Shops in Croatia to close on Sundays

ZAGREB, April 25 (Hina) – Croatia is about to start the first of its three-phase lifting of lockdown measures. The first phase, starting on Monday, 27 April, will enable the opening of all retail entities apart from those in shopping centres, the exception being those stores that have been operating in shopping centres the entire time since the introduction of restrictions.

There will be a return to normal working hours for shops on Monday. Trading, however, has been banned on Sundays. Only kiosks, bakeries, bread and bakery product shops and shops at gas stations will be allowed to open on Sundays and public holidays until further notice.  

The head of the national coronavirus crisis management team, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic, said on Saturday that the decision banning Sunday work was made based on recommendations by epidemiologists, declining to comment on the speculation that the present situation was being used for political purposes.

“We have regulated shop opening hours as part of our measures. This decision was made based on recommendations by epidemiologists. All decisions are made in accordance with recommendations from professionals. All shops will be working as they worked before, except on Sundays and national holidays,” Bozinovic told a regular press conference of the national coronavirus crisis management team.

Asked if he feared that the decision banning Sunday work might be overturned by the Constitutional Court, he reiterated that all the decisions were made based on the recommendations by professionals. He declined to comment on the speculation that the present situation was being used for political purposes.

“Here we discuss only the situation caused by the coronavirus epidemic. As for these questions, you know who you should address them to,” Bozinovic said in response to questions from the press.