repressively. Some are spreading panic and sending out false information. We have new cases. We are moving in an upward direction. This is expected. All essential services have the system under control. It is clear that there will be more people affected. But we can try to prevent that figure from happening. It's great that the hysteria over grocery shopping has stopped. We need to be absolutely in control of all the services and listen to everything," Anusic said.

Professor Peric: "We received two patients, they went to triage and epidemiological data did not speak in favor of the coronavirus. They did not say anything, it was later determined that they were infected. One is on a respirator. Unfortunately, similar situations occur in such epidemics. Other patients are relatively well. One is on a respirator and stable. So, two are on a respirator, the lady who was admitted yesterday and this patient from before. 26 are positive in the county."

10:54: Osijek's Saponia and Kandit factories, both part of the Mepas Group, have decided to donate funds for respirators / vital function monitors to Osijek KBC

10:50 Kaufland Croatia and Lidl Croatia have jointly donated HRK 1 million to Croatian hospitals. 

10:33: There are no new coronavirus patients in Varaždin County. We still have 14 cases, one of which has been cured, according to the Varaždin County Civil Protection Headquarters. They also reported that 3 infected patients in treatment received the first negative test.

10:27: The situation with goods traffic is stable, and stores are well stocked, Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic said this morning on the Croatian Radio show "Now the Government":

"Goods traffic is going, stores are stocked, and we have set up daily records at the Ministry of Agriculture on all major food and beverage products from the food industry, so we get stock information on a daily basis to see what product may be missing, the condition of the packaging, labor and raw materials," said Vuckovic.

10:20: Minister Beros goes to Osijek. According to a press conference, two cases were discovered there, one in the hospital.

10:15: On Wednesday, 60 crew members and 93 passengers of the ship Marko Polo ended a 14-day quarantine, after sailing to Split from Ancona, Italy, two weeks ago, Jadrolinija revealed.

10:15: With a minute of silence for Anamarija, the 15-year-old Zagreb earthquake victim, the Croatian Parliament on Wednesday resumed work in the old Ina building on Subiceva Street, as the parliament building in the quake suffered damage. Make Anamarija an easy Croatian country, said Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

10:07: The initiative 'Voice of the Entrepreneur', after yesterday's announcement of measures to assist the economy and subsequent public appearances of Minister Horvat and many relevant experts, formally requested the dismissal of Minister Horvat and the establishment of the Economic Crisis Headquarters this morning by Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovic. Croatian Economy Minister Incompetent? Initiative Seeks Horvat Dismissal

10:00: "Who Would You Cut?" the minister was asked last night. Matija Babić explains who is on his list for Index

09:50: Innovative Istrian Doctor Creates Coronavirus Risk Assessment Website

09:40: Minister Vili Beros said some doctors were hiding equipment to show the situation was worse than it is. (More on Index)

09:15: At the conference it was announced that Croatian soldiers had been infected in Lithuania.

09:10: The official Koronavirus.hr website now has an English version, which will not be as comprehensive as the Croatian version, but will be a very welcome addition to the information flow. More here.

09:00: There are 36 new cases of coronavirus recorded in Croatia. A total of 418 people were infected.

"We have 36 newly confirmed patients, a total of 418 patients. 39392 tests have been conducted. 10 patients are on respirators, of whom 7 are in Zagreb, 2 in Osijek, 1 in Rijeka. The average age on the respirator is 61 years," Beroš said.

08:35: "At the moment on the access roads to the checkpoints at the entrance of the City of Split, the traffic intensity is significantly reduced and there are no major traffic jams or traffic jams. Today we had a much better traffic situation than yesterday morning. y. Today, we expect traffic to be busy leaving Split between 14:00 and 17:00 and tomorrow morning between 06:30 and 08:30 entering Split. We would like to thank all citizens and drivers for their co-operation. They are not travelling without a valid permit," the Split police said.

08:31: "We expect a couple of dozen new cases. Now we are doing tests in Split, Rijeka and Osijek. So both the availability of testing and the disease is spreading in the population. We have new patients for whom we cannot determine the source. so expect more cases," epidemiologist Kaić told N1 Television this morning. "Close contacts should also be avoided in private," Kaić added.

08:19: The Croatian Medical Chamber (HLK) yesterday demanded from the National Crisis Staff a significant increase in the total number of persons tested in Croatia and the extension of the HZJZ criteria for testing cases suspected of COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 infection. HLK also called on the general public, health and non-health, to rationally use personal protective equipment.

08:10: Grba-Bujevic Appeal: Be Aware! If you go to see Grandma, she may die. (More on Index)

07:50: Maja Grba-Bujevic, Head of the Crisis Response of the Ministry of Health, announced this morning on television that a few more people will probably be released today and officially declared recovered. "It is a great pleasure that 16 people are completely recovered and going home. There will be more of them today," she said.

07:44: An infected person has been confirmed in a health center in Split, 6 employees are in isolation. 

07:34: Split police reported early this morning that there was lots of traffic at the entrances to Split.

07:18: There is a single lane on the A6 Kikovica junction in the direction of Zagreb for the purpose of keeping records on the ban on leaving the place of residence and permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia. The Ostrovica and Vrata interchanges are closed for all traffic and the state road between the Lucica and Kikovica interchanges (DC3) in the direction of Rijeka is closed to traffic for control at the Kikovica interchange.

07:10: Finance Minister Zdravko Maric visited RTL Direct where he spoke about economic measures that would mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic crisis. (More on Index)

06:40: Some coronavirus article on TCN yesterday evening.

How Communities around Croatia are Helping COVID-19, Earthquake Response 

Shipment of Coronavirus Protective Equipment to Arrive from China

Croatian National Team Raises 4.2 Million Kuna

A Behind the Scenes Look at Running TCN in the Corona Era

06:30: Welcome to today's TCN live update. Here's hoping for a calmer day. Some key reference point articles from yesterday.

UPDATES FROM March 24, 2020

20:54: A 3.7 magnitude earthquake shook Zagreb

20:35: The director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, said on Tuesday that about 2,800 people were currently in direct contact with those infected with the coronavirus, which he described as a pool from which new infections would be "recruited".

20:07: Six employees of the Split County Health Center have been in self-isolation since Tuesday because of a patient who is suspected of coronavirus, and two health care institutions have been disinfected because of that, according to the director of the Health Center, Marko Rađa.

19:43: The first case has been recorded at the General County Hospital in Vinkovci. It is a woman from Vukovar-Srijem County who was working in Austria.

19:15: Prime Minister Plenkovic met with the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic. "We also discussed the measures we are taking to combat #COVID19," Plenkovic wrote on Twitter.

18:55: The prescribed measures of self-isolation, passes for leaving the city of residence or permanent residence are checked, in accordance with the new restrictions. One of the most frequent entrances to the city is the one at the toll booths at the exit of the highway from Zagreb. This point is also being monitored by police officers this morning, who have checked that drivers have the necessary passes since midnight.

18:45: Istria has three new cases, two from Pula and one from Porec. So far, 35 people have tested positive for the virus in Istria, and 32 of them are officially registered as infected. Namely, two people are foreign nationals and one coronavirus positive person has passed away, although the exact cause of death is not known for now.

18:00: The Zadar County Civic Protection Headquarters reported this afternoon that one of the samples taken was positive for coronavirus, 12 were negative, and that they were still waiting for the results of 6 samples. There are now a total of seven cases in that county. There are 600 people in self-isolation.

17:05: Of a total of 16 coronavirus cases in Karlovac County, 13 have been linked to a tennis event since March 9, a video news conference by the County Civil Protection Headquarters revealed.

16:23: The Croatia national football team and staff have raised 4.2 million kuna for the Zagreb earthquake and coronavirus in Croatia fund. Croatia National Team Raises HRK 4.2 Million for Zagreb Earthquake, Coronavirus 

16:20: "I'm sorry that there are those among us who are trying to make extra money on baby supplies and essentials. We will not forget this," Bozinovic said at the press conference.

16:00: Health Minister Vili Beros said at the 4 pm press conference there are now 382 cases in Croatia, which is an additional 21 cases since this morning. 3,159 tests have been performed. 16 people have recovered.

"There are 21 new cases since 9 am, now a total of 382. This means that the increase since yesterday is 67. This is still within our forecast. I am pleased that the number of recovered patients is 16 and they have been discharged," said Health Minister Beros.

15:40: The director of the Rijeka Clinical Hospital Davor Stimac reported that the hospital currently has 26 coronavirus cases, none of which are using a respirator.

15:30: Plenkovic visited the Cvjetno naselje Student House where people who lost their homes from the earthquake were accommodated.

"We will send an epidemiological service here, since this is a student dormitory and we have to take care of distance and health," Plenkovic said.

15:20: Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Ivo Zinic admitted today that he did not fully respect the decision that bans gatherings of over five people, but that there was no "corona party".

"We arranged a garden around my parents' house, after which we got together for dinner. There were nine of us in total and it was dinner, not any party," he said.

Recall that on Saturday night, police had to disperse a group of people partying at a local club in Marinbrod, a town about 25 kilometers away from Sisak.

In this group of people was the County of Sisak-Moslavina, HDZ's Ivo Zinic, and his son Dario.

The mayor's son Dario Zinic is also a member of the HDZ, but he is also the Deputy Mayor of Glina and, and interestingly enough, the Chief of Civil Defense Headquarters of Glina.

15:19: There are five coronavirus positive people in the isolation unit of the Sisak General Hospital, and a greater number of citizens are in home self-isolation, including five doctors. Hospital director Tomislav Dujmenovic said that all patients were mild, and two were even sent to home self-isolate.

15:18: Murter Mayor Toni Turcinov said everyone was in some way in contact with some of the infected. He revealed that among the eight infected, two, aged 40 and 60, were on a respirator.

15:11: Some TCN articles from this afternoon to give a little more detail to some stories:

Shipment of Coronavirus Protective Equipment to Arrive from China

Business Sector Calls for Being Freed from Payment of Dues

Liaoning Province Sends Letter of Support to Primorje County

Ethnic Bosniak Leaders Condemn Desecration of Zagreb Mosque

Parliament to Reconvene on Wednesday in Historic INA Building

15:03: Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic addressed the public after another crisis meeting of state leadership.

The Prime Minister first reported the condition of Zagreb after the earthquake

"All services will be on the ground, engineers will examine the situation on the ground. Now we are going to the Student Center Cvjetno naselje to see the situation there with the citizens who are being accommodated there after the earthquake," he said.

He then referred to the coronavirus crisis.

"There are more tests being conducted and more expected to be infected. Let's not use these two crises for profit. The inspectorate will make sure that no one earns more than normal in a crisis and raises prices for no reason," he said.

14:32: Human mucosa inside the mouth, nose, airways and eyes can help protect the coronavirus as a membrane, but it should be kept moist, says molecular biologist Gordan Lauc, referring to his experience and a number of scientific papers. Read more on Index.

14:31: An Istria County doctor has created a project that will help many during this coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Jerkovic created pregledajme.com to help citizens make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care.

"Because medical institutions and hospitals may soon become overwhelmed with new cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this solution can help reduce the burden on the healthcare system. Doctors are already busy caring for sick people and are at high risk of becoming infected themselves. Demand for health care services is on the rise, so patient triage is more than ever an important means of guiding patients on what to do when they are not feeling well. Pregledajme.com is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of diseases or other conditions, including COVID-19, but for more effective triage of patients,” Dr. Jerkovic told Index. Read more on Index.

14:27: Cakovec Mayor and Member of Parliament Stjepan Kovac is in self-isolation because he had contact with the first and so far the only person from Međimurje who was confirmed to have the coronavirus infection.

On Tuesday, Kovac said on his Facebook profile that he was at a meeting of caterers, which included, among others, the man who was diagnosed on Monday.

He stated that the meeting was held at the initiative of the caterers, related to the closure of catering facilities in Čakovec, noting that such meetings are in the job description of the mayor.

He emphasized that no one knew at the time that the person was infected and that all participants in the meeting were now in self-isolation.

14:20: The State Attorney's Office (DORH) reported that it has instructed county and municipal prosecutor's offices to act "thoroughly and promptly" in cases spreading and transmitting infectious disease, as well as criminal offenses of false alarm and violations of spreading fake and disturbing news.

The instruction was allegedly issued due to the irresponsible behavior of several citizens who do not comply with the instructions and measures of the Civil Protection Headquarters and other competent authorities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as well as those distributing false information that spreads unjustified fear and panic among citizens during the pandemic and in the aftermath of the Zagreb earthquake.

The DORH said that all county and municipal prosecutors had instructed them to "thoroughly and promptly comply with the provisions" to detect and prosecute the perpetrators spreading the transmission of infectious disease, as well as the perpetrators of false alarm and those spreading false and disturbing news.

14:15: HZJZ announced when you could break isolation after recovering from the coronavirus.

Patients with the coronavirus who have symptoms and are referred for home treatment can break their home isolation if the following criteria are met:

- at least 3 days (72 hours) have elapsed since recovery, which is defined as normalizing body temperature without the use of antipyretics and improving respiratory symptoms (eg cough, shortness of breath)
- at least 7 days have elapsed since the onset of symptoms
- test-based decision - symptomatic patients
- normalization of body temperature without the use of antipyretics
- improvement of respiratory symptoms (eg cough, shortness of breath)
- two negative RT-PCR findings on SARS-CoV-2 at intervals of ≥ 24 hours (total of 2 negative nasopharyngeal swab findings)

Read more on Index.

14:04: So far, 7400 employers with 40,000 employees have reported to the Ministry of Labor and the Pension System for the minimum wage financing measure. The amount of support is 3250 kuna per employee, and the first payments start this week, announced the Minister of Labor and Pension System Josip Aladrovic.

13:55: One sporting event in Karlovac was crucial for infecting more citizens, confirmed a press briefing of the Karlovac County Civil Protection Headquarters.

As explained by Dr. Biserka Hranilovic, it was a gathering of 28 people, and six infections were recorded from that event. 22, according to Dr. Hranilovic, were placed under medical supervision.

"We also have four affected people who are close, family contacts of people who were at the event, and one person is connected through work, as well as two family members. A total of 13 are related to this event and three are not," said Dr. Hranilovic.

13:23: The koronavirus.hr page has added info on what travel passes are being issued. Read more on koronavirus.hr

13:23: Croatia travel update on flights, borders, restrictions, and new measures announced by the Government. Croatia Travel Update March 24, 2020: Borders, Flights, Restrictions, New Measures

13:19: Minister Maric said that some HBOR employees have coronavirus. 

"We have managed to raise guarantee schemes of up to one million euros. In parallel, HBOR has further enhanced its guarantee potential. But in the next few days, we will continue to launch other programs and guarantee schemes for a slightly wider range of people, not only for tourism and caterers. I must commend them as well. They are decimated because some people, even among the leading people, are in self-isolation and some tested positive. Regardless, they are constantly communicating with us," the finance minister said.

Read more on Index.

13:18: Index spoke with Tony Turchinov, the mayor of Murter Municipality after it was announced that eight people from that small area had been infected with a coronavirus. The island of Murter has the highest amount of cases of any other island in Croatia.

13:03: "In the past 24 hours in Varaždin County, we have not confirmed any new cases. In fact, I can report that we have confirmed the first cured person. So, we had 14 confirmed cases so far in Varaždin County, of which one was cured and discharged home, and 13 are still infected and are undergoing treatment at Varaždin General Hospital," said Varaždin County Civilian Protection Chief of Staff Robert Vugrin.

12:51: Public Health Teaching Institute “Dr. Andrija Štampar “has introduced eight telephone lines where citizens can receive psychological help if they are in self-isolation or quarantine. Calls with experts are possible daily from 8 am to 10 pm on the following phone numbers: 01 2991 356, 01 4696 276, 01 4696 107, 01 4696 297, 01 6468 334, 01 6468 335, 01 6468 337 and 01 6468 338.

The telephone numbers are intended for all persons who feel they need psychological assistance during the coronavirus crisis. Expert advice on how to deal with this situation and how to reduce anxiety will be provided on a daily basis by psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists of the Public Health Institute “Dr. Andrija Štampar". They also point out the importance of staying rational and not letting fear manage you.

In addition to the spread of the coronavirus, the Internet and social networks are spreading unverified information as well as misinformation about the emergence of the virus and the possibility of infection, as well as a number of unsubstantiated tips on ways to prevent and treat it. Therefore, three telephone lines have been made available by the Institute, which can be called by all interested citizens for verified information from experts: 01 64 68 336, 01 64 68 331 and 01 64 68 332.

12:50: Three new coronavirus cases confirmed in Sibenik-Knin County, now up to 15 total. 

Out of these 15 patients, five are in the Department of Infectology at the Šibenik County General Hospital and the rest are in home self-isolation.

There are 353 people under medical supervision.

In the last 24 hours, the Šibenik-Knin police received a total of 14 reports of self-isolation violations, but no violations of this measure were found by inspection.

12:49: How does the current coronavirus pandemic of 2020 relate to the massive financial crash of 2008? In more ways than might first meet the eye: Coronavirus 2020 and Financial Crash 2008 Highlight Cracks in Croatian Tourism

12:38: Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and ministers addressed the public on news of measures taken by the government to combat the coronavirus crisis.

Minister of Finance Zdravko Maric in his address mentioned the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He praised them because, as he put it, "some people, even among leading people, are in self-isolation and some are positive." More on Index.

12:25: Two more coronavirus cases reported in Zadar County, now up to a total of 6, according to County Chief of Civil Protection Sime Vickovic

12:05: The City of Zagreb has issued a statement on ZET passes.

The Civil Protection Headquarters pass for ZET emergency transport is issued through the employer to the employees:

- health institutions from the City of Zagreb,
- employees in the social protection system of the City of Zagreb,
- pharmacy staff in the City of Zagreb,
- mobilized volunteers of the City of Zagreb Civil Protection,
- employees of public services (ministries, City Administration - affiliated institutions, municipal and traffic police, employees of Zagreb Holding and affiliated companies).

Passes are not issued to employees in the system:

- MUP,
- the MOD,
- the Directorate of Civil Protection,
- Public fire brigades of the City of Zagreb,
- mobilized members of voluntary fire companies.

They use extraordinary ZET transportation on the basis of their employer ID, the statement said.

Find out more on Index.

11:56: The coronavirus crisis changes rules for subsidized home loans. The Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning announced on Tuesday that the new round of home loan subsidy applications will start as scheduled on March 30, but due to new circumstances, the competition will be open until at least the end of April and, if necessary, longer. Read more on Index.

11:55: Almost 10,000 signatures have been collected in a petition asking the Croatian President, Government and MPs to take the minimum wage. 

11:45: The Croatian government has opened a donation fund for those affected by the earthquake and coronavirus patients. The government has also said they will donate their March salaries to Zagreb. Croatian Government Opens Donation Fund for Zagreb Earthquake, Coronavirus Patients

11:45: Let's talk masks. Who needs one, and who doesn't? The Croatian Institute for Public Health Director offers some thoughts.

11:40: With the new regulations in force, what exactly is open, and what is now. An Overview of Coronavirus Measures: What's Open, What's Closed?

11:30: Some TCN articles from this morning to give a little more detail to some stories:

Croatian Interior Minister Warns Parents about Taking Kids Out into the Snow

Unequal Treatment of Truck Drivers will Lead to Collapse of Supply

Moscow and St Petersburg Sending Assistance to Zagreb

Bored at Home? Missing Sports? Relive Croatia's Greatest Sporting Successes on HRT2

Bad Boys Blue Embark on New Campaign: Zagreb Needs Us All

74 Tremors Recorded in Wider Zagreb Area in Last 42 Hours

And the most important one of all, perhaps:

Igor Rudan: Why We MUST All Stay Home For at Least One Month

11:29: The Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Varaždin began issuing citizens' passes on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. To date, at 11 o'clock, two hundred applications have been received exclusively through official websites. > More info here

11:25: The police announced what it would be like to find someone traveling without authorization. (More on Index)

11:23: Another 7 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Split-Dalmatia County, which now makes the total number of 21 patients.

They are all in good general condition with mild symptoms. All contacts of the newly ill are put into self-isolation and processed.

There are 58 people quarantined.

11.17: Here is the current breakdown by county, as well as Zagreb:

Bjelovarsko-bilogorska županija - 2
Brodsko-posavska županija - 2
Dubrovačko-neretvanska županija - 19
Istarska županija - 34
Karlovačka županija - 16
Koprivničko-križevačka županija - 1
Krapinsko-zagorska županija - 28
Ličko-senjska županija - 1
Međimurska županija - 1
Osječko-baranjska županija - 13
Požeško-slavonska županija - 0
Primorsko-goranska županija - 28
Sisačko-moslavačka županija - 5
Splitsko-dalmatinska županija - 17
Šibensko-kninska županija - 14
Varaždinska županija - 17
Virovitičko-podravska županija - 0
Vukovarsko-srijemska županija - 0
Zadarska županija - 3
Zagrebačka županija - 3
Grad Zagreb - 163

11:15 "People do not adhere to the measures and that is why we have an increased number of infected people," said the head of the Osijek Civil Protection Headquarters, Ivo Anusic.

10:59: Three new cases were confirmed Tuesday in the County of Istria, bringing the number to 33 people.

The County Civil Protection Headquarters reported that out of 21 swab samples submitted to the Dr. Fran Mihaljevic Clinic for Infectious Diseases from Sunday, the infection was confirmed for three people.

The director of Pula General Hospital, Irena Hrstic, said that 33 currently infected people in the county "fortunately have a milder clinical picture."

She added that none of the infected had been completely cured in the meantime, since the first two patients from Labin were still positive for the virus, although they had not had any symptoms for ten days.

Staff say 19 new swab samples were taken this morning for suspected coronavirus and were submitted to the Zagreb Infectious Diseases Clinic.

10:58: In southeastern Slovenia, which is among the more vulnerable coronavirus outbreaks in the neighboring country, there are nearly 700 Croatian nationals working as daily migrants, and now they are on a waiting list at home until the epidemic subsides.

According to data from the Regional Chamber of Commerce from Novo Mesto, until recently, about 650 Croatian nationals drove to work across the border every day for work across the border from the provinces of Dolenjska and Bela Krajina.

10:44: Government address at 11 am.

10:42: The first case in Međimurje is recorded

10:41: Following the Virovitica City Market closure on Monday, for the sake of citizens' safety and avoiding more people gathering, several family farms have launched the "Fresh and Homemade from the Virovitica Market" group, which has collected more than a thousand members in 24 hours.

"The proof is that citizens love and value local goods. With positive reactions from local producers and nice customer impressions, we eat local and healthy and stay home. These are jobs in our village, which we can preserve this way," said group administrator Sanja Sudar. 

Their products were immediately offered by family farms that normally place their goods on the City Market - vegetable growers, fruit growers, dairies, poultry farmers, beekeepers and others.

"They do so in accordance with the prescribed COVID-19 virus protection measure with the delivery capability to customers' addresses," Sudar added.

10:40: Mate Rimac is assisting a hospital in Livno that lacks respirators.

10:29: Members of the National Civil Protection Headquarters did not wear masks this morning, unlike in previous days.

The reporters were interested in why.

Alemka Markotic responded and explained why she is not wearing a mask today.

She said she had worn a mask in the past few days because she had certain symptoms, but although these were not painful classic symptoms of COVID-19, she wore a mask to protect others because she was in contact with many people. (More on Index)

You can read more here.

10:25: Police have issued a statement banning travel from one city to another.

"Considering all the personal reasons you mention in your numerous inquiries sent by email from the Police Directorate of Lika-Senj, we emphasize that the decisions of the Headquarters are made for the whole population, not for individual cases.
 
Currently, we have more than 360 infected citizens in the Republic of Croatia, who may be your neighbors, friends, acquaintances or casual passers-by on the street who do not respect self-isolation measures.
 
Please note that the measures are being tightened due to non-compliance with the prescribed measures aimed at protecting you. The aim of the measures and the Decision is to reduce the number of patients, which can also be achieved by reducing the migration of citizens," reads the introduction.

10:20: A second case was confirmed in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, which is the partner of a woman from Čazma who was the first infected in the county after returning from Turkey. They were in self-isolation together.

The aforementioned infected woman was confirmed on Sunday. The headquarters said Tuesday that these are the only two confirmed cases in the county.

There were three more samples tested, which turned out to be negative. Another is awaiting a test.

10:15: Index has updated the number of cases in Croatia by city

10:00: The intensive care unit at Zabok General Hospital was evacuated yesterday because of a patient who had contact with an infected person. The test showed that she was positive herself, said Mayor Kolar in a Skype interview for HRT.

09:43: Interior Minister and Head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters Davor Bozinovic warned parents not to let their children out on the street to enjoy the winter snow as police would bring them home.

'It's not a time for playing in the snow. I ask parents and everyone who thinks of a snow day for fun and leisure to give up immediately. The competent institutions will prevent them and send them home,''  Bozinovic told a press conference at the National Civil Protection Headquarters.

09:15: There are 361 people with coronavirus confirmed in Croatia

"We have 361 patients, 46 more than yesterday at 4 pm. Honestly, we expected more, so we are satisfied with that number. One patient is worse and we have 6 on the respirator," Beros said.

08:50: Large crowds began to form at the entrance to Split on Tuesday morning, especially from the direction of Solin, at the roundabout at Bilice.

From the direction of Omis towards Split, nothing is better.

On all roads, police are stopping every vehicle, without exception, and checking that everyone has adequate passes to enter and exit the city, Dalmatia Danas reports.

08:42: Police officers have today begun monitoring the implementation of the Decision on the Prohibition of Leaving of Residence and Permanent Residence by the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Lika-Senj, with the aim of reducing the possibility of spreading the COVID-19 virus infection. It is the obligation of citizens to adhere to the Decisions consistently. Police officers on the roads of cities and towns will supervise the implementation of the Decision where is a potential for crowds. Priority will be given to emergency vehicles. It is in the best interest of all to follow the instructions and orders of police officers in the field, and to prepare a pass and a personal identification document for inspection by police officers.

08:41: Italy is sending aid to Croatia 

08:20: They reported from the Association 'Ovrsni'. They are seeking a moratorium on Enforcement Law.

"The Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Institute of Public Health has recommended to the Croatian National Bank that debit cards should be given to all citizens in order to minimize movements and mutual contacts..

Extraordinary circumstances also require extraordinary measures.

And again we appeal, seeking a moratorium on enforcement law, for forgiveness of debt accompanied by nebulous interest. If these are not exceptional situations then what are they?

Enforced citizens must also eat, live, survive this coming period. And they are not able to use internet banking, so pay bills online. They are second-class citizens, unfortunately we know that. At least change it now.

Also note that if we do not apply these debt relief measures there will be a general collapse. The number of blockages will double, inevitably, there are now about 270,000, after the crisis, there could be over 500,000 of them, because a complete collapse awaits us, in which small craftsmen will suffer primarily. Let's prevent it in time, "they wrote.

08:00: The official Koronavirus.hr website has a new addition, with a daily update chart on how quickly the virus is spreading. Today's chart is above.

07:59: A little more on the snow that has fallen in many parts of Croatia, including Zagreb, where some people are still without gas, others unable to return to their homes due to earthquake damage. It will remain cold for a couple of days in the capital, according to weather reports.

07:46: Economy Minister Darko Horvat says they are ready to cut public sector wages. He will do this if necessary.

07:20: Sign the petition to introduce the minimum wage for the president, prime minister, government and parliament. You can sign it here.

07:18: Health Minister Vili Beros posted on his Twitter profile last night. He posted pictures in front of KB Dubrava where a tent settlement was is being built to accommodate patients.

"It is almost complete to raise a tank containing 10,000 liters of medical oxygen for respirators at KB Dubrava. New installations are being prepared very quickly, we may not be as fast as the Chinese, but we are not slower!" Beroš wrote.

07:15: In order to provide additional cash withdrawal opportunities in the current circumstances, Erste Bank has decided to suspend the cash withdrawal fee at other banks' ATMs for the next three months.

07:01: Here's hoping for a less dramatic and more peaceful day. It has started a little unusually in many parts of Croatia, with many residents waking up to find their neighborhoods under snow (with thanks for this one to Steve Gaunt in Vinkovci). The cold weather is obviously not good news for those recovering from the earthquakes in and around Zagreb, with some residents still without gas and others in temporary shelter. 

07:00: HZJZ Director Krunoslav Capak told the Nova TV 'Dnevnik' show last night that Croatia is in the phase of a straight line.

''And whether it will go uphill again or it will start to descend or it will remain a straight line, we do not know at this point. Hopefully, this straight curve will remain and that after a while the numbers will drop," he said.

06:50: Police officers from midnight in Istria will begin to monitor the implementation of the decision to restrict movement from town of registered residence, which the National Civil Protection Headquarters have implemented to reduce the possibility of spreading a coronavirus infection. Please find the full translation of the new measures here.

"Police officers on the roads of cities and towns will monitor the enforcement of the decision, because there is a potential for the gathering of people. Emergency vehicles will have priority to pass," Istrian police said on Monday, adding that it is the duty of citizens to consistently comply with the measures.

UPDATES: March 23, 2020 

19:50: Health Minister Vili Beros announced on Monday that, if Croatia fails to significantly prevent the spread of coronavirus, new and more restrictive measures would follow, especially in regards to even more rigorous restriction of movement.

"It is certain that if we do not receive an adequate response and fail to significantly prevent the spread of the infection, our measures, especially in the form of restriction of movement, will be increasingly rigorous, increasingly restrictive. It is essential that people understand that their behavior at this time determines the further course of the pandemic," Beros told RTL News

19:30: Zagrebacka Banka reported on Monday that two of its employees tested positive for Covid-19 and that, in accordance with the instructions of health institutions, they had already closed the branches in which they were employed and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected them.

19:00: After the shops closed, people began gathering at gas stations. Police are urging citizens to report these gatherings

18:00: N1 reported that the 15-year-old girl in critical condition after the Zagreb earthquake on Sunday has passed away.

The information was confirmed by the director of the Clinic for Pediatric Diseases in Zagreb, Goran Roic. 

"Unfortunately, despite all the efforts of medical staff, the severely injured girl in the earthquake yesterday succumbed to her injuries. On behalf of the Zagreb Children's Disease Clinic, we would like to express our sincere condolences to parents and family," Roic told N1.

17:50: Construction and Physical Planning Minister Predrag Štromar said on Monday that more than 7,000 buildings would be assessed for damage after a strong earthquake hit Zagreb on Sunday, and that 150 civil engineers were currently on the ground. Read more.

17:49: The Croatian Employers Association (HUP) has called for a write-off of all dues and for access to liquid assets through various institutions for employers affected by the coronavirus crisis. Read more.

17:40: Index spoke with Kristina Krizanac, Mayor of Sinj, several times after they published information about two coronavirus infections in the town. These are talking about socially active people, one is a member of the city crisis staff, another employee of one bank, and epidemiologists are trying to reach as many people as they have been in contact with in recent weeks. 

17:10: There are still no coronavirus positive cases in Virovitica-Podravina County, the County Civil Protection Headquarters announced on Monday.

"We are one of four counties without the coronavirus. The epidemiological picture is favorable; all samples sent so far for coronavirus analysis are negative," said Chief of Staff Mario Klement.

He thanked all those who took action to prevent the spread of the infection.

"Keep the lives of your loved ones safe," Klement told citizens of Virovitica-Podravina County.

16:45: The son of Sisak-Moslavina County Mayor Dario Zinic is no longer the Chief of Civil Defense Staff of the City of Glina.

Recall that Mayor Ivo Zinic and Dario gathered with several other people for an all-day get-together on Saturday.

The police intervened. The resignation of Dario Zinic was confirmed by Andrej Plenkovic.

16:40: Director of Daruvarske Toplice dismissed for holding the so-called corona party

16:37: A traffic jam formed in front of Kaufland in western Zagreb today as shoppers entered the store one by one, with a distance of two meters.

16:29: Police reported all people that gathered in Glina, since there were more than 5. All of them were reported to the State Inspectorate. The punishment is HRK 8,000.

16:27: 2757 tests performed, 33 more are ongoing.

16:21: A total of 315 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Croatia.

16:18: "There are no positives in Daruvarske Toplice, Mayor Bajs dismissed the director," Beros said at the beginning. The so-called corona party, or gathering of more people, was held there.

16:16: There are 9 new cases of coronavirus in Croatia, bringing the total to 315. So far, 2,757 tests have been conducted, and 33 more are underway. 

16:08: Bozinovic commented on the homeless problem in the aftermath of the earthquake.

"This is certainly a question for local civil protection staffs. We are a humane society. We take care of every person. We will take care of those who are the most handicapped in this situation," Bozinovic said.

"We are struggling with the aftermath of the earthquake. Today was another slightly stronger earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.3. 111 people were taken care of in the Cvjetno naselje student dormitory," Bozinovic said.

"I would like to thank all the firefighters. There are a lot of fires all over the country, they are eager to deal with this situation," Bozinovic said.

15:44: A corona party was held in Daruvar Toplice last night, writes Bjelovar.live.

A large number of people gathered in Daruvarske Toplice last night, according to the portal. Many of them are older. The photos show a bunch of people sitting in the lobby talking without following the prescribed measures of avoiding social contact of at least two meters, and even less measures of protection or self-isolation.

Mira Zakora, director of Daruvarske Toplice, did not answer her cellphone when she was called by reporters of the portal mentioned above.

Damir Lnenicek, mayor of Daruvar, is appalled by the situation.

15:40: Among three new coronavirus infected in the Varaždin area is a Varaždin County clerk, the county confirmed on Monday.

In the county, they say that the clerk has not been in the workplace for the past six days due to fever and symptoms of respiratory diseases, and today she was hospitalized at Varaždin General Hospital with a mild clinical picture.

The persons who were in close contact with her were mapped, and these were five officials for whom self-isolation decisions were issued.

15:13: Bozinovic and Beros have provided new information on coronavirus. Beros said experts have confirmed to him that the Zagreb Arena, where patients are to be housed, is one of the safest buildings in Zagreb. Bozinovic said the coronavirus was the biggest enemy at the moment, and announced that he would be taking increasingly stringent measures.

14:59: Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic declares yesterday's earthquake a natural disaster. (Index article)

14:24: State Secretary Danijel Mestric of the Ministry of Construction has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been hospitalized in Varaždin.

14:01: Some residents slept in their cars near Sljeme last night, due to the damage to their homes by the earthquake. (Index article)

The latest numbers of cases by locations from Index.hr - please note that these do not include all cases, as some locations have not been revealed yet. 

13:55: A doctor has been infected in Karlovac County, seven of his colleagues are n self-isolation.

13:53: The infected man from Karlovac owns a business in Osijek. At the headquarters of the Osijek-based Civil Protection Headquarters, it was stated that he had been causing problems previously.

13:35: A press conference of the Istrian Headquarters begins.

Three new cases in Istria on Saturday, one was already in contact with an infected person and two came from the at-risk area. One is a citizen of Slovenia, who has been returned to Slovenia. Yesterday out of nine samples, four were positive. Three were contacts and one person came from a high-risk area, specifically Spain.

In total, 32 people are positive for coronavirus in the County of Istria, two of them are foreign nationals who have been returned to their countries and 29 have been hospitalized. One person has a greater need for oxygen, but none is on a respirator. 12 women and 17 men were hospitalized.

21 tests are still pending.

13:30: Konzum cleans up after the earthquake and introduces new measures (Index article)

12:45: Strict new measures limiting movement, in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, have been announced by Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic. You can read a full English translation here, and we advise you to become familiar with the new rules. They come into effect today. 

12:44: There are cases of coronavirus infection in Sinj, one is a public official. The mayor is in self-isolation.

12:43: Pharmacies throughout Croatia will have reduced operating hours, except pharmacies on duty.

12:31: Still no coronavirus cases in Vukovar-Srijem County.

12:26: Civil Protection Headquarters issued important instructions for all citizens to stay indoors.

12:16: There are four new cases in Šibenik-Knin County, for a total of 12

12:03: Press conference of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Split-Dalmatia County is underway. The press conference includes Blazenko Boban, prefect of Split-Dalmatia County, Luka Brčić, Chief of SCZ Split-Dalmatia County and Deputy Mayor, Julije Meštrović, Director of KBC Split, Željka Karin, Director of NZZJZ, and Miro Delić, Director of Promet Split. Four new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Split.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports: In Split-Dalmatia County, four more coronavirus cases have been confirmed, with 51 persons quarantined, 31 of whom are Croatian nationals.

Spaladium Arena is ready to accommodate, 200 beds are ready, Brcic said.

Julije Meštrović spoke about the cooperation of Dalmatian hospitals and the relocation of patients from Križan to Firule.

"The main part of the hospital will be used to treat the most severely ill patients, and we have two separate outpatients. The system is functioning well, there are no problems. The four new cases have milder symptoms," he said.

Trial testing for coronavirus is starting today, the KBC director said.

"We now have 14 infected people, of which 8 are in Split."

"The first people in quarantine are leaving tomorrow. They are passengers who arrived from the Marko Polo ferry," said Dr. Karin.

She also stressed the importance of self-isolation and said that it was the doctors who decide which tests are needed.

"Don't get caught up on fake news, it's not true that a pharmacy worker has been infected," Zeljka Karin.

Transport Director Miro Delić warned that their buses are no longer public but serve exclusively for the transport of persons working in emergency activities.

11:48: a pediatrician has been infected in Zadar

There are two newly infected people in Zadar County, the county civil protection headquarters announced. One of the two infected is a pediatrician from Zadar.

11:15: New earthquake felt in Zagreb - read more on TCN

11:10: The Tax Administration reported on its website that due to the state of emergency in Zagreb, Zagreb tax offices will not operate on Monday, as well as free info phones, and in case of emergency information can be obtained on several phone numbers.

"Due to the state of emergency in Zagreb, on March 23, 2020, Zagreb branch offices of the Tax Administration are not working as well as toll-free info telephones (0800 1001, 0800 66 99 33, 0800 1811)," the publication states.

The Tax Administration points out that in case of urgency, taxpayers from 8 am to 3 pm can obtain information at the following telephone numbers: +385 1 2386 957; +385 (0) 1 2386 969; +385 1 2386 990; +385 1 2386 976

10:51: Ana Soldo, President of the Croatian Medical Association, visited HRT and spoke about the coronavirus crisis in Croatia.

Among other things, she said that there were cases of infected pharmacy staff in Croatia. One case was reported in Split, and as many as 6 in Dubrovnik. According to Soldo, they became infected by a man who did not know he had the coronavirus. This was denied by Dr. Karin at the Split-Dalmatia County Civic Headquarters press conference.

10:45: Due to the current epidemiological situation caused by the coronavirus and the damage caused by the earthquake in the City of Zagreb, the Croatian Health Insurance Institute asked citizens to postpone their arrival to the HZZO official premises in Zagreb.

In order to exercise their rights in the HZZO, citizens were instructed to contact them here

"Exceptionally, in case of need to personally visit the HZZO locations in the City of Zagreb, we would like to inform you that on March 23, on-call duty was secured at Klovićeva 1, Zagreb," they reported.

10:43: Six new coronavirus cases in Murter.

10:33: Brijuni National Park is closed in accordance with the instructions of the Civic Headquarters and will be implemented accordingly and according to the instructions of the Government, the Ministry of Environment and Energy until there is a change in preventive measures.

"During the measures in force, the ticket office has been closed, accommodation and catering facilities remain closed and organized excursions to Veliki Brijuni, as well as any entry of individual visitors have been suspended, reported Brijuni National Park.

10:31: Banks are changing business hours and closing branches.

10:30: First case of coronavirus confirmed in Međimurje.

10:26: People in front of Lidl and Kaufland are lining up a row apart.

10:00 - A press conference in Rijeka: "From midnight, there is a ban on movement. Every employer must issue a document to his employees that he can move," Rijeka Mayor Obersnel said. "All the staff who worked at Pathology where the doctor tested positive are all negative. The new regime is in effect for the healthcare system. Doctors will work for 15 days and the other for 15 days will be home. And so too pharmacists will alternate, 7 teams each. The purpose is to preserve all health professionals."

"Controls at toll booths are still ongoing. A total of 1016 people have passed, 36 of whom have had self-isolation decisions."

09:30 "In order to express gratitude and support, Split taxi drivers have decided to assist doctors and medical staff in combating the coronavirus epidemic. At the initiative of the Carrier Guild at the Association of Craftsmen in Split and the Association, Yellow Taxi Split , they decided to donate free rides to medical staff to go and get off work,” they said.

08:27- Notice of Split-Dalmatia County Police Office

"Once again, we are informing the citizens that, given the epidemiological situation, the Split-Dalmatia Police Department will NOT work directly with parties.

APPLICATIONS for issuing ID cards in justified and urgent cases will be exceptionally received, for example, for the use of services within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior through the e-Citizens system.

Applications for driver's license for drivers operating a vehicle for PROFESSIONAL purposes will EXCEPTLY be received.

For pre-appointment and any inquiries, please call from 7.30am to 2pm by telephone:

021 307 040, administrative affairs

021 307 295, foreigners and citizenship

021 309 295 Office

08:17 - You can now follow the Civil Protection Staff's announcement of the coronavirus on Viber. The headquarters say that this is the result of continuous efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus on the territory of the Republic of Croatia. 

08:15 - The City Council of Vinkovci will hold its 23rd session of the Council electronically today at 10:00 am. One of the items on the agenda will be the passage of a Decision on measures to assist businesses and citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

07:48 - Maja Grba-Bujevic, the director of the Croatian Institute for Emergency Medicine, was a guest on Croatian radio, and she said that none of them dare to estimate the damage caused by the close contacts of people who took to the streets yesterday after the earthquake. "It is normal for people in difficult situations to hold on to each other. It was early morning. People were not well trained. Colds are also possible and they will be difficult to distinguish from COVID-19. It will only be possible to test [those people]. But cool heads need to prevail. People listen to us well, if they listen to what we have agreed on these days, we may have a chance of stopping it from getting worse. Yesterday I saw the same amount of traffic on the Zagreb to the Karlovac motorway as in the last ten years, they're not listening to our directions."

"We will go all out in a rigorous way to prevent gatherings and socialising. We will have no mercy in preventing the spread from person to person. We will also prevent intercity transportation, so that people move as little as possible. We will cause great disruption,'' she added.

Gas stations will remain open normally only cafes will not be operating in them, said Grba-Bujevic, adding that many people are asking about this.

The decision to close the cities has been made, just what it will look like is not yet known. According to the Civil Protection Director Damir Trut, Transit must be prevented, but the best modality for that is still being agreed upon.

07:40 - Minister Horvat made a guest appearance this morning on "Good Morning Croatia" and said that Croatian industry is working and is putting into function their supplies for the Croatian market with all nutritional and protective products. "On Friday, we started those connections in order to get it over the weekend and today," he said.

08:00 - TCN updated overview of the current Croatia travel advice - ferries, flights, buses, trains, road, borders and self-isolation requirements. You can read it here.

07:22 - According to the data available so far, only 4 counties do not have a single confirmed case. These are Vukovar-Srijem, Požega-Slavonia, Međimurje and Virovitica-Podravina counties.

07:10 - At 09:00 at the press conference, the Civil Protection Staff will release new information and explain the new measures

07:05 - Last night, information came out that 4 more people in Istria were infected with coronavirus, so yesterday the infection was confirmed for a total of seven people and a total of 30 infected people were placed in the Pula General Hospital. Two new cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in Krapina-Zagorje County and a total of 17 patients are infected so far, Mayor Zeljko Kolar reported on Sunday. The first case of coronavirus in Bjelovar-Bilogora County has been confirmed.

March 23, 2020 - At 6:30 am Sunday morning, Zagreb was hit by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake. It was the strongest earthquake in this area in the last 140 years. 

The damage is still adding up, many citizens have been left homeless or have major damage to their homes, and 27 people were injured, 18 of which were more severe.

One 15-year-old girl critically injured after a part of the ceiling collapsed in her home. Everyone's thoughts are with the young girl and her family at this time, and the many families who have lost their homes.

Many Croatian athletes have expressed their support for Zagreb, like Mario Mandzukic, Zlatko Dalic, Andrej Kramaric, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Borna Coric to name a few. 

But perhaps particularly special was the support of the Jürgen Klopp fan page.

The Facebook fan page of the famous German coach, who has led Liverpool to the greatest results in the last 30 years, shared an image of the Zagreb earthquake to 2 million of their fans. 

“If you think coronavirus itself is bad, try mixing it with 5.3 earthquake in Zagreb, Croatia this morning 

PRAY FOR ZAGREB! 

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE!”

As of Monday afternoon, the photo was liked 23,000 times and commented on over 900 times. 

Klopp has been in the spotlight quite often lately, and not because of Liverpool’s success (because we all know football is off for a while, still).

You might remember this legendary press conference Klopp gave when the coronavirus crisis had just hit this part of the world, saying his opinion on the topic does not matter as he was just someone with a "baseball cap and a bad shave."

Just one week later, Klopp made headlines again for telling fans "put your hands away you f****** idiots" in the Champions League clash again Atletico Madrid. 

While this is not the official profile of the celebrity trainer, and it is not known whether the fan group conveyed Klopp's words and received insider information from the German himself, the beautiful gesture is more than welcome. 

Source: T.portal

Follow our live Zagreb earthquake updates.  

March 23, 2020 - A series of earthquakes rattled the Croatian capital on Sunday morning. The international response to the Zagreb earthquake has been overwhelming. 

On Sunday evening, Belgrade sent support to the citizens of Zagreb from their balconies and terraces during the "Applause at Eight" campaign. Recall, the campaign started during the curfew imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic as a way to support medical staff. This time, the applause was used to stand in solidarity with Zagreb after the Sunday morning earthquake, reports T.portal.

Namely, the civic initiative "Let's not give up, Belgrade" called on citizens to applaud for their “vulnerable neighbors in the earthquake" that hit Zagreb, and said that this applause should be dedicated not only to the people of Zagreb in current circumstances, but also to citizens across the Balkans.

“Our states and societies are facing the spread of COVID-19, and another disaster has hit our first neighbors. The earthquake, which damaged several buildings and other structures, further aggravated the lives of Zagreb residents and complicated the fight against the pandemic. May this 'Applause at Eight' be for all those who are struggling all over the Balkans in increasingly complicated conditions,” they said in a statement.

The virus will pass, but in our society "solidarity, mutual concern and support for all of our citizens" should remain forever, the statement added.

In other news, the Slovenian government decided to send an ambulance to Zagreb after the earthquake in the Croatian capital and its surroundings on Sunday morning, Slovenian Defense Minister Matej Tonin confirmed in a news release. It was equipped with ten tents that can accommodate up to 80 people, with 60 beds, as many sleeping bags and 20 heaters.

This is Slovenia's contribution to the assistance Croatia has requested under the European Civil Protection Mechanism, and from the state warehouse, assistance will continue towards Croatia.

The City of Sarajevo sent Zagreb a message of support and love by lighting up the Sarajevo City Hall.

“The capital of BiH informs the citizens of Zagreb and the whole of Croatia that they are in our thoughts and prayers. These difficult challenges we face will strengthen our friendship and deepen our cooperation. I am convinced, Mr. Bandic, that you and your fellow citizens, the City Administration of Zagreb and the Government of Croatia, will once again rise and recover from this grave accident, as we will overcome the coronavirus pandemic with solidarity. Sarajevo does not forget its friends,” said Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka.

Croatian Ambassador to BiH Ivan Sabolic expressed his gratitude to the Mayor of Sarajevo for his support to Zagreb.

"I personally thanked him for his nice and strong gesture of support and friendship," Sabolic said.

Clubs and athletes from the neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina also sent messages of support.

On Sunday, Sarajevo football clubs Sarajevo and Zeljeznicar, Portland Trail Blazers basketball player Marija Hezonja, Jusuf Nurkic, and captain of the BiH national football team and Roma striker Edin Dzeko, stepped forward. 

“Be strong, Zagreb, Zeljeznicar wrote on its Facebook page. “A series of earthquakes hit the Croatian capital this morning. Take care, Zagreb!” Sarajevo announced.

Jürgen Klopp, the famous German coach who has led Liverpool to the greatest results in the last 30 years, also sent a message to Zagreb on his Facebook page.

HRT reported that Barcelona footballer Ivan Rakitic said that the Croatia national team would "give a lot of help" to Zagreb.

“We are going from one bad situation to another. A lot of people, friends, family called me this morning... the earthquake was stronger than many years ago. It happened when we were all in our homes. The situation with the virus in Croatia is not so difficult yet, but the earthquake has destroyed hospitals, homes,” Rakitic said in a video posted on the website of Barcelona.

“I would like to send support to the residents of Zagreb. The national team players have spoken, and we will be of great help in getting everyone out of this situation together,” added the 32-year-old midfielder.

After Sunday's earthquake in Zagreb, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the Croatian people and asked Christ to give them strength and solidarity in the face of disaster during a church service in the Vatican.

The Pope indicated that he would send an extraordinary message and blessing this week to "Urbi et Orbi" (City and World), which is usually referred only to Christmas and Easter, and called for prayer worldwide in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Vatican News website:

At the close of his remarks following the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Croatia, which was struck by magnitude 5.4 earthquake Sunday morning.

The Holy Father prayed, "May the Risen Lord give them the strength and solidarity to face this calamity".

TCN even received a nice message of support:

Dear TCN,

In 2011 my city - Christchurch, New Zealand-suffered a devastating earthquake which cost us 185 lives. We also lost our iconic cathedral. 

I fell in love with your country when I visited last year and you have been in my thoughts constantly. It’s time like this people feel the need to ‘do something’. From so far away I feel so powerless. 

I don’t know the point of this email but it is written with tears in my eyes. 

A phrase emerged that bought us together at the time, and through further horrific events that occurred in our city:

Kia Kaha

Kia kaha is a Māori phrase used by the people of New Zealand as an affirmation, meaning “stay strong”

KIA KAHA ZAGREB

KIA KAHA CROATIA

You are never alone.

Follow our live updates on the Zagreb earthquake. 

March 22, 2020 - Pope Francis took some time to pray for Croatia today after the devastating earthquakes in Zagreb this morning.

After Sunday's earthquake in Zagreb, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the Croatian people and asked Christ to give them strength and solidarity in the face of disaster during a church service in the Vatican today.

The Pope indicated that he would send an extraordinary message and blessing this week to "Urbi et Orbi" (City and World), which is usually referred only to Christmas and Easter, and called for prayer worldwide in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Vatican News website:

At the close of his remarks following the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Croatia, which was struck by magnitude 5.4 earthquake Sunday morning.

The Holy Father prayed, "May the Risen Lord give them the strength and solidarity to face this calamity".

The Pope's decision to pray for Croatia will bring some comfort to many in Croatia, which is a very Catholic country, with about 90% of the country adhering to the Catholic faith. Only last month, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with Pope Francis and invited him to visit Croatia. 

The earthquakes in Zagreb have caused considerable damage to the city, and they come at a time when the authorities in the Croatian capital are battling to contain the coronavirus threat. 

Only yesterday, all public spaces were effectively closed, intercity buses and trains halted, and a raft of other strict measures introduced. 

You can read more about the coverage of the Zagreb earthquakes and their aftermath on TCN on the following link. 

Croatia currently has 254 cases of the coronavirus, five of them serious, but the country is bracing itself for a sharp increase in cases in the coming days. 

To follow the latest from the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section here. 

March 22, 2020 - A press conference was held at the National and University Library in Zagreb on Sunday afternoon about the coronavirus crisis in Croatia and the Zagreb earthquake.

Index.hr reports that the state summit met on Sunday at 3 pm at the National and University Library in Zagreb. After the meeting, they addressed the public with more information on the effects of the severe earthquake Sunday morning, as well as on the state of the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia.

The number of coronaviruses increased to 254 on Sunday, and Zagreb was hit by about 30 earthquakes during the day.

"We held a meeting after the earthquake," Prime Minister Plenkovic said. "I thank everyone for the quality, fast reporting," he said.

"We have a combination of two crises. We have 254 infected," Plenkovic said. "The Sava home is ready to accommodate anyone whose apartments have been damaged. Everyone who cannot sleep in their homes should call the hotline for help,” the prime minister added.

"We will provide the city center with security clearance from the buildings. You will see that the weather will be bad, there will also be a strong wind. We will record the complete situation with the drones. Walk as far away from the buildings as possible so that the tiles and parts of the facades do not fall on you," the prime minister warned.

There had been thirty earthquakes since morning, and another was felt around 4 pm: "I urge you to be careful, the cold weather is coming, it is not realistic for people to be on the streets. Be extremely careful. We have no guarantees of what will happen next. Be careful, stay in your homes if you can. Let's not forget the coronavirus pandemic - it is dangerous, let's not allow ourselves to have a scenario like Italy,” Plenkovic urged.

The seismologist reported there were thirty earthquakes. "It's common and it can happen from a few days to a few months. We can't predict if there will be another big one. Let's all stay calm. With each earthquake, do what you would do with the first earthquake, don't go up the stairs, stand against a solid wall, be careful not to go near the glass,” she warned.

Vili Beros said there was no major damage to hospitals. "We have provided adequate care. All patients and outpatients are slowly returning. The Infectious Diseases Clinic is in good health. The situation is under control. We have two newborns. All newborns were cared for. There were no casualties apart from a severe injure in the center. She is still in treatment,” Minister Beros reported.

Minister Bozinovic expressed his gratitude to all the services. "The system has hired about 2,500 people, all of whom immediately took to the field in very complex conditions. We are fighting two crises, one is invisible, the other is unpredictable. We hope earthquakes will be less intense than the first. We will all, the military and the police and civil protection, be on the top of every task as we were before,” Bozinovic said.

There are 19 new coronavirus cases since this morning, reported Beros. "We need to keep our distance from each other," he noted again.

"We need to help everyone who needs it. In order to do this, we need to reduce the spread of the virus. Although it may seem simple, you can see now that it is not so simple because people do not feel that they may be transmitting the virus. Therefore, more stringent measures are taken,” Minister Bozinovic said.

"Everyone who spreads fake news must be punished. The police are conducting investigations," Bozinovic said. "We are fighting, you see the police have solved murder cases, all the lines are working and I am sure there is no police officer who is not protecting citizens at this time," he concluded.

He added that more than 150 structural engineers are in the field and that 67 facilities have been damaged.

"It is already felt that people are leaving less, which is a consequence of the earthquake. They realize that non-adherence to decisions creates additional pressure on the services," Bozinovic said. He adds that people should not leave Zagreb.

Plenkovic said officials across Europe were responding and expressed support. "Bozinovic has been in contact with the Slovenian commissioner, we are constantly in contact with Suica, tomorrow Grlic will have a video conference with the ministers, and the Minister of Finance will do the same. We will seek help when we better analyze the extent of the damage," Plenkovic said, adding that financial assistance is likely to be sought.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated section for all you need to know about COVID-19 in Croatia.