Croatia has enough coronavirus testing kits; more masks ordered

Zagreb (Photo: HINA/ Edvard ŠUŠAK/)

ZAGREB, March 20 (Hina) – Health Minister Vili Beros on Friday announced the procurement of additional protective masks for citizens, saying that Croatia has enough coronavirus testing kits and once again appealing to citizens to avoid physical contact.

“First of all, it is important for health workers, border police and inspectors to have protective equipment, and we have a sufficient number of such masks. We are intensively discussing purchasing additional protective masks,” Beros said in response to questions from members of the public on the government’s dedicated Facebook page koronavirus.hr, launched specifically to share the latest information on the novel coronavirus.

Accommodation facilities being set up in Zagreb’s Arena sports hall

He confirmed that preparations are currently underway for the Arena sports hall in Zagreb to accommodate possible patients. “That shows our preparedness. We have primary, secondary and tertiary centres to admit patients,” he underscored.

Asked about the possible duration of the epidemic, Beros said that in China the number of people infected is decreasing after its culmination. “I believe that will be by June or July but we are prepared for all possible scenarios,” he said.

He called on citizens to take care of themselves and others. “Keep your distance and stop the epidemic from spreading,” the health minister said.

Beros reiterated that Croatia has a sufficient number of ventilators, 800 in all, “which is far more than the potential number of people in a serious condition.”

Citizens were interested in why there are so few people Croatia recovering from the disease, and Beros said, citing strict criteria, that recovery from coronavirus infection takes slightly longer than in the case of the flu and that the recovery time is an individual matter.

Without any live cells the virus can survive for a maximum of five to six days, he explained.