May 11, 2020 – Week 3 of the relaxation of corona measures took effect in Croatia today. A video report on ferry and cafe traffic and life on Hvar on the first day.
A day that many people have been looking forward to in Croatia, and especially for those wanting to visit the island of Hvar. After weeks of self-isolation, the third wave of easing of measures came into effect today, which included freedom of movement within Croatia (apart from the island of Brac after a recent outbreak of cases), as well as the opening of cafes – a psychologically important milestone for coffee culture Croatia.
So how was the opening day? How busy was the ferry, and where were all the visitors coming from?
TCN went to Stari Grad to meet the first ferry after the lockdown, the 10:30 arrival from Split. Life on Hvar is slowly beginning to return to a semblance of normality, not that things will ever be the same perhaps. The first local buses for weeks appeared to meet the arrivals.
After the ferry, TCN took in a coffee in Split, Stari Grad and Jelsa, braving the jugo wind and the inclement weather on this day of supposed freedom, this after weeks of glorious sunshine.
You can get an overview of the first day in the video above, including details of how many foot passengers, how many private cars and trucks, and where the vehicle licence plates were from.
By way of comparison, this is how the ferry experience was on April 18, 2020, during the height of the lockdown:
(Videos produced by Miranda Milicic Bradbury)
Life on Hvar continues, as the island hopes for the commencement of the 2020 tourist season, which is currently very much in doubt.
For the latest from Hvar, follow the dedicated TCN section, and you can also get the latest corona news here.
