As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, while what is being referred to as the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to break records, a year and a half after the appearance of COVID-19 there is a well and truly “corona free” zone in certain parts of Eastern Croatia, Glas Slavonije writes.
In three Slavonian villages in the municipality of Levanjska Varos, more precisely in Paucje, Milinac and Ratkov Dol, so far not one single coronavirus positive person has been recorded. These three Slavonian villages, living connected to the slopes of Dilj and Krndija, number about 30, and Paucje boasts around 50 residents.
For example, a mere macadam road leads to Ratkovo Dol, from Milinac you can only go to the Cenkovo, and on the side is Paucje, from where you can only go to Borovik. There are just over 40 households in these three Slavonian villages, mostly populated by the elderly.
“There has never been a case of coronavirus in those three villages because they don’t have as many young people going out and about, they don’t have a lot of contact with areas where more people gather together. In addition, there are no bus lines to these three villages, only a school bus picks local kids up to take them to school,” explained the mayor of Levanjska Varos, Slavko Tidlacka.
In these three Slavonian villages there are no shops, cafes, associations, social activities, wedding festivities, sporting events, nor are there any real places and occasions for gatherings.
“These three villages are supplied with basic groceries via a mobile shop, which also reduces the possibility of contracting the infection. All this indicates that people are in some way isolated, and thus protected,” added Tidlacka. In these villages, 70 percent of the population is elderly, with less contact and movement, and this reduces the possibility of exposure and infection.
Eva Maricek also confirmed for local portal Glas Slavonije that the novel coronavirus has never found its way into Milinac.
“We feel safe here, but I fear for four children and ten grandchildren living in larger places. We’re a big family, but so far only my daughter’s husband from Nasice has had the virus. My husband and I were vaccinated, with Pfizer, twice, I got the vaccine in Djakovo, and he managed to get vaccinated in the local clinic in Varos, he isn’t a well man, so it was necessary,” explained Eva, adding that if you don’t have a car in that area, it’s hard to get by.
“There have been no buses running here for years, and the mobile shop is no longer coming to the village. Well, not even the coronavirus will bother coming to Milinac!” said Eva Maricek jokingly. When asked how a typical day goes in Milinac, she answers: “A little bit of doing the garden, a bit of tending to the pigs…”
Ana-Marija Petrovic also confirmed that Paucje is free of coronavirus even after a year and a half of the ongoing global pandemic.
“We’re surrounded by pure nature, and we’re careful,” said Petrovic.
The entire municipality of Levanjska Varos with its 11 settlements without any infected people continued until October 2020, quite some months after the virus conquered the world. In the meantime, the coronavirus, as was confirmed the principal Natasa Sego, did manage to find its way into the only school in the area, which has just 45 students.
While isolation, a lack of transport, few gatherings and as such few chances to get exposed to the virus all go in the favour of these villages, perhaps the famed Croatian ”cure all” of rakija also has something to do with it? Who knows…
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