Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butkovic said on Monday that making Covid certificates mandatory for government employees was not being considered but added that health came first and once again called on citizens to get vaccinated.

He was asked by the press in Rijeka if the certificates should be mandatory for everyone on the state budget.

Butkovic said this had neither been discussed nor considered, adding that using “repression or force (is) the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.”

“But the numbers are still high and people’s health is the most important thing to us. Had we not pursued a smart and balanced policy, the tourism season probably wouldn’t have been this good.”

He said people must realise that there was no protection without vaccination and that unless everyone was disciplined, the economic situation would not be as one wanted.

Asked if today’s protests outside two hospitals against mandatory Covid certificates in the health sector could spread, Butkovic said the government was not afraid of that.

He said many people lost their loved ones to Covid and that he believed Croatians were mature enough to realise that the health of one’s dear ones, who had not had Covid and were vulnerable, was important and that the only way to protect them was through vaccination.