Croatia: Authorities to extend and tighten COVID-19 restrictions from November 28 /update 8

Event

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Thursday, November 26, that new stricter coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions will come into effect at midnight on Friday, November 27, and will be in place until at least December 21 amid a recent spike in cases. The new measures include restricting outdoor and public gatherings to 25 people and private parties to 10; weddings are suspended. Public transport will be restricted to 40 percent capacity. Bakeries will have to close by 22:00 (local time), and cafes and restaurants will be closed for guests while restaurants will be allowed to prepare and deliver food. A ban on the sale of alcohol remains in force from 22:00 - 06:00. 

Face masks remain mandatory in enclosed spaces nationwide including shops, bars, restaurants, and other places where there is close contact with customers and on public transport. Croatia has reopened its borders and all UK and EU/EEA nationals and individuals with permanent residence in the EU countries are permitted to enter the country freely without restrictions. All domestic transportation services have resumed though some regional restrictions on travel remain. All other foreign nationals are also permitted to enter the country for business, tourism, or other personal emergency reasons. 

As of November 26, there have been 115,626 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1552 associated fatalities in Croatia. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China).

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, or a rash on the skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care urgently and share your previous travel history with your health care provider.