Czech Republic to End Mandatory COVID Testing This Month

The Czech Republic’s government has agreed to end mandatory coronavirus testing at schools and companies this month, the prime minister said Wednesday.

The testing “undoubtedly” helped slow down the spread of infections and prevented the health system from being overwhelmed, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.

“Given the development, we’ve decided to end the compulsory testing on Feb. 18,” Fiala said.

All company employees have been tested twice a week while schoolchildren and all school employees have been tested once a week since Jan. 17.

With 57,195 new cases recorded on Tuesday, the country registered a new day-to-day record, about 2,500 more than the previous record set last week on Wednesday.

The seven-day infection rate grew to 2,483 per 100,000 residents on Tuesday, up from 2,318 the previous day, as part of a surge in cases caused by the omicron variant.

Omicron is less likely to cause severe illness than the previous delta variant, according to studies. Omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, and has already become dominant in many countries. It also more easily infects those who have been vaccinated or had previously been infected by prior versions of the virus.