Addressing a government session on Friday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic again warned of the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, appealing again to citizens to get vaccinated and noting that people were dying because of an irrational fear of the vaccine.

“We are faced with the spread of the more infectious Omicron variant across Europe. It is necessary to continue with immunisation and step it up with the third, booster dose that significantly increases protection,” Plenkovic said.

Even though new infections have continued to drop, the numbers are still high, which points to the need to be cautious and comply with epidemiological rules, he said, calling on all who have received the second dose to get the third dose before the expiry of the six-month deadline.

“That is especially important now ahead of Christmas, when people get together and socialise more,” he said.

Plenkovic also stressed that, out of more than 11,000 people who had died of COVID-19 in Croatia so far, many had not been vaccinated.

“We have lost too many lives. We can prevent the loss of life if as many people as possible get vaccinated, and the best protection is vaccination. There is nothing rational in refusing to get vaccinated, one should trust science and the professionals,” he said.

‘Human rights in Croatia are constitutional category’

In a comment on the International Day of Human Rights, celebrated on December 10, when in 1948 the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Plenkovic said that this date marked the first time in history that the right of all to life, health, and security was recognised, without any differences.

“This is an occasion to reiterate that, in Croatia, human rights are a constitutional category and belong equally to all citizens, regardless of their race, skin colour, sex, language, religion, ethnic or social background,” the PM said.

Respect for and recognition of those rights are every individual’s legal obligation, and their protection the state’s responsibility, he said.

“One of those rights is the right to health. Since the start of the pandemic, the entire world has been faced with the legal and ethical challenge of how to protect human lives and health while making sure the interest of preserving human rights, democracy, and the rule of law is not compromised,” he said.

Plenkovic added that the government was imposing measures that proportionately and reasonably restrict other human rights and freedoms while efficiently protecting lives.

‘Opportunists and populists want to profit from disease’

A large number of people in Croatia respect epidemiological restrictions but there are some who claim to be defenders of human rights and freedoms, but they are using the current difficult situation to score political points and rally support for their political work, he said.

“Those are opportunists and populists, people who want to profit politically from a disease that has claimed more than 11,000 lives in Croatia,” he said, adding that the government would continue to protect citizens’ health and lives as well as all the other economic, cultural, and social rights.