This article documents the timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia.
Timeline February 2020 On 25 February, the first case in Croatia was confirmed. A 26-year-old man who had stayed in Milan, Italy to watch the Champions League game between Atalanta and Valencia from 19 to 21 February tested positive and was hospitalised at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević" in Zagreb.
On 26 February, two new cases were confirmed: The twin brother of the first patient was admitted to the same hospital in Zagreb, while a man who had worked in Parma was hospitalised in Rijeka. The same day Osijek Clinical Hospital Centre banned visits.
March 2020 First week On 2 March, the eighth case of the virus was confirmed in Rijeka (the fifth case in the city).
On 3 March, the first case was confirmed in Varaždin. The man had been working as a driver in the affected areas of Italy. On 6 March, another case was confirmed in Varaždin, a 60-year-old patient who had tested positive. On 7 March, the third case was confirmed in Varaždin, bringing the total number of infected in Croatia to twelve.
Second week On 9 March, the first case was confirmed in Istria, in the city of Pula. The man is from Labin and had been working in Italy.
Two new cases were reported on 10 March. Both individuals had spent time abroad recently, one in Austria, and the other one in Italy.
On 11 March, the sixteenth case was confirmed, a young man who had been to a fair in Munich. The same day, three more cases were reported. All three had travelled from Austria and Germany. The same day, a ferry from Ancona with 93 passengers sailed into the Port of Split. 57 of them were citizens of Croatia, nine of them were citizens of Italy, six of them were citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, three of them were citizens of Montenegro, and the rest were from various other countries. They were placed into quarantine in Hotel Zagreb in Duilovo, Split.
On 12 March, the first recovery from the virus was reported. The twin brother of patient zero had tested negative to the virus twice and was released from hospital. However, on the same day eight new cases were reported. Three of them were closely related to the patients from Rijeka and were asymptomatic. The other two had travelled from Austria and Germany to Zagreb. The first case of the virus was confirmed in Sisak. The patient is from Mošćenica and had worked in Italy. Two more cases were reported in Pula, both of whom came from Italy.
On 13 March, five new cases were reported; two in Pula and three in Zagreb. One of the cases in Zagreb was a child, subsequently all children from the kindergarten the child attended were placed into quarantine. It was the first recorded case of an infected child. During the night from 13 to 14 March, fourteen workers of Brodosplit were placed into quarantine in Split after coming back from temporary work in Italy, bringing the total number of quarantined in Split to 47.
On 14 March, five new cases were reported, bringing the total number of infected to 37; one in each of Zagreb, Varaždin and Sisak, as well as first two cases in Osijek. Patients in Osijek were middle-aged spouses from Ernestinovo who are closely related to one of the patients hospitalized in Zagreb. The patient zero had recovered and was released from the hospital during the day. By the end of the day, the 38th and 39th case were confirmed; a woman who came back from Romania and a close relative of the couple from Ernestinovo who was hospitalized in Osijek.
On 15 March, ten new cases were reported; five in Zagreb and five in Osijek. Number of quarantined increased to 51; 49 in Split and two in Dubrovnik. Two of the patients from Zagreb were confirmed to be doctors of Clinical Hospital Dubrava who got infected outside of the hospital, subsequently leading to its evacuation. The hospital was then chosen to be turned into a respiratory centre for the most severe cases, while other patients were going to be relocated to University Hospital Centre Zagreb or Sisters of Charity Hospital or released home.
Third week
On 16 March, seven new cases were confirmed; five in Zagreb, one in Rijeka and the first case in Karlovac, bringing the total number of infected in the country to 56. Minister Božinović confirmed 174 reports of self-isolation regime breaking. The same day, a third and fourth recoveries in the country were confirmed; the first hospitalized patient from Rijeka and a young woman in Zagreb.
On 17 March, thirteen new cases were reported bringing the total number of recorded cases to 69. Minister Beroš stated that 1,014 samples had been processed and that 9,598 people were under medical control. The number of quarantined in the country was confirmed to be 63. Minister Božinović confirmed receiving 500 reports of self-isolation regime breaking, 93 of whom were proven to have broken it and would face sanctions. Three of the cases were three doctors from University Hospital Centre Zagreb and University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče. Doctors from the former hospital were said to have gone skiing in Austria without previously informing their superiors. First cases were confirmed in Zabok and Slavonski Brod, both of whom had come from Austria. The same day, patients from Križine Hospital Split were moved to Firule Hospital Split, as the former was intended exclusively for the coronavirus cases. Doctors and medical staff were helped out by KK Split players and Hajduk Split ultras group Torcida in the transportation process.
On 18 March, President Zoran Milanović gave a televised address to the nation concerning the pandemic. Twenty new cases were reported, including the first ones in Dalmatia; a young woman from Biograd who had come back from a tourist trip to Zanzibar via Dubai with her sister and had previously spent time in self-isolation with her family was hospitalized in Zadar, and an elderly couple who were hospitalized in Split. The number of infected doctors increased to nine. On the same day, the Croatian Parliament passed the law which increased the authorities of the Croatian National Civil Protection Headquarters, aimed at "increasing the system flow". This allowed National Civil Protection Headquarters on a national level to make centralised decisions concerning citizens everyday lives, which were then to be implemented by local branches of the Headquarters. Croatian government also brought the set of measures intended to help domestic economy.
On 19 March, sixteen new cases were reported bringing the number to 105. First cases were reported in Dubrovnik and Šibenik. The same day, an elderly man from Brtonigla who died the day before in self-isolation was confirmed to have had the virus; however, the virus wasn't confirmed to be the cause of death. Prime Minister Plenković gave a televised address to the nation concerning the pandemic, calling it "the biggest crisis Croatia has faced since the Independence War". The same day, patients were being moved from Clinical Hospital Dubrava as it was being turned into a respiratory centre for the most severe cases of the virus. Doctors and medical staff were helped out by Dinamo Zagreb ultras group Bad Blue Boys.
On 20 March, 23 new cases were reported. Amongst the new cases is a first case of an infected priest; a retired priest from Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vrhbosna who lived in Sesvetski Kraljevec. The first case was recorded on the islands; a man from Vrboska on Hvar who had been working in Austria was hospitalized in Split. The same day Arena Zagreb was started being turned into a hospital for lighter cases. Minister Beroš reported receiving a donation of medical equipment from a Saudi Arabian man.
On 21 March, 78 new cases were reported, including the first one in Koprivnica; a woman who had spent time abroad and had been self-isolating after coming back.
On 22 March, an intense earthquake (5.4 on the Richter scale) hit the city of Zagreb, at 6:24 AM and was followed by multiple aftershocks with the largest being a event at 7:01 AM. The earthquake could also be felt across the rest of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovenia, and Austria. It was the strongest earthquake in Zagreb since the 1880 earthquake. The same day, 29 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, including the first case in Čazma; a woman who had come back from Turkey.
Fourth week
On 23 March, new 61 cases were reported. The first case in the Međimurje County was reported.
On 24 March, 67 new cases were reported, bringing the number of the infected to 382. The number of recovered increased to 16. The first case was recorded in Vinkovci; a woman who had worked in Austria.
On 25 March, 60 new cases were reported, increasing the number of infected to 442. Three soldiers of Croatian Army on a mission in Lithuania were confirmed to have been tested positive as well. Croatian Institute for Public Health director Krunoslav Capak confirmed eight cases of the virus and thirty individuals who have the symptoms on the island of Murter, and backed up cutting transportation ties with the island until the individuals with the symptoms are tested. Minister Božinović confirmed nobody entered the country in the previous week and announced a convoy of 400 people who were going to travel from Austria and Slovenia to Serbia accompanied by police. The first death was confirmed, as the man who had died on 18 March was confirmed after the autopsy to have died due to the virus.
On 26 March, 39 new cases were reported, bringing the number of infected to 481. Minister of Defence Damir Krstičević announced sending a Croatia Airlines plane to Afghanistan to return 105 soldiers of Croatian Army home, as well as 26 soldiers of Montenegrin Army, seven soldiers of the Army of North Macedonia and two soldiers of Albanian Army. Epidemiologist Alen Medić, from Institute of Public Health Zadar, stated that he would request quarantine to be proclaimed in Biograd na Moru, just like on Murter, due to circa eighty people being suspected of being infected. The same day two new deaths were recorded in the country. Both of the deceased were elderly oncological patients from Zagreb and Slavonski Brod, respectively.
On 27 March, 91 new cases were reported, a record increase in a single day. The reason was two new hotspots in Zadar and Biograd na Moru.
On 28 March, 71 new cases were reported. Two new deaths were confirmed; a 92-year-old woman "with significant comorbidity" from Pula and a 60-year-old man from Karlovac. Director Capak confirmed eight new cases on Murter, which had previously been under quarantine. He also recommended the citizens to maximally avoid going outside due to air pollution in Zagreb, which could have caused respiratory problems and whose source was out of the country.
On 29 March, 56 new cases were reported, increasing the number of infected to 713. Sixth death was confirmed; 84-year-old man who died in Clinical Hospital Dubrava, having previously suffered a stroke. The number of recovered increased to 52 and the number of patients on ventilators increased to 26. Minister Beroš announced anticipation of a China Eastern Airlines plane carrying 12.5 tonnes of medical equipment from Shanghai via Frankfurt to Zagreb. Minister Božinović announced that a security guard from the Bilice prison in Split had been tested positive for the virus.
On 30 March, 77 new cases were reported, bringing the number of infected to 790. The number of recovered increased to 64 and the number of patients on ventilators increased to 27. No new death cases were reported.