Ninety-six new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Croatia on Wednesday, in what is the largest 24-hour spike since the outbreak began. The country's total case count to date is 963, health authorities said, including 73 recoveries and six deaths.
“We don’t know which stage of the match we are currently in,whether this is the first halftime, or maybe the second halftime. If necessary, we are prepared to go into extra time. This is no time to relax, we have to continue strictly abiding by (social distancing) restrictions. We are up against the coronavirus and the trophy is the entire nation’s health,” Health Minister, Vili Beros, told reporters at the daily coronavirus crisis press conference at 2 pm.
Wednesday’s total of 963 cases means that the count has doubled over the last seven days, from 481 reported on Thursday morning.
Health officials added that 34 people are currently in intensive care, using ventilators to breathe, and the average age of confirmed cases is 48. On Tuesday, public health service HZJZ confirmed that nearly 5 percent of all infected are people under the age of 20.
Like most other European countries, Croatia had moved to close all non-essential shops, restaurants and bars, ban public gatherings, and practically close its borders earlier this month. Public transport has been greatly reduced or outright shut down, and Croatians have been barred from any inter-city travel.
On Wednesday, civil authority began issuing electronically-issued passes with QR codes, available to people who are exempted from the ban, including home carers, emergency workers, people who must travel across city borders for work, and others.
Slovenia: Nursing homes account for 20 pct of cases
In neighbouring Slovenia, authorities reported 39 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total to 841. No new deaths have been reported, with the death toll unchanged from Tuesday, at 15. More than 23,700 people have been tested so far. Health officials said 119 are currently cared for in Slovenia’s hospitals, including 31 in intensive care units.
Out of the total case count, 167, or nearly 20 percent, are residents of staff of nursing homes from around the country, raising concerns that small clusters of outbreaks at nursing homes could overwhelm Slovenia’s health care system. In an attempt to prevent new outbreaks, authorities called on families of elderly residents to take them in for home care for the duration of the epidemic.
Serbia: Largest 24-hour spike in cases
In Serbia, health authorities reported on Tuesday 160 new cases, the largest 24-hour spike in cases to date. Over the last 24 hours case count increased by 18 percent, putting Serbia’s total-to-date 1,060 confirmed cases. The case count – highest in the region – has doubled over only five days, from 528 reported on Friday.
The total also include 28 deaths so far, including five reported over the last 24 hours.
Serbia had introduced one Europe’s strictest set of restrictions, including a nationwide 12-hour curfew rolled out on March 19. The country’s military also took over the management of hospitals and border crossings.
After rumours began circulating earlier this week that the government might extend the curfew to the entire 24 hours in a day, Belgrade government moved on Wednesday to limit the flow of information by ordering public and health officials at all levels to report to the central epidemic task force exclusively, i.e. eschew all media enquiries.
Local press associations raised concerns that the decision might lead to censorship and limit the media’s ability to report on issued related to the epidemic, opinion echoed by the OSCE mission in Serbia, which warned that the “free flow of information should be protected.”
Bosnia: IMF pledges €165 million for health care system and economic assistance
In Bosnia, the latest case count on Wednesday evening stood at 459, including 13 deaths and 19 recoveries. Around a third of all cases are in the major city of Banja Luka, which is also the capital of the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska half of the country.
Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, told N1 that if Bosnians adhere to strict social distancing measures imposed earlier this month the peak of the epidemic might be over in two or three weeks – but at the cost of the country’s GDP shrinking by 10 percent.
On Tuesday, Bosnia received medical supplies and equipment from Serbia, the first batch of coronavirus tests donated by the European Union. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) pledged €165 million in aid to help the country manage the epidemic and stabilise its economy, with the funding expected to arrive in April.
Elsewhere in the region, North Macedonia confirmed a total of 354 cases on Wednesday, including the country’s 11th fatality. The country’s Health Minister, Venko Filipce, said on Facebook that 17 people have fully recovered so far, and added that the peak of the epidemic is expected “later this month.”
Montenegro, which had been the last European country to confirm its first case of the disease on March 17, reported a total of 123 cases as of Wednesday, including two deaths. Twenty people have been hospitalised, including two who are currently on ventilators in intensive care. The country’s government had imposed a 10-hour daily curfew on Monday.
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