Loading...
The Czech government has announced a series of new restrictions aimed at lowering mobility in the country in an effort to curb the upsurge in coronavirus cases in recent days.
As of Monday, people will not be able to travel between different districts (with exceptions for travel to work or to look after a relative in which case they will be asked to produce an affidavit of written statement from their employer). Schools and kindergartens will be closed with the exception of special groups for children of health workers and emergency crews. Only shops selling basic necessities, pharmacies and flower shops will remain open. Other stores which had exceptions, such as stationary goods, children’s’ wear and shops selling sewing supplies will have to close.
Respirators or masks with nano-filters will be compulsory not just in shops and on public transport but at workplaces as well. The government has appealed to the public to limit their contacts with others to an absolute minimum.
The new restrictions will be in force for three weeks.
The Czech government has declared a new state of emergency for a period of 30 days, in order to deal with the worsening epidemiological situation in the country. The state of emergency is to last until March 28. The lower house on Friday rejected a proposal to extend the ongoing state of emergency due to the fact that it had been called at the request of regional governors and was thereby legally questionable.
The lower house approved a law on pandemics on Friday, which will give the Health Ministry exceptional powers, but the government says it is not sufficient to deal with the exceptionally grave coronavirus crisis.
The coronavirus death toll in the Czech Republic crossed the 20,000 mark on Saturday, with another 1,500 patients in a critical or very serious condition.
Over 143,000 people are currently fighting the infection, with hospitals reporting a growing number of younger patients in a serious condition. Over 90 percent of those who succumbed to Covid were over 65.
The Czech Republic registered 14,676 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, roughly 3,400 more than on the same day a week ago. Health Minister Jan Blatny predicted this week that the daily increase would continue to rise and reach 20,000 regardless of the stricter measures in place.
Teachers started registering for a Covid vaccine on Saturday, the third group to be prioritized after health workers and people over 80. Teachers over the age of 55 and kindergarten, first and second grade teachers will be given priority in the vaccination process.
People aged over 70 will be able to start registering as of Monday, March 1st. The start of registration for these two groups was set two days apart to prevent the system from collapsing.
Over 3,000 GPs are due to get involved in the process of vaccination as of Monday, although some of them say they are still waiting for vaccines and needles. 624,000 health workers and people over 80 have been vaccinated to date, of which 233,000 have received both doses.
The chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, Josef Středula ,has accused the government of putting economic interests over public health. Mr. Středula was referring to the fact that in tightening Covid restrictions on Friday the government stopped short of closing down industrial production, which contributes to 30 percent of the GDP.
The government has opted to maintain industrial production with strict hygiene norms in place and voluntary testing which should become mandatory in a few days’ time. The state will contribute 60 crowns per test, for a maximum one test a week per employee.
In an effort to boost the public morale at the height of the coronavirus crisis, the National Theatre has organized a cultural event titled “The Nation unto Itself; Culture for You“, which will be broadcast live on Czech Television on Saturday evening.
More than 200 artists from different genres are taking part in the cultural endeavour which will be filmed at six different cultural venues. The show will be broadcast at 8.10 pm on Czech Television’s art channel.
Sunday should be clear to partly cloudy, with morning fog in places, and day temperatures between 5 and 9 degrees Celsius.
This seven-part serial explores a family’s search for its own past, a past that was all but lost in the storm of 20th century history. There is drama and tragedy, but also humour and romance, as we travel through time and space, piecing together 150 years in the life of a remarkable Czech family.
This e-mail is sent to you automatically according to the settings you chose. To change the settings, click here.
© 2021, Radio Prague International - the external service of Czech Radio, all rights reserved.
https://english.radio.cz, e-mail: cr@radio.cz, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram
Loading...
Loading...