Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic said on Monday the national COVID-19 response team was not considering either tightening or relaxing epidemiological restrictions, such as the reopening of night clubs, and that the protest against those restrictions held on Saturday was unjustified.

“At the moment we are not planning any tightening of the restrictions or their further liberalisation,” Bozinovic, who heads the COVID-19 response team, told reporters in Sibenik when asked if the reopening of nightclubs was being considered, as demanded by bar owners on Sunday.

He noted that it was not necessary to explain in great detail why nightclubs would not be allowed to reopen even if complying with anti-epidemic rules, including COVID-19 certificates.

“After 18 months of the pandemic, everyone will tell you that indoor areas are the main problem if they are not aired sufficiently and if people do not keep at least a minimum physical distance from one another,” he said, stressing that gatherings at nightclubs were more difficult to control than gatherings at football matches.

No reason for protest

Commenting on a protest against epidemiological restrictions, held in Zagreb on Saturday, Bozinovic said the protesters had gathered without any real reason.

“After the protest, at least some of them probably went to a cafe or a restaurant and were probably mad because they protested without any real reason,” he said, adding the organisers had rushed to “stage something” after seeing scenes of protests in Europe and elsewhere in the world.