ZAGREB: Croatia reported 1,131 COVID-19 cases on Friday, the first time the Adriatic country of four million people has exceeded 1,000 cases a day.

In the last 10 days the number of new infections has accelerated from around 300 a day to reach 793 on Thursday, part of a surge in infections across Europe with the approach of winter.

The country, which depends heavily on tourism, tightened measures to fight the disease this week by making face masks obligatory indoors and limiting the number of guests in bars and restaurants.

It has also limited working hours until midnight and requires special approval for any public gathering of more than 50 people.

Croatia has recorded 23,665 cases so far with 345 deaths.

There are currently 4,233 active cases, a number which has doubled in the last 10 days.