Individual statements about the deterioration of the health system in Croatia are not true, Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday, adding that all COVID and non-COVID patients are receiving medical care without delay.

“I wish to explain to the media that statements by individuals about the deterioration of the health system (in Croatia) are simply not true. Indeed, large resources are being redirected towards the treatment of COVID patients, which could have been avoided by timely vaccination. However, all COVID and non-COVID patients are being taken care of without delay,” Beros told a cabinet meeting.

National response team looking into imposing new measures

The head of the national COVID-19 response team, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic, said that they were considering a possible new set of measures to contain the spread of the virus. He said that interdepartmental talks were ongoing and that the public would be informed of any new measures in due course.

Beros said that today’s number of 6,310 new cases in Croatia was by far the largest daily number recorded to date.

“The causes of this surge lie in ourselves alone, in our refusal to comply with the basic epidemiological measures and in our insufficient awareness of the benefits of vaccination,” Beros said.

7 in 10 new cases and 8 in 10 patients on ventilators unvaccinated

He said that the test positivity rate was 43.90 per cent, and 233 infected people had been hospitalised in the 24 hours alone. In the past week, of the total number of new cases, 72.8 per cent were not vaccinated, and 77.2 per cent of the patients on ventilators were not vaccinated, he warned.

“However, the newly-awakened interest among citizens in getting vaccinated is encouraging. As many as 14,379 persons were vaccinated yesterday, the largest number in a single day to date,” the health minister said.

Beros said that 29,627 people had so far received a booster shot against COVID-19, adding that three per cent of children aged 12-14 and 18.6 per cent of young people aged 15-19 had been vaccinated to date.

“Insufficient compliance with the epidemiological measures and refusal to get vaccinated are the main causes of the rapid spread of the virus. We are seeing consequences at all levels of the health system,” Beros warned and once again appealed to citizens to get vaccinated.

He said that the ministry had instructed local coronavirus response teams to ensure additional capacities for medical treatment in their counties.

Bozinovic said that 11,578 inspections had been carried out in the past week to check compliance with the epidemiological measures. He said that the irregularities mostly concerned provision of catering services after midnight and failure to wear face masks and maintain a physical distance in enclosed spaces. He said that 27 infringement notices, 176 written warnings, 14 oral warnings and 17 fines had been issued in that regard.