Forty-nine new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Croatia, which puts the total number of cases at 635, and four people have died, the national civil protection authority said on Saturday morning.

“If we compare this figure to yesterday’s increase, we see that it is lower. Most new cases come from a micro-location where we have introduced special epidemiological measures, which is why we expect that the rate at which the disease is spreading there will decline,” Health Minister Vili Beros said at a news conference.

A total of 4,938 samples have been tested. Four people have died, the fourth victim being a 92-year-old woman from Pula. Nineteen patients are on respirators and 45 people have recovered.

“The epidemiological situation in Croatia is still satisfactory and encouraging. Optimism, solidarity and faith are necessary in overcoming this global threat,” Beros said, thanking everyone actively involved in those efforts.

Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic, who heads the national civil protection authority, said that the authority was currently not planning the introduction of new measures.

“We have been analysing the situation carefully. The measures we have introduced are rather strict and they are yielding certain results, their success depends on how they are implemented. That is the duty of all citizens, the more we comply with them, the easier it will be for us to deal with this situation. This is a fight for all of us,” said Bozinovic.

Asked if reports about the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Split prison of Bilice had been confirmed, Bozinovic said that epidemiological measures in prisons were implemented strictly.

“Some people were in self-isolation, there was one suspect case but it turned out negative. There is no information in the system about anyone having tested positive for the coronavirus,” said Bozinovic.