The first phase begins as early as 27.4. with the cautious opening of further service businesses, travel agencies and similar establishments where physical distance can be maintained.
If there is no deterioration of the coronavirus situation in Croatia, further relaxation is to take place on 4 May. It is also important, according to Plenković, that the functionality of the Croatian health system continues to be guaranteed.
In the last step, i.e. on 11 May, tourist facilities are also to be reopened. Even if the Prime Minister did not explicitly mention marinas here, it can be assumed that when hotels and apartment complexes are opened, owners will also be allowed to return to their boats.
Not without conditions
However, he also mentioned a number of conditions: the positive development in new coronavirus infections should continue and appropriate spacing rules should be maintained. Also at this point in time, no more than ten people should gather in one place. Likewise, the restaurants and national parks are to be reopened from 11 May, according to the preliminary conclusion of his speech.
Air traffic, rail and bus services are also to be reopened then.
Plenković praises discipline of the Croats
All in all, Plenković praised the behaviour of the Croats in the corona crisis and stated that it was probably the decisive factor for the overall positive development. The reproduction factor, i.e. the number of people infected with the coronavirus by one person, is currently below 0.8, and in some counties there have been no new infections with the coronavirus SARS COVID 19 for more than a week.
Coordinate border openings with EU
However, Croatia should not go it alone in closing its borders; the Prime Minister wants to present a paper to the EU Council today, which has been agreed with neighbouring countries. As leaked in advance from unconfirmed sources, an agreement is said to have already been reached with his counterparts.
The tourism ministers at EU level will agree on the relevant details of the measures in a video conference on Monday on the subject of coronavirus SARS COVID-19, as was heard.
Water sports season starts on 11 May?
It means that the chances are high that the water sports season in Croatia will start on 11 May, and not, as previously reported, on 18 May. It would probably be difficult to arrange an opening of hotels and apartments, but not of marinas. According to the information available so far, the reason for the early opening is probably primarily due to the positive development of the coronavirus situation in Croatia, which is also to some extent due to the strict measures of the Croatian government.
However, not only the government which prescribed the measures, but also the Croatian people largely complied with the regulations, which were accompanied by more or less strict controls.
As of May 23rd, the HRT reports that the head of the Institute of Emergency Medicine Maja Grba Bujević confirmed 31 newly infected persons within the last 24 hours, meaning that 1981 persons in Croatia tested positive for coronavirus. Within the last 24 hours, according to HRT, 1231 persons were tested.883 patients have recovered from the disease COVID-19.
According to HRT, 19 patients are currently connected to a ventilator. A total of 27,614 people were tested. A total of 50 people have died as a result of the virus throughout Croatia. That is two more than yesterday. Two people died last night in Split hospital as a result of the virus.
The head of the infection clinic „Dr. Fran Mihaljević“ in Zagreb, Dr. Alenka Markotić continued to speak at the HRT about the relaxation of measures by the government. She explicitly emphasized that hygiene measures must not be forgotten.
“Internationally, we are rated as very good. However, the relaxation of the measures does not mean that we can let ourselves go now. We are, and all of us are agreed on this, at the peak of the pandemic,” said Markotić in her statement.
Good prospects
SeaHelp will continue to report here on upcoming developments in Croatia and, despite all the euphoria, points out that all these measures are subject to the coronavirus situation in Croatia. Also, the implementing provisions for the relaxation and opening of borders have not yet been precisely defined. Or, to put it another way, one should not yet be sitting on packed suitcases, but one can confidently consider what should be put in them.
