Thousands of new COVID-19 cases recorded weekly in Croatia, nearly 200 deaths in a month

(Patria) - In the last month, nearly 200 people infected with the coronavirus have died in Croatia, and thousands of new cases of COVID-19 and influenza are recorded weekly, leading to overwhelmed hospital emergency admissions.

At the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), they say that more than 4,000 new COVID-19 cases are reported weekly to the infectious disease registry.

The number of influenza cases is also rising, with 858 cases recorded so far, most among preschool children.

As for whooping cough, 4,151 cases have been reported so far, with around 41 percent of all cases among teenagers in Zagreb.

Next is Split-Dalmatia County with 21 percent, Zagreb County with nine percent, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County with six percent of reports.

The HZJZ also notes that due to the current situation, interest in vaccination against whooping cough has increased.

"During the Christmas holidays, hospital emergency departments, especially pediatric ones, were overwhelmed with patients," confirmed Ivan Puljiz, head of the Zagreb Clinic for Infectious Diseases, to Hina.

He stated that whooping cough is most prevalent among children, and with COVID-19 and influenza, about twenty new patients, mostly elderly, are hospitalized daily.