Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic on Tuesday once again called on citizens to adhere to coronavirus prevention measures, saying "each one of us is fighting this battle" and that responsibility and solidarity were necessary.

“At the moment, solidarity is perhaps the number one principle. Yes to responsibility, yes to reason, but solidarity first. Let’s think of those who are weak, sick, vulnerable, old,” he told the press after a meeting of parliament’s presidency at which it was decided that parliament would resume sitting on November 3.

The state and its epidemiological measures are one thing, but each one of us is fighting this battle, the whole community and society, and it can’t be won without responsibility and solidarity, said Jandrokovic.

He added that in comparison with other countries, Croatia did not impose the strictest measures.

We have to be reasonable, follow and compare what is in force here and in other countries. If someone resorted to rebellion and protests now, that wouldn’t be wise nor would it help but only make the situation more difficult, Jandrokovic said.

Things are still under control

The measures that are in force can stop the rise in the number of new infections and deaths. They are enough if we adhere to them. If the numbers continue to rise, if some people won’t adhere to the measures, the state will have to step up control, but I hope it won’t come to that, said Jandrokovic.

Asked if Croatia was keeping the epidemic under control, he said the numbers were still not as high as in some other countries where the situation was visibly out of control.

“I wish to believe that we still have mechanisms which can bring the number of infections and deaths under control. The system still hasn’t reached breaking point, it’s still fighting. The medical staff in hospitals are exhausted but from what I see, things are still under control.”

System won’t break

It’s up to all citizens not to make the work of those people harder, the speaker said, calling for wearing masks. That’s the least each one of us can do, he added, confident that the system would not break.

Asked why Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had cancelled a visit to Zagreb, Jandrokovic said he had no information about that and that he was confident the reasons were not political but those stated by Lavrov.