Health sector workers continue to protest against mandatory testing and COVID-certificates

1 074 positive coronavirus test results were registered on Tuesday, with a test positivity rate of 11.5%. As of Monday 50.87% of the adult population has completed the vaccination process.

For the second day in a row health care workers protested against the introduction of mandatory COVID certificates and testing. Health sector worker Marko Penava: "We're not rejecting the vaccination. We simply want the right to choose. You want to get vaccinated, get vaccinated. We don't want to so we won't. What we want is the right chose, by ourselves about our bodies. I do not want to get tested, and as a free citizen of Croatia I definitely have the right to reject that."

Another protester, nurse Anita Puhelek added: "We're standing against the vaccination, testing and COVID-certificates because this is discriminatory, as defined in the declaration on human rights."

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the protests were unwarranted: "By introducing mandatory testing we have eliminated twenty people who would come to work and maybe infect one of the patients, who is already sick, and who, coupled with their other illnesses, could unfortunately die with COVID. These are all reasonable and rational decisions to the benefit of Croatian citizens."

Unlike the Prime Minister, President Zoran Milanović sided with the protesters, questioning the logic of mandatory masks and similar measures: "This is mandatory, that's mandatory. I entered this room here today and everyone was wearing masks. Why? Almost everyone here is vaccinated. Those who aren't can come at their own risk! Those who are vaccinated aren't in any danger. What is the logic behind wearing masks? Why people are aged fifty wearing masks? The level of obedience among people is unbelievable, especially when they shouldn't listen in full."

Source: HRT