Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday announced a mild easing of anti-epidemic restrictions in two sectors - education and sports, noting that the situation continued to be favourable compared to the situation of several weeks ago but that caution was still necessary.

“In the past seven days we registered 3,652 new cases of the infection. The daily average was 522, which is as much as seven times less than a month and a half ago, when we had more than 25,000 new cases in a single week. The mortality rate is also declining even though those figures are several weeks behind in relation to the number of new infections,” Plenkovic said at a government session.

Relaxation of measures in areas of education and sports

This points to the need for caution, he said, adding that the matter was also discussed by the European Council which, considering new virus strains, had warned all member-states to be cautious and expressed a wish for coordinating a possible tightening or easing of restrictions.

Following discussions in the government and with the national COVID-19 response team, we are in a position, owing to our citizens’ responsible behaviour as well as the measures taken, to announce a relaxation of epidemiological restrictions but only in two sectors, Plenkovic said.

There is a possibility for primary school pupils in Grades 5-8 to start having face-to-face classes again and additional sports activities could be allowed, notably those taking place outdoors, he said.

The anti-epidemic measures will be reviewed in mid-February, depending on how the epidemiological situation develops, the goal being to weather the winter months with as few negative consequences for public health as possible, said Plenkovic.

“Considering certain delays in the distribution of the vaccine, I believe it is time for a signal of optimism but also for a very high degree of caution. That is why after a thorough analysis of trends in Europe and at home, we have decided to relax restrictions just in the two sectors,” said the PM.

Good framework for compromise found

As for post-earthquake relief efforts, Plenkovic said that amendments to the law on post-earthquake reconstruction had been discussed by the parliament and would be put to the vote on Friday.

“I think we have found a good framework for compromise. We will also accept some amendments that will improve the legal text and remove some ambiguities,” he added.

The Construction Ministry has been coordinating all damage-assessment activities and will prepare, in cooperation with the Regional Development Ministry, a new request for the European Solidarity Fund considering the extent of damage caused by the 29 December earthquake, he said.

As for yesterday’s parliamentary debate about the National Development Strategy for the period until 2030, Plenkovic said that one amendment suggested after the debate would be accepted.

“I believe that yesterday we really tried to explain everything in that document, which is important for Croatia’s development in the next ten years. I regret that the Opposition does not understand its relevance,” he said.