The current epidemiological situation in Croatia is stable, the number of COVID-19 patients is expected to fall and no problems are expected this winter if the Omicron variant of coronavirus remains dominant, Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) head Krunoslav Capak said on Saturday.

The BA.5 Omicron variant is currently prevailing and it has been confirmed in 97% of the new infections in the country. It causes a milder form of the disease and there are not many hospitalised patients. If everything stays that way, the situation will continue to be as it is now, Capak said in an interview with Croatian Radio.

Asked about epidemiological forecasts for the autumn and winter, Capak said that he expected the number of infections to decline unless a new coronavirus strain emerged because in that case, he said, everything starts anew.

The hospital system in Croatia functions normally, there are several hospitalised patients per COVID ward, he said, adding that the number of patients and fatalities was now ten times smaller than during the wave caused by the Delta variant in 2021, when there were around 5,000 new cases and more than 50 deaths on a daily basis.

Still, the number of new infections is high, which shows that the virus continues to circulate in the population, Capak said.

As for vaccination, Capak said that more than 1,000 people get vaccinated on a daily basis, mostly with a third and fourth dose.

Around 40,000 people have so far received a fourth dose, and close to one million a third one. Seventy percent of adults have received at least one dose, or 60% of the total population, Capak said.

“That’s low at the EU level but rather good at the global level,” Capak said, adding that in terms of vaccination in Europe Croatia fares the same as Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.

The WHO forecasts that the pandemic will end when the global vaccination rate reaches 70%, and we are still far from that, the HZJZ head said.
People can get vaccinated with a fifth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Croatia. There is no official recommendation yet for the fifth dose, but if someone wants to get it, they can do so, he said.

Speaking of the start of the flu season, Capak said that it is possible to get vaccinated simultaneously against flu and COVID-19 and that the immunological response is equally good as in the case of separate vaccination against the two diseases.

Mask wearing is still mandatory in medical institutions, pharmacies and retirement homes, and they are recommended in all places with a large number of people where physical distancing is not possible.