Istria Becomes a COVID-19 Orange Zone According to EU

Jutarnji List reports that as of today, Istria is in the orange zone concerning the number of COVID-19 cases, according to European statistics. The Istrian Civil Protection Headquarters is thus asking the National Headquarters to enable the opening of gyms, sports halls, and individual outdoor sports training in Istria from Monday.

“Looking at the trend of the last 14 days, the incidence of infections in Istria County has fallen below 100 people per 100 thousand inhabitants. Following the share of positives on the number tested, which fell to 3.1 percent last week, and according to the number of tests according to EU criteria that the number of tests must be above 300 every week in the county, we have concluded that Istria County, according to European criteria, enters the orange zone,” said the director of the Istrian Institute of Public Health, Dr. Aleksandar Stojanovic. The situation is also better at Pula General Hospital, where the number of hospitalized dropped from 80 at the end of December to 30 today.

“We reiterate that we want gyms, fitness, sports, and recreation centers to be open from Monday and that it is possible to train individual sports outdoors immediately. That is what we are asking from the National Headquarters. We have heard that it will be possible for all catering establishments to sell coffee for outside and ready-made food, which we absolutely support. We want to consider mitigation measures in February that would be current by activities as assessed. We are in daily communication with the National Headquarters, so we will see how the whole situation regarding easing the measures will go in February. Everyone is burdened with the region’s situation, that is, a new strain of the virus. Experts say that it is already in Croatia and that it should be discovered as soon as possible,” said the head of the Istrian Headquarters, Dino Kozlevac.

Stojanović believes that the current epidemiological situation in Istria would enable the opening of restaurant and cafe terraces, but that it would be OK to wait for the National Headquarters’ decision on that topic.

As for schools’ opening from next week, the Istrian Headquarters will decide by the end of today or tomorrow morning.

Istrian County Prefect Fabrizio Radin and Pula Mayor Boris Miletić are also satisfied with the situation in Istria and thanked the citizens and the system for the good epidemiological picture. But Miletic said they would like decisions on measures to be lowered to the regional level.

“Many times we have been asked what is the phenomenon of a green oasis in Europe. But when we stressed the need for regional decision-making back in March last year, few looked at us strangely. However, timely decision-making has enabled Istria to develop a tourist zone and become a green oasis. That is why difficult decisions had to be made. We see that now the proposals coming from the regions, specifically Istria County, are viewed differently. Why is that? If our citizens have shown responsibility, if our experts have proven that it knows how to manage the battle with this pandemic and make timely decisions, I do not see why this regional approach would not be applied in our country,” said Miletic. He added that entrepreneurs should be allowed to work if the preconditions are created.

“Therefore, an appeal to the National Headquarters – listen to the experts and accept the regional approach,” concluded the mayor of Pula.

Fifteen newly infected people were registered in Istria today based on 266 samples. There are currently 90 active COVID-19 positives in the County, and two seniors died today. Thirty people were hospitalized, 4 of them on a ventilator.

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

 

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