Health Minister Vili Beros said on Wednesday the government's scientific advisory council believed there was no need to tighten current epidemiological restrictions due to the appearance of new coronavirus strains, but that their relaxation should be carefully considered.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the scientific advisory council, Beroš said that the meeting did not focus on epidemiological restrictions but on the presence of a new virus strain in Croatia and vaccination.

Asked if a relaxation of current epidemiological restrictions that are in force until February 15 would be scrapped due to the new virus strain and if stricter measures would be introduced, Beros said that there was not one distinct answer to that question.

He noted that decisions would be based on epidemiological data and the position of epidemiologists and that they would be made cautiously and would be based on common sense.

Beros said the scientific council was agreed that the existing restrictions did not need to be tightened but it also believed that that their possible relaxation should be carefully considered.

The minister believes that certain decisions, based on the epidemiological situation, will be made in the next few days.

He underlined the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

“The scientists are unanimous that one should get vaccinated with available vaccines, and they all have stressed that all three vaccines used in Croatia are safe and prevent, to the greatest extent possible, severe forms of the disease as well as hospitalisation and death,” the minister said, adding that as vaccination progresses, it will help reduce the spread of the epidemic.