Even if at present straight other events stand in the focus of the medium reporting, the SeaHelp editorship follows the obligation to throw once again a view of the spreading of the Coronavirus in Europe in order to hold the mirror up to those, which think Corona is a national problem, which could be solved with national measures. If we look at the number of new coronavirus infections as of November 4, we find that Spain (302.8), Italy (323.8), Montenegro (340.5), Austria (360.5) and Croatia (379.4) have a coronavirus infection rate of 300 to 380 new coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants (7-day incidence). Slovenia (562.5) represents the outlier on the top, while Germany (136.9) falls off the grid on the bottom.
At this point, a light should dawn on the political actors: The virus does not stop at national borders and cannot be stopped by holidaymaker controls at the Karawanken tunnel, when elsewhere commuters, harvest workers, seasonal workers and business travelers can enter and leave unhindered. At the latest in view of the figures, in which holidaymakers and people returning to their home countries are likely to account for a rather small share at present, since the 2020 vacation season is a long time ago, politicians should recognize that closing borders is unlikely to be a suitable means of stopping the spread of the pandemic in the future.
Sense and nonsense of travel warnings
The whole insanity of the practice practiced so far becomes clear nevertheless at a few numbers: On the cut-off date 4 November the 7-day incidence in the province Vienna was clearly over 800 coronavirus new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. The Croatian county of Zadar had a 7-day incidence of only 158.8, Split 376.3 and in Istria the value was 142.3. This raises the serious question of why countries such as Germany or Austria warn against certain regions, be it Croatia, Slovenia or Italy.
Check travel health insurance
Another argument that the local health care system is overburdened does not work either. Responsible vacationers who go to the countries bordering the Adriatic Sea should be in possession of appropriate travel health insurance, which ensures that they are transported back to their home country in case of coronavirus infection. SeaHelp-tip: Here there could be still pitfalls with some insurers, therefore it is recommended to clarify also such questions with the insurer before travel start.
Only reasonable behavior on site protects against corona
Effective protection, as most of us have learned in the course of the pandemic, consists only of sensible local behavior, not of closing borders and bans. Water sports enthusiasts probably still belong to the species of holidaymakers who are most easily put in a position to exercise caution simply by the form of their vacation. But also camping vacationers, apartment guests and those who prefer accommodation in a hotel with appropriate hygiene concepts should be able to enjoy the sun in 2021 in Italy, Slovenia or Croatia.
Common sense: Avoid corona hotspots
The coronavirus will certainly still be with us in 2021, but the decisive factor will probably be how sensible holidaymakers deal with it. If skippers, but also other vacationers avoid corona hotspots like the party miles of Split, the bars on Hvar or the discos in the area of Zrce (Pag), the danger of infection for them in Croatia, respectively on the whole Adriatic coast, should not be higher than at home.
Also politics must show understanding
And because it is up to everyone to decide how to protect themselves, whether in Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Portoroz, Porec or Zadar, SeaHelp will continue to work to ensure that, among other things, water sports enthusiasts are not lumped together with partygoers. House or human understanding before political understanding, then the slogan for vacation 2021 at the Adria should read.
