The Croatian Ministry of Education is in talks with epidemiologists on the possible lifting of the obligation to wear face masks in schools, and Minister Radovan Fuchs has expressed hope that children will not need to wear protective masks in the classroom as of next week.

The self-testing option has produced very good results, and last week there were only 20-odd positive cases, which is a considerable decline from a while ago when the numbers ranged between 1,500 and 2000, Fuchs told the HRT public broadcaster.

He said that the proposal to end the mask wearing mandate needed to be approved by the Croatian Public Health Institute.