Croatian PM Plenkovic tests positive for COVID-19, Zagreb starts tests in schools

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has tested positive for COVID-19, the government announced on Monday evening. Croatia’s capital Zagreb started on Monday free antigen tests for COVID-19 in schools.

Plenkovic is in a 10-day self-quarantine after his wife had a mild fever and tested positive on Saturday. He tested negative back then.

“Following the recommendations of epidemiologists, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic performed a re-test for the presence of coronavirus on Monday, and his test was positive,” the government said in a press release.

“He is currently feeling well, and the prime minister continues to perform his activities and responsibilities from home and will follow all the instructions of doctors and epidemiologists,” the government said.

Croatia’s capital starts COVID-19 tests in schools

The tests will be conducted over the week in eight elementary and seven high schools, and the goal is to test 3,000 students and teachers.

The city will introduce further epidemiological measures based on the presence of coronavirus in schools.

Croatia recently introduced new restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cafes, bars and restaurants are closed, but schools remained open.

Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs recently told national television HRT that classes in school would be held as long as possible. He noted that schools are ready for the so-called Model B, which combines classroom learning with online instruction, and Model C, which is based on distance learning.

On Monday, the Croatian Institute of Public Health reported 1,830 new COVID-19 cases and a record 74 deaths over the past 24 hours.

Since the first case was confirmed here on Feb. 25, more than 120,000 people have been infected in the southeastern European country with a population of 4 million, and 1,786 of them have died.

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Source: Zagreb, Xinhua