December 18, 2020 — In the past 24 hours, Croatia reported 3,272 new COVID-19 cases. There are currently 21,297 active cases. Sixty-eight (68) have died. There are 54,587 people in self-isolation.
Follow this link for all Daily Croatia updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. UPDATED: 21:00 CET (Central European Time)
Croatia COVID-19 Quick Access
Current COVID-19 Data
Cumulative COVID-19 Data
COVID-19 Case Count by Croatia County
Croatia County COVID-19 Update Links
Croatia County COVID-19 Details
COVID-19 News in Past 48 Hours
Croatia Health Updates & COVID-19 Tracking
Croatia National Headquarters New Safety Restrictions
Other Croatia COVID-19 Announcements
Croatia Travel Information
European Union COVID-19 Statistics
World Live Updates
World Statistics & Pandemic Information
Current COVID-19 Data
3,272 – New cases
21,297 – Active cases
2,918 – Treated in hospitals
294 – On ventilators
68 – Deceased
4,352 – Recovered
10,849 – Tested
54,587 – In self-isolation
Cumulative COVID-19 Data
190,235 – Total cases (since 25.02.20)
165,915 – Total recovered (since 25.02.20)
3,023 – Total deceased (since 25.02.20)
931,358 – Total tested (since 25.02.20)
COVID-19 Case Count by Croatia County
Sources: Index here, koronavirus.hr here, and counties below. Google Translate plugin download here. Google Translate here.
Details on the birth years of deceased COVID-19 patients on the koronavirus.hr Twitter page here. Note that national and county numbers for new and active cases often differ and sometimes greatly.
Croatia County COVID-19 Update Links
These are direct links to the county websites for COVID-19 daily reports. Note that not all counties provide updates on a daily basis. Google Translate plugin download here. Google Translate here.
Bjelovar-Bilogora County
Brod-Posavina County
Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Istria County
Karlovac County
Koprivnica-Križevci County
Krapina-Zagorje County
Lika-Senj County
Međimurje County
Osijek-Baranja County
Požega-Slavonia County
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
Šibenik-Knin County
Sisak-Moslovina County
Split-Dalmatia County
Varaždin County
Virovitica-Podravina County
Vukovar-Srijem County
Zadar County
Zagreb City
Zagreb County
Croatia County COVID-19 Details
Dubrovnik-Neretva County
287 — Tested
40 — New cases (20 — from antigen tests)
14% — Percent positive
28 — COVID-19 positive contacts
92 — Recovered
57 — Hospitalized
10 — On ventilators (4 — invasive, 6 — non-invasive)
1,772 — In self-isolation
Towns and Cities — There are 18 people from Dubrovnik, ten from Metković, three each from Ploče and Župa dubrovačka, two each from Opuzen and Vela Luka, and one each from Konavle and Slivno. Ninety-two (92) people recovered: 32 from Dubrovnik, 20 from Metković, 16 from Ploče, six from Zažablje and Župa dubrovačka, five from Opuzen, three from Konavle, two from the Dubrovnik littoral, one from Kula Norinska and one person who does not reside in the county.
Istra County
454 — Tested
68 — New cases
15% — Percent positive
51 — COVID-19 positive contacts (or self-isolation)
65 — Recovered
65 — Hospitalized
2 — On ventilators
1,596 — Self-isolation
Additional Details — For 4 people, epidemiologically, these are imported cases from: Split (2), Slavonski Brod (1), Slovenia (1).
Announcements — Beginning Monday December 14 high schools switch to online classes. They will last until December 23.
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
308 — New cases
251 — Recovered
Split-Dalmatia County
1,029 — Tested
356 — New cases
35% — Percent positive
197 — COVID-19 positive contacts
176 — Hospitalized
16 — On ventilators
3,218 — In self-isolation
Towns and Cities — 133 from Split, Hvar 1, Imotski 14, Kastela 26, Makarska 8, Omis 7, Sinj 34, Solin 18, Stari Grad 3, Supetar 1, Trilj 12, Trogir 8, Vrgorac 14, Brela 3, Dicmo 2, Dugi Rat 3, Dugopolje 10, Gradac 1, Hrvace 2, Jelsa 5, Klisa 3, Lovreca 1, Muc 1, Podbablje 13, Podgora 5, Podstrana 8, Postira 1, Prolozac 2, Runovici 4, Sestanovac 2, Solta 2, Tucepi 1, Zagvozd 1, Zmijavci 2 and Cista Provo 2 people.
Zadar County
430 — Tested
111 — New cases
26% — Percent positive
92 — Hospitalized (62 — Zadar, 30 — Biograd)
9 — On ventilators
2,156 — In self-isolation
Towns and Cities — 67 are in the area of Zadar, six are in Benkovac, five in Sv. Filip i Jakov, four each in Poličnik and Preko, three each in Pakoštane and Ražanac, two each in Biograd, Bibinje, Galovac, Gračac and Pašman, and one each in Jasenice, Kukljica, Obrovac, Nin, Polača, Sukošan, Škabrnja and Zemunik donji.
Additional Details — Two more patients were infected at the Ugljan Psychiatric Hospital, so that a total of 30 patients and 14 employees have become ill.
Zagreb City
997 — Antigen tests
356 — Positive
36% — Percent positive from antigen tests
1,267 — PCR tests
385 — Positive
30% — Percent positive from PCR tests
1,395 — New in self-isolation
15 — In quarantine
Additional Details — Positive test results for 73 residents and 15 employees have been confirmed in homes for the elderly and infirm and other social institutions in Zagreb. In addition positive test results were confirmed for 42 students and six primary school teachers and five secondary school students. Self-isolation was determined for 771 students and 24 employees of primary and 86 students of secondary schools.
Zagreb County
398 — New cases
801 — Recovered
Towns and Cities — 36 Samobor, 12 Sveta Nedelja, 30 Zaprešić, 15 Jastrebarsko, 84 Velika Gorica, 37 Ivanić-Grad, 34 Dugo Selo, 32 Vrbovec, 20 Sveti Ivan Zelina, municipalities – 6 Brdovec, 11 Bistra, 2 Jakovlje, 1 Luka, 4 Marija Gorica, 1 Pusca, 2 Dubravica, 6 Klinca Sela, 3 Stupnik, 10 Pisarovina, 1 Zumberak, 3 Krasic, 3 Orle, 3 Kravarsko, 11 Klostar Ivanic, 8 Kriz, 2 Brckovljani, 5 Rugvica, 5 Dubrava, 4 Preseka, 3 Rakovec, 1 Gradec, 2 Farkaševac, 1 Bedenica
Additional Details — Self-isolation was ordered for 8 classes of elementary school students.
Announcements — From November 30 to December 24, 2020, due to the current epidemiological situation, classes will be held online in high schools in the Zagreb County . Find out more here. Testing center information here.
COVID-19 News in Past 48 Hours
Friday December 18
Rapid Antigen Tests Available Only on Referral in Split Dalmatia County
For several days now the County Teaching Institute for Public Health in Split-Dalmatia County has been conducting antigen, or rapid testing for COVID-19. Not everyone can get this test, in which results are available in 15 minutes. They are only available by referral from a family doctor.
Therefore, Slobodna dalmacija found out how many were positive from the total number tested so far.
“The positive results from the rapid tests are 30 to 40 percent, which is the same percentage as PCR tests. I should also mention that in a few days we will begin offering free quick tests in Sinj, Makarska and Imotski, because the Government is sending us quick tests from their reserves,” explained Dr. Diana Nonković, Head of the Epidemiological Service of the County Institute of Public Health.
“This test will be available to everyone, who is referred by their doctor online for testing,” she added.
Thursday December 17
Epidemiologist Vikica Krolo: Two to Three Times More Infected Than Official Numbers
This morning, epidemiologist Bernard Kaić and HLK deputy president Vikica Krolo were guests on Croatian Radio.
Krolo revealed that the entire health care system was overburdened at the very beginning: “Even before the epidemic we discussed the lack of doctors. We do not have enough doctors in the primary health care system and then an epidemic comes along. There are more people infected (in Croatia) than officially known — maybe not 10 times more, but 2 or 3 times more is a safe estimate. We monitor whole families, test one to two members, but from symptoms we can see that other family members are infected too. However, we do not send them for testing due to to (health care system) overload,” he revealed.
Split Hospital to Get Long Awaited Hot Water System
After a patient’s departure from Križine hospital, where there is no hot water, the management of KBC Split decided to urgently repair the system. However, they point out that the conditions for repair are almost impossible right now. The COVID-19 ward is full of patients, and the hospital is under special epidemic restrictions.
“There is hot water, you simply must wait until it flows through the pipes. We chose a contractor along ago that will change the pumps which will allow our our patients to get hot water faster,” explained Dr. Krešimir Dolić, Deputy Director of KBC Split.
“Under normal circumstances, the project could be completed in two months, but now this is difficult it to predict,” explained Danijel Benčić, Director of Rudan, the firm which accepted the job. He adds that there is also a problem with the procurement of materials and equipment, given that traffic at the borders is hampered due to the epidemic. Also, some employees are occasionally absent due to isolation, which poses additional obstacles.
Wednesday December 16
Survey N1: More Than 60 Percent of Respondents Believe Restrictions are Late
N1 Television conducted an extensive survey regarding Croatia during the pandemic, trust in the Headquarters and other institutions, and other issues. The survey for N1 was conducted by the MASMI Agency from December 11 to 14 on a representative sample of adult citizens of the Republic of Croatia (N = 713), which guarantees a reliability of 95 percent, with a statistical error of plus/minus 3.67%.
As for the timeliness of the decisions of the Government of Croatia, in May, 69 percent of residents thought that the decisions were sufficient and timely. However, in December, 17 percent of respondents believed so. In May, 10 percent of respondents thought that the measures were insufficient and late, while in December that number rose to 60 percent.
The survey showed that almost half of Croatians no longer trust the Headquarters. Thus, 46 percent of respondents said they did not trust the National Civil Protection Headquarters. Twenty-eight (28) percent trust the headquarters, and 26 percent of respondents do not know. The reasons for mistrust include the influence of politics (33%), inconsistency (23%), manipulation of numbers (11%), incompetence (8%) and inefficiency (7%).
Croatia Health Updates & COVID-19 Tracking
Koronavirus.hr (daily update at 10:00 CET in English) here, Facebook here, Twitter here and YouTube here.
Croatian Institute of Public Health (daily updates at 15:00 CET in Croatian) here.
COVID-19 INFO CROATIA well-moderated Facebook group providing rolling updates here.
US Embassy COVID-19 Information page can be found here.
Croatia National Headquarters New Safety Restrictions
Croatia has officially closed night clubs, night bars, discos, casinos, slot machine clubs and fitness centers. Restaurants and cafes are also closed. However, restaurants may offer delivery and pick-up. Stores and businesses allowed to remain open must adhere to the capacities prescribed by Civil Protection Headquarters. All events and gatherings with more than 25 people are prohibited, funerals included.
Official Croatia Government restrictions from koronavirus.hr — original here and translation here. This decision went into effect at midnight on November 27, 2020 and applies until December 21, 2020. These restrictions have been extended to January 10, 2021 with the following additions:
- A maximum of 10 people from a maximum of 2 different households may be present at private gatherings and ceremonies.
- It is recommended that Mass celebrations be broadcast whenever possible via radio, TV or in any other way that will allow worshippers to attend Mass without coming to religious facilities. On December 24 and 25, 2020, as an exception, Mass celebrations should be held in accordance with special recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.
Croatia initially imposed restrictions on entry effective December 1 through December 15. Those have been extended to January 15. More information here.
Other Croatia COVID-19 Announcements
Passes Required to Leave County of Residence With Certain Exceptions
The National Civil Protection Headquarters announced the details of the introduction of passes at today’s press conference. Passes will therefore be required to leave a county, and the ban on leaving counties without passes will be valid from 00:01 December 23 to January 8. Official announcement here (in Croatian). The ban on leaving the county will not apply to:
- Staff necessary for traffic maintenance and supply.
- Daily movement of employees in services important for: provision of health and veterinary protection, delivery of medicines and sanitary items, maintenance for communal activities, water supply and drainage, gas and electricity supply and security services.
- Public reporting.
- Patients requiring medical care.
- Travel to and from work, if necessary, which cannot be done from home.
- Emergency and operational services involved in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
- Diplomatic staff.
When entering or leaving the territory of a particular county:
- It is mandatory to adhere to strict restrictions regarding physical distancing.
- It is forbidden to stay unnecessarily in public places.
- It is obligatory to have an identity card, other identification document or document which can prove belonging to one of the categories of people for whom the ban does not apply, or a valid pass issued through the e-Pass system.
Passes will be issued by the county headquarters, and in justified cases they can be issued by the Directorate of Civil Protection. The decision does not apply to the movement between the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. For more information about passes, there is an email [email protected] and phone 0800-80-90 and a website here (the website and services will be operational on Monday December 21).
No Testing at Dr. Andrija Štampar in Zagreb on Christmas and New Years Days
The Teaching Institute for Public Health (NZJZ) “Dr. Andrija Štampar” in Zagreb reported that on Christmas and New Year’s Day it will not test residents for COVID-19. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve testing will be conducted 9:00 to 11:00 CET.
Aside from the mentioned days, testing will be conducted in the NZJZ according to the regular schedule, and everyone is asked to apply through the available online platform here. The regular working hours of drive-in testing at the Institute (Mirogojska cesta 16) are from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 CET, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00 CET and on Sundays from 8:00 to 12:00 CET.
New Restrictions for Stores and Shopping Centers Go Into Effect Saturday December 12
“As for the organization of shops and shopping centers, we have prepared a decision that refers to a special organization of shops from this Saturday to January 10. The number of customers who can be in a store will be limited so that stores which have up to 10 square meters of retail space can only have one customer. For stores from 11 to 100 square meters, there must be at least 10 square meters per customer. For stores up to 200 square meters there must be at least 12 square meters per customer. In addition, for stores up to 2000 square meters there must be at least 16 square meters per customer. And for those bigger than that, there must be at least 20 square meters,” explained Davor Bozinovic.
“For shopping centers, the maximum number of customers will be calculated so that is at least 16 square meters for each customer. Stores and shopping centers will have to clearly state this capacity at entrances and will have to strictly adhere to these limits. For shops with more than 2,000 square meters, additional epidemiological measures are being introduced. These include the suspension of organized transport for customers and the introduction of security guards to prevent entry of excessive numbers of customers. They must also remove or disable seating in the common areas of shopping centers and remove or disable entertainment appliances. The civil protection service will be provided with information on the ventilation and air exchange system,” Bozinovic added.
500 HRK Fine for Not Wearing a Mask According to Guidelines, or Wearing One Improperly
As of December 5, non-wearing or improper wearing of masks where they are mandatory will be punished with a 500 HRK fine (66 EUR).
In addition to the current provision that masks must be worn indoors, they are becoming mandatory in public places in the open where there increased chances of virus transmission — where it is not possible to maintain a meter and a half distance. These circumstances include waiting in lines, riding in elevators and at public transport stops.
Face masks or medical masks must be worn the correct way so that the nose and mouth are covered. They must be worn at all times by health care workers, retail employees, drivers and employees in public transport, worshippers during religious ceremonies, and parents who transport their children to kindergarten or school.
Some groups of people are excluded from wearing masks, like children under the age of two and those older children who cannot tolerate wearing a mask, as well as people with certain forms of disabilities or health problems. More information here (in Croatian).
Drive In COVID-19 Testing at Split Ferry Terminal Beginning Monday, November 30
Drive in testing will be available at the Split ferry port at external berth of the cruise terminal – from 07:00 to 13:00 CET beginning Monday November 30.
Testing will be available exclusively to people who have ordered online. Two separate testing points are set up at the mentioned location. There is one for people who come by car and use the drive in service and the other point is for those who arrive as pedestrians. It is important to note that beginning November 30 there will be no testing at Križine. Appointments for testing can be arranged here.
Zagreb Offers Free Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Testing Beginning Monday, November 23
As of Monday, November 23, the City of Zagreb started mass antigen testing for COVID-19, the results of which will be obtained in 15 minutes. There are currently 50,000 tests available. More information about making appointments, procedures, testing sites, contact information and hours of operation here.
Ministry of Interior Reminds Citizens and Residents to Visit Police Stations Only When Urgent
The Ministry of the Interior (MUP) reminded citizens and residents on November 10 to come to police administrations and stations only in case of an urgent need to urgently solve some of the administrative tasks in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. They repeat that the validity of ID cards, passports and driver’s licenses and weapons certificates which expired after the proclamation of the COVID-19 epidemic on March 11 were extended for the entire duration of the epidemic, and at most 30 days after the proclamation of the end of the epidemic. The Ministry of the Interior also points out the possibility of submitting certain applications for administrative tasks via e-Services, which include submitting applications for passports, driver’s licenses, registration of residence, giving consent in certain administrative procedures, such as the landlord’s consent to registering residence.
Croatia Counties Strengthening Safety Restrictions to Control Spread of COVID-19
Several Croatia counties have strengthened safety restrictions in an attempt to control the transmission of COVID-19. Those include reducing the number of participants at weddings, funerals, wakes, and other private and public events. A full summary of county restrictions can be found here.
Croatia Travel Information
- Re-open EU here.
- canitravel.net here.
- Euronews Article: Where can I book a holiday in Europe? here.
- Croatia imposed restrictions on entry effective December 1 through December 15. Those have been extended to January 15. More information here.
European Union COVID-19 Statistics
Information on the COVID-19 situation and maps can be found on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control website here. As of December 14, the ECDC discontinued daily updates on the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 cases/deaths per 100,000. They now update once a week on Thursdays (the most recent spreadsheet reflects numbers as of December 17).
Maps can be found here for:
- Combined indicator: 14-day notification rate, testing rate and test positivity
- 14-day case notification rate per 100, 000 inhabitants
- Testing rates per 100, 000 inhabitants
Since the ECDC has discontinued daily updates on the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 cases/deaths per 100,000 — Daily Croatia will continue to compile new case and deaths to reflect the 7-day cumulative COVID-19 cases/deaths per 100,000. We believe that using a 7-day, rather than a 14-day window, will more effectively track epidemiological shifts. This spreadsheet will be updated daily.
World Live Updates
CNN updates can be found here.
The Guardian updates are here.
Al Jazeera updates are available here.
World Statistics & Pandemic Information
Johns Hopkins international map tracking spread of COVID-19 here.
Worldometers spreadsheets and charts here.
World Health Organization (WHO) updates here.
Follow this link for all Daily Croatia updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. UPDATED: 21:00 CET (Central European Time)
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