Đikić: The worst mistake was allowing nightclubs to operate

Scientist Ivan Đikić assessed on Friday that the worst mistake made by the National Civil Protection Headquarters was allowing nightclubs to operate, which have become a source of coronavirus infection.

– The worst mistake we made is the incomprehensible allowance for nightclubs to operate and be a source of infection. We should have removed that, not just partially, due to external pressure, but also for our citizens who live here, as well as tourists – said Đikić for N1. Commenting on the large number of infections, he stated that these are serious and concerning numbers.

– We are not talking about one day, but about 14 days where we continuously have more than 40 infected per 100,000 inhabitants. That was the danger threshold set by other countries and placed us on the blacklist – emphasized Đikić. He added that this continuity indicates that we are in a serious phase – that phase is not declining, the virus is spreading and this is a very dangerous situation. He warns that due to such numbers, Croatia is on the brink of exponential growth of coronavirus infections, so ‘citizens should be concerned’. Estimates, says Đikić, indicate that there are many more viruses, 20 to 40 times more. 

– If it is constantly 30 times higher, that means there are about 45,000 people who currently carry the virus and are infectious, that is a risk of uncontrolled spread of infection – he pointed out. He stated that much more testing needs to be done if we want to know how much the virus is spreading in Croatia.

– Two months of insufficient testing and improper behavior have led us to this situation. There is a great danger for citizens in September when they return to schools and work – believes Đikić. He emphasized that more testing centers need to be introduced.

– We consciously entered a tourist challenge and that is good, but we needed quality tourism, not quantitative. Due to external pressure, we are starting to test more, and we must also introduce new technologies, which are available – he asserted.

The National Headquarters was criticized for a lack of self-criticism, and the head of HZJZ, Krunoslav Capak, for stating that Dalmatian people have a more relaxed mentality, which is also a reason why the number of infections has increased in that region.

– This is exactly the moment when the Headquarters is losing credibility, you cannot blame people if you have not given them clear instructions – says Đikić.

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