After the national COVID response team introduced new anti-epidemic measures on Friday, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said he could not understand why some people still refuse to get vaccinated, adding that this attitude is not normal after two years of the pandemic.

“The dynamics of the fourth wave of this pandemic is set by the amount of unvaccinated people. We have said that immunisation is important. We are in this situation now because some people simply refuse to accept that message. What escapes me, as a reasonable person, is why some cannot accept that,” said Plenkovic, commenting on the latest daily numbers and new measures presented by the COVID response team earlier in the day.

‘We told you so’

He assessed that “it isn’t normal” that after almost two years of the pandemic and numerous social and economic consequences that come as a result, that some citizens have still not realised the hazards of COVID-19.

He wondered why people in other countries like Italy, Norway, and Portugal were taking the coronavirus situation more seriously than in Croatia.

“Someone has to solve that equation. Is that because of a general mood that is permanently shifting, a mistrust in institutions, including the government and ministers? That certainly is not good. Or is it because people believe the hogwash they are exposed to on social media? That simply is not normal,” he said.

Plenkovic added that the government had done its part of job when it procured the sufficient amounts of vaccines on time, but also by sounding alarms and appealing for reason.

“We were the ones who have warned the people on a daily basis that, if they do not get vaccinated, they will leave an excessive pool of unvaccinated people, (the weather) would get cold, and we would have what we have now,” said Plenkovic and added “We told you so.”

Speaking about extending the use of COVID certificates, he announced that testing for all those unvaccinated or those who have not overcome coronavirus would not be free of charge for much longer.

“It will be free for some time and after that, we will have to see,” he said without revealing any further details.

Asked about the opinions by a member of the government’s scientific council, Gordan Lauc, on social media, who is constantly criticising the government’s messages, Plenkovic said that members of the council do not have any authority to speak on behalf of the government and that citizens should listen to decision-makers.

“It is essential that the people listen to those who manage the country,” underscored Plenkovic.