Residents of care homes account for nearly half of Croatia's 108 Covid-19 deaths, Jutarnji List daily reported on Friday, with experts saying that this is an even lower percentage compared to other European countries.

According to data released by the public health service HZJZ, 50 out of 108 fatalities to date had been residents of care homes, including 29 in Split-Dalmatia County, where a care home in the second city of Split became a coronavirus hotspot in May.

“These figures are not unexpected because seniors are the most at-risk population globally, and residents of care homes account for 60-70 percent of coronavius-related deaths in many European counties,” epidemiologist Branko Kolaric told Jutarnji List.

Although coronavirus-related mortality rate has been highest among the elderly, HZJZ data shows that the 50-59 age group had the highest number of confirmed cases.

The recent renewed spike in coronavirus cases which began in mid-June showed a different age distribution of infections, with slightly more cases of infections in younger people. Those aged 20-29 now account for 12.9 percent of cases (up from 10.8 percent before the spike)  those aged 30-39 15.1 percent, up from 13.7 percent.

The HZJZ sayid that patients aged 20-29 are the leading age group out of some 500 cases in the recent spike in infections.