Citizens who are delaying their vaccination until fall are making a mistake. They won't be protected in time!

Forty-three percent of Croatia's adult population has been vaccinated, so the plan to vaccinate 50% by the end of this month will not be realised, Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Wednesday, again appealing on citizens to be vaccinated as protection from COVID-19 and to facilitate the tourist season.

Speaking to the press, he said adult vaccination in Croatia's tourism competitors was much higher, 62% in Italy, 57% in Spain and 49% in Greece.

The European vaccination average is 55% but we can and have to do more, Beroš said.

He warned of new coronavirus variants such as lambda in South America, which he said was more contagious and could result in a fourth wave of the epidemic. Vaccines also protect against the new variants, he added.

Beroš said vaccination would continue until 75-80% of the population was vaccinated and that making it mandatory was not being considered.

He described today's epidemiological situation in Croatia as stable and good, with 2.16% of tests coming back positive. He said, however, that it was not yet time to forecast the end of the epidemic.

Beroš also said that 79.9% of medical workers had received one vaccine dose to date and 64.8% two.

Asked about an app for organising public events and scanning QR codes, he said the app that would check COVID-19 vaccination, recovery or test certificates was in the final stage and that "it won't be an obstacle to the decision on digital EU certificates entering into force on 1 July as planned.

Asked about the possibility of Croatia lifting the obligation to wear masks, as has been announced in Italy, Beroš said that required an adequate vaccination level, such as Italy's. Not before that, he added.

Text: Hina

News