As of Friday Croatia will ease coronavirus restrictions, allowing gatherings of more than 100 people. The ban on private gatherings will be lifted, while public events will be allowed to last until 11 pm, the country's Covid-19 task force said on Wednesday.

The new regime is expected to remain in force until at least mid-June.

In addition, restaurants will now be allowed to serve guests indoors for the first time in about six months. However, cafes and bars will still only be allowed to serve guests outdoors. Bakeries can now work until an hour longer, until 11 pm, and alcohol cannot legally be sold in the period from 11 pm to 6 am.

“There will be no limit to the number of people attending funerals, but there must be no close contact between those attending,” the head of the task force and Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic, said.

Wedding parties will be allowed to host up to 120 guests and can continue beyond 11 pm. Wedding planners have to check whether everyone had been vaccinated,  tested negative, or recovered from Covid-19, and every wedding party needs to be announced five days in advance to authorities.

Casinos and betting shops can remain open until 11 pm. Dance schools, children’s play groups, and the like can now be held normally.

Rules for religious events depend on size of venue 

Physical education classes in school halls will still be banned, but sports can be done in other sports venues. Open-air fairs are allowed, providing that guests wear masks.

Religious events are not restricted to 100 people any more, although the number of people allowed to attend the event will depend on the size of the venue, with four square meters per person defined as minimum. The restriction to allow a maximum of 40 percent occupancy in public transport such as buses and trams will be lifted as well, although face masks remain mandatory.

Children under 12 years of age who are traveling across the border with parents who had been inoculated, have recovered from Covid-19, or have a negative coronavirus test, do not need to have a test themselves or go into self-isolation. Night clubs will remain closed for the time being.

Croatia now has 41.8 percent fewer new cases weel-on-week. The 14-day incidence is now 191.5 cases per 100,000 people, putting Croatia in 16th place out of 27 EU countries. In terms of death rate, Croatia is in 20th place, Croatia’s coronavirus czar, Krunoslav Capak, said.