July the 2nd, 2021 - Despite the fact that vaccination is going well and both infection rates and deaths are dropping, new variants of the virus continue to emerge, which is totally normal, but for some the constant headlines are becoming too much. Unfortunately, numerous Croatian accommodation cancellations have begun ever since headlines about new variants and new waves have begun to dominate once again.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian Immunologist Stipan Jonjic from the Medical Faculty in Rijeka warned that there is a great risk that the illusion of normalcy, the biology of the virus and our mistakes will lead us to a catastrophic situation with coronavirus again in autumn, much like 2020.
The decision on the application of EU digital green certificates came into force in all European Union countries yesterday, and Ivana Pavic Simetin, Deputy Director of the CNIPH, said that the digital certificate is a tool that will become easier to apply over time and that it will be easier to get it as time goes on.
''One of the most logical ways to continue our life today is with this digital confirmation, and it will be easier for us to get together and do everything we like to do, like we did before,'' Pavic Simetin said while on Croatian Radio recently.
"Nothing important has changed for us except vaccination, which for now seems to be the only successful way to fight this. Viruses do tend to mutate and improve, by the end of the summer we'll probably have a few new variations. Thankfully, a variant that is completely resistant to vaccination doesn't appear to have occurred so far,'' Jonjic assured.
“However, there may be a variant that is practically completely resistant to this vaccination and then we have to look for other options. Of course, other options are new types of vaccines, new variants of vaccines that target the so-called preserved part of the viral genome, or proteome, against which the virus can do nothing, because if that part mutates, then that virus is gone. And a lot of work is being done on that,'' said Jonjic.
"Until we have a completely covered as many people as possible with vaccination and until we have a cure for COVID-19, we're left with conservative measures that are unpopular, and these are actually precautions, targeted measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic," Jonjic said, adding that he wasn't feeling optimistic, even admitting that he was feeling pessimistic with regard to the vaccination rollout and what might await us this autumn.
"I'm simply scared about this, I don't see a way that optimism will help," he said bluntly, HRT reports.
Barbara Markovic, vice president of the Croatian Association of Family Accommodation, said that due to media reports that the Delta strain would arrive in Croatia, which it already has, many would-be tourists are cancelling their Croatian accommodation for this summer season.
Pavic Simetin said that it wasn't the statements about new waves and new variants that were important, but the statistics and data.
"This is all precise data and we have to present it as we have it. Sequencing is done for us by the European Centre for Disease Control,'' she added.
Markovic said the only strategy is to motivate people to get vaccinated, but by no means shorten the tourist season with any direct dates.
"Doing the latter is how we end up seeing Croatian accommodation reservations cancelled. It's one thing to sit in the office at a comfortable 24 degrees, it's one thing to work in the field at plus 40 with guests,'' said Markovic, adding that the situation on the field is very sensitive and that tourists are inquiring about all statements made.
Pavic Simetin called on people once again to get vaccinated, adding that it is important to vaccinate children with chronic diseases and those who have people with chronic diseases in their families during the summer, and that they will prepare organised vaccinations before the beginning of the school year for kids, which will be based on the premise of volunteering.
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