Croatian president gets vaccine in front of cameras, registered cases drop

President Milanovic gets vaccinated on Thursday (Photo credit: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Marko Beljan/Tomislav Bušljeta)

ZAGREB, 7 January (Hina) – Croatian President Zoran Milanovic was publicly vaccinated against coronavirus at the Pantovcak presidential office on Thursday, calling on all Croatian citizens to do the same as, he underscored, it is better than get infected with COVID-19.

Milanovic called on all those who were in two minds to get vaccinated, noting that the vaccine certainly helps.

Anyone who consciously decides not to get vaccinated when the vaccine is available and free, takes on the responsibility for their own health, and when a certain number of people are vaccinated, there is less burden on the system, the president said.

He also said that it was not normal for a person who administers vaccination, that is, a doctor, not to get vaccinated themselves.

He stressed that coronavirus was a global challenge especially painful for those who got sick, died and for those who lost their loved ones.

“That is a serious matter, but for most people it is not. That is why life needs to go on in a normal way as much as it is possible, it needs to be treated like something that can be avoided, monitored, something curable, from the viewpoint of social caution, hygiene, and if it happens, it happens,” Milanovic said.

(Photo credit: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Marko Beljan /Tomislav Bušljeta)

“Be careful, do everything you can and do not worry that it will happen to you,” he said.

Before getting vaccinated he consulted a doctor, he added, stressing that everyone should do that.

“Life goes on, ahead of us is a year when we will have to start over for the umpteenth time… It is encouraging for Croatia that our democracy is quite functional,” Milanovic said.

In addition to President Milanovic, Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Admiral Robert Hranj also got vaccinated in front of the press at Pantovcak.

(Photo credit: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Marko Beljan /Tomislav Bušljeta)

Ministers also get vaccinated in front of press

Ten ministers in the Andrej Plenkovic cabinet on Thursday also got vaccinated against coronavirus in front of the press in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of immunising the whole population against this novel virus.

The jabs were administered to those ministers who have not yet caught the virus and have not yet acquired immunity against this infectious disease.

They also called on citizens to get vaccinated.

The head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, who attended the vaccination of the ministers, said that many public figures and distinguished people in Croatia would join a campaign promoting vaccination.

He is sure that more than 50% of Croatians are in favour of vaccination, and that a quarter of those polled are still in two minds about getting vaccinated. For those unsure about vaccination, it is important to send messages about vaccination, Capak said.

Registered cases fall 

There have been 562 new cases of the coronavirus in Croatia over the past 24 hours, as well as 43 related deaths, the national COVID-19 response team said on Thursday.

There are 2,284 COVID patients in hospitals, including 200 on ventilators.

The death toll has increased to 4,266.

The number of active cases in Croatia stands at 6,272, and there are 17,539 people in self-isolation.

To date, 1,055,211 people have been tested, 3,614 of whom in the last 24 hours, and a share of the positive tests today was 15.5%.

Since the start of the epidemic in Croatia, a total 216,848 people have contracted the novel coronavirus and 206,310 have recovered, including 1,232 in the last 24 hours.