The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has seen our collective attitudes towards many things change. No longer is it ”phone, keys, wallet” before heading out of the house, as a mask now has to be included on that list as well.
Planes, stores, and in the vast majority of enclosed spaces have all been demanding the use of surgical masks for months now, and having one wrapped around your neck or stuffed in a pocket (even if that poor disposable mask is months and months old) has become very much the norm. One Croatian sign asking people to please enter the premises without a mask unless they’re in some way unwell has surprised many.
Some European countries with excellent vaccination rates such as the United Kingdom now no longer demand people wear masks in enclosed spaces as a rule. You’re free not to, but they still ask that if you can – you should. That is currently not the case for Croatia, nor is it likely to be for a while yet.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, while some agree with what has been written on this particular Croatian sign which is actively asking people not to wear masks, others condemn such an approach to the possible spread of the novel coronavirus, which has put almost the entire world on hold for the last two years now.
The Republic of Croatia is not the only one to have such signs and instructions appearing on privately owned shops, bars and the like. Several similar cases can be found all over the world.
According to a report from Slobodna Dalmacija, an extreme example of this can be found at Basilico’s restaurant in Los Angeles, which posted an inscription on its display that says that a person must show that they have not been vaccinated in order to enter and consume their food.
For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.
