Pope close to Croatians
battling quake amid coronavirus outbreak
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| Medical staff evacuate a maternity hospital in Zagreb after the earthquake (AFP) |
Pope Francis has expressed closeness to the people of
Croatia, affected by an earthquake. Speaking during the Angelus onn Sunday he
said "May the Lord give them the strength and solidarity to face this
calamity.” The quake caused much damage and injured at least 27 people adding
to hardship due to a partial coronavirus lockdown of the country.
By Stefan J. Bos
The clean up has begun in Zagreb's iconic cathedral. It's
among several historic buildings that were damaged by a 5.5 magnitude
earthquake on Sunday. But the partial damage to the basilica comes as a shock
for this heavily Catholic nation. Also, Croatia's government says 250 houses
have been damaged, and some 60 people had to be housed in temporary shelters
following the initial Sunday quake.
Residents have told Vatican News how they felt the Croatian
capital shaking during the earthquake. They called it the worst quake in some
140 years after seeing the destruction of the center of Zagreb.
Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said that so far, dozens
of people, including children, were injured, many of them seriously. And there
was more bad news. Seismologists said Monday at least 38 weaker tremors were
felt in Zagreb since the quake struck the capital early Sunday, triggering
panic and the evacuation of hospitals.
The strongest aftershock measuring 3.7 sent some people
rushing out of their homes into public parks. They did so despite warnings from
authorities against large gatherings in public areas to avoid the spread of the
new coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Restrictive measures
The interior minister also announced new restrictive
measures intended to combat the spread of the virus. They include a ban on
people leaving their homes except to buy food and medicine, seeking medical
attention, or going to work.
And at the international airport in Zagreb, Vatican News
witnessed how people were ordered by security to stay at a distance of two
meters from each other. Taxi drivers are checked by police to ensure they carry
passengers only on back seats.
The coronavirus measures have also impacted local
entrepreneurs in Croatia, which is still facing economic difficulties following
its war for independence in the 1990s. Barbershops, for instance, were closed.
There were just over 300 confirmed new coronavirus cases in the Balkan nation
by Monday morning.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or
moderate symptoms, such as fever or coughing. For some, especially older
adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe
illness, including pneumonia.
In the words of the Interior Minister, Croatia is fighting
"two crises," at the same time. "One is against the coronavirus.
And the other is against the consequences of the earthquake."
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