LATEST: 29 new coronavirus cases in Croatia, 235 in total

Health Minister Vili Beros (Photo: HINA/ Lana SLIVAR DOMINIĆ/ lsd)

ZAGREB, March 22 (Hina) – Since 4 p.m. on Saturday, there are 29 new COVID-19 cases in Croatia, the Civil Protection Directorate said on Sunday morning.

There are 235 cases in total, the head of the Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine, Maja Grba-Bujevic, said at a press conference.

She urged Zagreb residents who rushed to the streets after this morning’s earthquakes to dress appropriately to keep warm and to distance themselves from each other to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

Interior minister says coronavirus bigger challenge than earthquakes

The head of the national civil protection authority, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic, said on Sunday that coronavirus was a bigger challenge than the earthquakes which rocked Zagreb this morning.

“On behalf of the Croatian Civil Protection Authority, I guarantee that we will continue to communicate as we have until now, both on the coronavirus crisis, which is ongoing and which, according to our estimates, is the bigger challenge, and this crisis now with the earthquake,” Bozinovic said.

The national civil protection authority will continue to rely on the positions and suggestions of professionals.

“What is specific to this situation is that the novel coronavirus is full of question marks and we know from before that earthquakes are not something to which science can given an exact answer. It’s therefore essential that we have full coordination of all services,” the minister said.

The army is already clearing up the rubble in downtown Zagreb, he added.

“Everything at Croatia’s disposal will be in function, coordinated. This is a double crisis currently focused only on Zagreb and its environs. The rest of Croatia is mostly and primarily dealing with the coronavirus epidemic,” the minister said.

“Together we will come out of this, don’t worry,” he added.