Stricter anti-epidemic measures for Varazdin Country that were introduced on November 21 have resulted in the number of new infections stagnating in recent days, the head of the Covid-19 management team for that county, Robert Vugrin, said on Monday.

Vugrin recalled at a press conference that three weeks ago they had been registering 1,500 new infections per week, they had had 172 patients with severe cases of Covid in hospitals, and the percentage of positive coronavirus tests had been 37%.

It was obvious then, he said, that the epidemiological measures in place were not effective, and recommendations made to the national team were either not accepted or were made more lenient.

The 7-day incidence rate in Varazdin County was twice and half times higher than the national one, and the county team had to react and propose stricter measures which entered into force on November 21. The same day, all secondary school and higher education institutions in the county accepted the proposal to switch to online classes.

Vugrin added that they had had to wait at least two weeks for the first results.

During the first week, the number of new infections rose to 2,100. The number of hospitals in patients was also increasing, to 272, while the percentage of positive tests was 44%.

However, he said, two weeks after the stricter measures were introduced, the numbers have started to stagnate.

Vugrin said that the number of new infections in a week was under 2,000, and in the last three days there has not been an increase in the number of patients in hospitals, so the number of patients admitted to and released from hospitals is balanced.

“Over the past three days, we have come from 272 to 262, and today we have 258 patients in hospitals,” Vugrin said.