If one looks superficially at the COVID-19 new infections in Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany caused by Sars-CoV-2, there is at present only at first glance the concern that one has to think about the planned holiday. A closer look reveals that it is the so-called hotsports that drive up the number of registered new infections with the coronavirus. And it is not the classic holiday regions and certainly not the water sports enthusiasts who are involved in these hotspots.
Croatia: Local corona hotspots instead of a widespread pandemic
Let’s take a closer look: In Germany, the number of new infections increased because the meat processing industry employed cheap labourers from low-wage countries. They lived in barracks in a very confined space and were also unable to observe the rules of distance at their workplace.
Churches, monasteries and nightclubs
In Austria, the increase in COVID-19 new infections is largely due to church events, where aerosols were spread in narrow rooms by loud singing. And also in Croatia a monastery was identified, which quickly developed as a new hotspot. Added to this was the unspeakable Adriatic tour of the tennis pros, which once again brought Croatia to the fore with Corona headlines in the media.
“We now have over 100 cases related to the monastery in Đakovo. There is also a hotspot in Zagreb where we have registered 21 new cases. Both hotspots, as well as the cases registered in other countries, are all being followed epidemiologically and are under control. Thanks to a quick reaction of the health authorities in the Osijek-Baranja County, all cases in Đakovo have been divided into a group of positive tested cases and a group of self-isolation,” Krunoslav Capak, Director of the Institute of Public Health, told the Croatian broadcaster HRT.
COVID-19: Stronger controls in the club scene
The club scene, which was responsible for outbreaks in Zagreb, is also expected to see a harder wind blowing in the future: Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said: “In most cases, there is no adequate social distance and limitation of the number of visitors. So far only verbal warnings have been issued. In cases where these violations continue, officials will report the nightclubs to the state supervisory authority.”
However, it seems more than doubtful whether it makes sense against this background to continue accepting bookings for the club scene on the island of Pag. The predominantly young visitors to the party location Zrce will probably not be able to comply with the hygiene regulations and distance rules as the party mood increases.
Holiday in Croatia: No major risk of infection on yachts
For “normal” tourists, a closer look at the situation in Croatia shows that there is currently no greater risk of infection with the coronavirus, especially since the total number of infected persons in Germany and Austria is also rising slightly again. And those who spend their holidays on their own ship or a charter boat should always be safer than in the bustling cities.
If you observe distance rules, wear a mask when entering public places and dine outdoors in restaurants, a visit to Croatia should be just as safe as a stay on the Baltic Sea beach or the numerous lakes. And staying at home is not an option in the long term, as a traveller to Croatia put it: “The bathing areas on the lakes, the numerous open-air swimming pools in the big cities, the mountain huts on the hiking and mountain bike routes in Austria and Germany will sooner or later be in the media as hotspots as the mass influx of holidaymakers continues.
