Croatia reports 199 new COVID cases, Austria rejects travel warning request

ZAGREB, Aug 18 (Hina) – In the last 24 hours, there have been 199 new coronavirus cases in Croatia, and the number of active cases stands at 1,371, the national COVID-19 response team said on Tuesday.

Of the total number of COVID-19 patients, 120 are hospitalised, including 11 placed on ventilators.

In the last 24 hours, 1,824 people have been tested for the virus.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case of the infection was confirmed in the country, a total of 6,855 people have contracted the disease, and of them, 5,318 have recovered, while 166 people have died.

To date, 140,471 people have been tested for the virus.

Austria rejects Croatia’s travel warning request

Austria has rejected a request by Croatia that its warning against travel to Croatia does not apply to the entire country but only to certain areas, the APA news agency reported on Tuesday.

“That option was considered but after talks with experts in the health ministry, the office of the federal chancellor and foreign affairs ministry, it was decided to issue the warning for all of Croatia,” the APA agency reported, citing a spokeswoman from the Austrian foreign ministry.

The reason for that decision, she added, is the fact that Austrians are mobile and for the most part travel to Croatia by car and do not stay in just one place.

The warning against travelling to Croatia entered into force on Monday at midnight. Anyone returning from Croatia is required to present a current negative test for the coronavirus or undergo testing within 48 hours of returning to Austria.

According to information from Austria’s foreign ministry, there were about 3,000 Austrians vacationing in Croatia at the end of last week. Authorities however believe that that number is several times higher.

This measure has compelled numerous Austrian tourists to cut short their vacation in Croatia and return home.

Croatia’s Ambassador in Vienna Daniel Gluncic told APA that he had advocated that Austria’s authorities issue a partial warning regarding travel to Croatia.

Croatia’s Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic too pointed out that the situation in the regions where most Austrians travel to is favourable, APA reported.