Croatia reports 162 new COVID cases, Austria to consider amending travel decision

(Photo: HINA/ Daniel KASAP/)

ZAGREB, August 15, 2020 – In the last 24 hours there have been 162 new coronavirus cases in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Saturday. 

This number brings the total active cases in Croatia to 1062. 

This is the third day in a row with high daily numbers of new cases. On Friday, the team reported 208 new infections.

Currently, 106 COVID patients are receiving hospital treatment, and of them, 10 are placed on ventilators.

Since 25 February when the country reported its first confirmed case of this communicable disease, 6,420 have tested positive, and of them, 165 have died, while 5193 have recovered.

Currently, 3,702 people in Croatia are self-isolating. So far, Croatia has conducted 136,280 tests, including 1,538 in the last 24 hours.

Austria will consider amending decision on Croatia

Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Friday that Austria would consider amending the decision warning its citizens, due to the possibility of catching the coronavirus, against travel to Croatia.

“We make daily reports on the situation in Croatia, which are sent to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. As for the number of infected persons, it is generally more pronounced in the east than in the Adriatic regions, so we have informed Austria…”, the minister told reports in the southern coastal city of Baska Voda.

“Austria will now consider changing that decision,” Grlic Radman said.

Austrian Foreign Ministry had cautioned its citizens against travel to Croatia because of the possibility of contracting the coronavirus infection.

Austria fears that when holiday-makers return from Croatia, which saw record numbers of new cases of the infection over recent days, that could lead to accelerating the spread of the virus on its territory.

According to the minister, there are currently about 900,000 tourists in Croatia.

“We are really trying to put in place all measures, conditions so that tourists could feel safe, and it is certain that each country is taking care of its citizens,” the minister said.

Grlic Radman told reporters that he had talked twice this morning with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and that Croatia’s Interior Minister, Tourism Minister and Health Minister were also in contact with their Austrian counterparts, as was Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

While touring Croatia’s coast I have seen that our restaurants and cafes are adhering to measures, Grlic Radman said. He called on young people meeting in clubs and bars to wear protective masks and keep their distance.

Asked about Italy’s decision to introduce COVID testing for those coming from Croatia, including its own citizens, the minister said that each country had the right to adopt those measures it deemed appropriate.

“What we are trying to do, when it comes to Italy and all our neighbours and all countries from which most tourists are coming, is to inform them that you can be safe in Croatia,” he underscored.