Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that measures needed to curb the coronavirus epidemic were being taken, underscoring that quarantine and isolation were becoming essential for preventing the spread of the disease.
"Today over two billion people in the world are living under movement restrictions, which has really never happened before. In Croatia 32,000 people are in self-isolation," Plenkovic said at a government session, underscoring that the crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic was unprecedented.
He added that all the measures taken by the government and the National Civil Protection Authority were appropriate for the danger the coronavirus epidemic presented.
The government will continue its efforts in various aspects. Everything we do is in the interest of our citizens' health and safety, Prime Minister underscored.
Plenkovic: Extent of earthquake damage to be determined over time
The government opened its session with a minute of silence for the 15-year-old girl fatally injured in the earthquakes that struck Zagreb on March 22, and the Prime Minister expressed his condolences to her family.
He also thanked all the services which had put tremendous effort into helping, namely the fire service, the military, the police and others, and he underscored the importance of all services being involved in assessing the damage caused by the earthquake.
"Many institutions have been damaged, including the buildings housing the government and the parliament, numerous ministries, a lot of cultural institutions, as well as religious buildings. I think we will determine the extent of the damage within a longer period of time, when experts manage to list and assess everything," Plenkovic said.
New set of economic rescue measures to be prepared next week
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the start of his cabinet's meeting on Thursday that a new set of measures designed to help the economy to address the fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak would be prepared next week.
The government is going to draw up a second package of measures next week. We are working on that, Plenkovic said.
"We are trying to give an adequate response to this unprecedented situation facing the world, Europe and Croatia."
The measures from the first set which are already being implemented are designed to provide quick and efficient assistance primarily to the private sector, the premier said, reiterating that the authorities are trying to achieve the main objectives -- to keep jobs, ensure money for wages and for functioning of businesses.
He underscored that an estimated two billion people around the world are placed on lockdown,
In Croatia 32,000 citizens are in self-isolation, which is equivalent to the population of the city of Vinkovci, for instance, he added.
Text and photo: Hina
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