Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday that an expert epidemiological debate on cutting the period of isolation for people infected with coronavirus to ten days was underway while self-isolation will continue to last for 14 days.

“Based on the latest scientific research, the infection significantly decreases after seven days of falling ill hence it is recommended that persons in isolation can be released after ten days if they do not show any symptoms 24 hours prior to that. People with graver symptoms like pneumonia however are exempted from that and their isolation depends on their clinical situation. A debate among epidemiologists is currently underway to assess those guidelines in Croatia,” said Beros.

Self-isolation however will remain at 14 days for the time being.

Beros informed that the two largest hospitals for infectious diseases in Zagreb and Split, had been recording a fall in the number of hospitalised patients over the past week while the number of hospitalised patients in Croatia overall is two percent higher than last week.

The average fatality rate among those infected in Croatia is 1.68 whereas the world average is 3.6. The number of active cases too has contracted by almost 18% in the past week.

There are currently 2,108 active cases in Croatia and 300 people are undergoing hospital treatment, which is 20 fewer than a week ago and 24 patients are on ventilators.

In the past week 72 health workers have been infected and 545 are in self-isolation. Medical staff is currently being rotated to cater to shortages where necessary.

“Exceptional effort is being invested in the hospital system to care for patients other than those infected with the coronavirus and that includes emergency, priority, oncological, vulnerable groups with chronic diseases and other cases,” noted Beros.

Preventive examinations for early detection of breast and colon cancer are once again being conducted and cancer therapy has continued without delay. Last week vision screenings among children were relaunched.