Jason S., Author at Prague Morning

As restaurants and pubs prepare to reopen their doors for outside seating next week, the government has mandated that WiFi and music not be provided to guests.

Minister of Trade and Industry Karel Havlíček announced on CNN Prima News that restaurants and pubs will not be allowed to offer WiFi or music to their guests so that people do not gather publically for long periods of time.

“Music and basically wifi are forbidden in the gardens because it is not the goal for young people, in particular, to meet, have a beer and sit there for four hours,” Havlíček said.

Restaurant gardens and patios are scheduled to reopen on May 17 with the condition that guests show proof of vaccination, negative PCR tests, or antigen test results. Government officials have not made it clear how this would work out logistically.

On Thursday, the government is set to announce specific instructions for how businesses are meant to handle the verification of customer’s documents. Havlíček also stated,

“In principle, the customer will have to prove himself – whether to the hygiene or to the restaurant operator – either by vaccination, a test or by having Covid.”

In order to make the handling of customers easier for the pub and restaurant employees, Havliček says there are mobile phone applications in production that will be available within the month.

“These days, we will be running applications based on vaccinations, confirmation of testing, or confirmation that I have undergone covid. They will be downloadable in the coming days, “the minister announced.

These applications would be similar to the “vaccine passport” being implemented in different countries in an attempt to revive international travel and tourism.

Last month, France became the first EU member state to test their digital coronavirus travel certificate. The TousAntiCovid app was downloaded by over 15 million users last month and is helping French health officials with contact tracing.

According to Minister Havlíček, by June, these verification apps will also be linked to the wider-used European “digital green certificates” which would facilitate international travel across EU member nations.

“It’s on a similar principle, but it’s basically a universal document that will apply everywhere. However, every country will be able to use it for various other purposes,” Havlíček told CNN Prima NEWS.

Prague City Council and the Institute of Planning and Development has announced plans to transform parts of Revoluční Street into a pedestrian-friendly promenade.

The proposal aims to create more space for pedestrians by widening the streets, adding trees, benches, drinking fountains, and bicycle racks.

The road surface will be paved over and driving speeds will be reduced to 30 k/h on the street.

Now, 15,000 cars will pass through the street daily. The street is some 295 meters long.

The modifications were intended to make Revolučni, Národní, and Na Příkopě streets known as the Hradební korza or “castle promenade” look and feel more like the original Old Town Prague.

In an interview with zdopravy.cz, Deputy Mayor of Transport Adam Scheinherr discussed his vision for the future promenade.

“We want to turn Revoluční Street into a promenade with wide sidewalks, quality surfaces, benches, and better accessible public transport. As it should be in the center of the modern metropolis,”

To accommodate public transport, wider islands will be implemented to the new tram stop closer to the Vltava river.

The proposal for the promenade began in 2018 when Aoc architects in partnership with the Institute for Planning and Development conducted a study on the best use of the space.

Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváče says pedestrians are poised to benefit the most from the upcoming modifications.

“The conceptual study aims to elevate Revolutionary Avenue to a full-fledged city boulevard, which is especially pleasant for pedestrians.”

Neither IPR nor the Deputy Mayor have announced when the project will break ground and renovations begin.

Revoluční dates to the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, it was described as a muddy gutter filled with rubbish. It has been called Revoluční since 1918, referring to Czechoslovak independence. Previous names include Náplavní, Trubní and Rourová in the 18th century and Eliščina in the 19th century.

As countries begin to open up their borders, vacation plans are already underway for many. Those looking to travel abroad for the summer holiday must refer to the new travel rules from the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

The guidelines for traveling abroad have officially been valid starting April 26.

Prospective travelers planning their summer trips are encouraged to refer to the website for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There you can find everything you would need to know regarding entering other countries and what is required upon entry.

It is important to keep in mind that each country has their own requirements for entry and these requirements can change from day to day as conditions are constantly changing.

Some countries will only require travelers to show negative covid tests and other destinations will require a quarantine upon entry.

Countries like Croatia and Greece are already anticipating a successful tourism season this summer and merely require a negative PCR test, proof of vaccination, or antigen confirmation for those crossing their borders.

Those returning to the Czech Republic will be required to take a PCR test as soon as they arrive.

Travelers returning from designated low-risk countries will not have any restrictions once returned. Those coming from medium-risk or higher-risk countries must fill out an arrival form and take either an antigen test within 24 hours or a PCR test within 72 hours of their return.

Travelers are once again encouraged to refer to the Foreign Affairs website to see where their destination ranks in terms of risk level and plan accordingly.

As expected, respirators will also be required onboard throughout the duration of all flights.

The long-awaited “vaccine passports” from the European Union still have yet to be introduced to the general public but those who have been vaccinated should have received a written confirmation after completing their second shot.

In March, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton explained how the vaccine passports would work for travelers.

“It has a QR code with your condition. It will show if you are immune if you have antibodies,” “You’ll also be able to do that once you’ve got the vaccine.”

As the Czech Republic carries on with vaccination efforts, we can expect to see restrictions begin to loosen throughout the course of the summer tourist season.

Some exceptions will be made regarding the new travel rules. These exemptions can be found at the Ministry of Health website.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also lists contact information for those with specific questions left unanswered by their website.

The Prague City Council has approved a proposal outlining the renovation and modernizing of the Smichov railway station and its immediate surrounding area.

The plan was presented two years ago and has finally been given the green light to be put into action. The initial plan was to build in stages but the city has decided to complete the remodel all at once.

Conceptual designs for the proposal have been released and the renovations would radically change the outdated, neglected, and crime-ridden state of the current train station.

“The Smíchov terminal will be the first truly modern railway station in Prague. This is a unique project of a traffic hub, which we only know from abroad so far,” said Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Mayor of Prague in an interview with Czech Crunch.

The new terminal would make travel more efficient as it would reduce transfers for passengers and connect railways, metro, trams, and buses as well as a park-and-ride car park with a thousand-vehicle capacity.

The proposal states that long-distance and suburban buses will have their own designated area directly above the platform whereas city buses would park in a different, centrally located de-boarding area.

The terminal and boarding platforms would be completely covered with lightweight steel roofing and a pedestrian footbridge over the railway tracks will also be constructed to connect Smichov station to Na Knížecí Street and metro access.

Photo: A69

Photo: A69

“In the past, different types of stations were built in different places, buses in one place, trains in another. Conversely Smíchov passengers will be able one to use long-distance, regional and local trains and buses, metro, and trams, and had parked the car on a large P + R parking lot,” said Scheinherr.

Ecological considerations are also included in the proposal as the project includes the planting of trees alongside the terminal. Solar panels will be a major installation and the parking garage will feature electric vehicle-only spaces as well as charging stations.

The design team is headed up by architectural firm A69 in partnership with companies like Metroprojekt, Sudop EU and Sudop Prague.

The modernizing endeavor is expected to be completed in 2026.

Photo: A69

Photo: A69

Czech Television journalist Nora Fridrichová has launched a charitable initiative called Šatník (The Wardrobe).

The project began in early March and has already received massive interest from the public. Šatník will accept donations of clothing, shoes toiletries, toys, appliances, and sports equipment to be given to single-parent families in need.

Donations are not limited to those living in Prague. Now that the restrictions on movement between zones has been lifted, those living in surrounding regions can come to collect donations after registering and being approved.

Šatník is currently headquartered in Prague at the Kasarna Karlín, a former a military outpost more recently used to house cultural events.

A spokesperson stated, “We can’t show or play theater in our hall right now – but we have a great replacement!

Fridrichková is known to be a longtime advocate for single people and has even inspired a similar initiative in Pilsen called Girls for Girls which also offers a wardrobe of donations for single-parent families.

Czech Television journalist Nora Fridrichová

“We got the idea to set it up at about the same time as, for example, in Prague, the presenter of the Czech Television program 168 Hours, Nora Fridrichová. And when we published information that we were preparing it, a similar group of women from Planá contacted us, who want to help in their surroundings. It is amazing to see a wave of solidarity rising from below in these difficult times,” said founder Marketá Čekanová.

Fridrichková’s organization is also working to provide children with laptops and electronics for distanced learning as well as partnering with food delivery services to donate to single people.

Single-parent families wishing to receive donations must first register with Šatník by contacting [email protected]

Donations will be accepted on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 7 pm at the Karlin Barracks and which can be found at Prvního pluku 20/2, Prague 8 and can be reached by calling 735 642 792.

Ahoj rodičové, v sobotu má náš Šatník mimořádně zavřeno (filmaři v areálu), takže místo ní mimořádně otevíráme ve středu a ve čtvrtek, vždy 15-18.
Budeme se na vás moc těšit! pic.twitter.com/zbKeqWZzjP

— Nora Fridrichova (@NoraFridrichova) April 19, 2021

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has repeatedly refuted the allegation that he was an agent for the Communist Secret Police back in the 1980s.

A discovery by the Slovak National Memory Institute (ÚPN) has presented evidence to the Bratislava regional court that Babiš was indeed an agent of the StB.

Babiš has sued the UPN and has also been entangled in lawsuits regarding that matter for the past nine years disputing claims that he was a member of the Communist Secret Police.

A statistical card in archives of the UPN shows Babiš was given the designation of “agent” and also the code name “Bureš” as far back as Nov. 11, 1982.

The evidence against Babiš is significant as it indicates when he joined the StB as an informant in Bratislava and that he joined on a voluntary basis monitoring employees of foreign trade companies as part of the economic counterintelligence department.

PM Andrej Babiš claims that he never cooperated with the StB. However, the documents show the opposite.

Evidence from the institute indicates that Babiš was suspended from cooperation with the Secret Police in 1988 after being away in Morocco on business. The records show that he only returned after the democratic revolution in 1989.

Babiš has been accused of enriching himself and his businesses from being an StB collaborator.

Babiš maintains that he has been wrongfully identified and any accusations that he was a communist agent are part of a conspiracy to smear his political career and business holdings.

Babiš owns a multi-faceted conglomerate called Agrofert, which consists of over 230 companies making him the second richest man in the country.

In 2018 after the constitutional and regional courts rejected his case, he was quoted as saying

“We will sue until death because we are in the right.”

He has also argued that he was a victim of blackmail from the StB who threatened to strip his children’s education and revoke his right to travel abroad for business.

During a 2014 lawsuit, Július Šuman, the agent who allegedly recruited Babiš, testified on his behalf. Šuman stated that the security file had been deliberately falsified to protect the true identity of agent “Bureš”. The Bratislava court ruled that Babiš had indeed been wrongfully identified as a communist agent.

However, Slovakia’s Constitutional court has overturned the ruling in 2017 claiming that Šuman’s testimony is inadmissible because StB is considered to be a “criminal” organization.

The new evidence emerging from the UPN draws more negative press to Babiš who has also been accused of illegally funneling EU subsidies, valued at 2 million Euro, into his businesses although he is immune from prosecution while in office.

Local activists are submitting an application to create a national holiday honoring the victims of the Covid-19 virus calling it Pandemic Victims Day.

On Wednesday, a proposal was given to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Radek Vondráček as well as the Speaker of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil.

The proposal suggested that Mar. 22 be dedicated to the remembrance of those who have lost their lives due to the pandemic.

The date is significant as at noon on Mar. 22 of this year, a minute of silence was observed throughout the Czech Republic along with church bells ringing which marked exactly one year since the first person in the Czech Republic died from the virus.

In an announcement, organizers of the Minute of Silence stated, “the human dimension of the spread of this disease and its destructive influence on our society has been quite forgotten. The grief and the death have, therefore, just remained statistics; it is as if we have forgotten that death on this scale impacts the state of our society as a whole and its ability to cope with the current situation.”

Advocates for the proposed holiday would like Pandemic Victims Day to apply to the next calendar year in hopes that the pandemic will be over by then and the country will have seen it’s last Covid-related death.

One of the organizers for Minute of Silence was Petr Pospíchal who was asked about the proposal’s likelihood of gaining support by lawmakers.

Pospíchal stated, “Ordinary people with their daily worries, hit by the severe consequences of a pandemic, also need to hear something other than various difficult-to-understand considerations or day-to-day political operations.”

A similar proposal has been into law in Canada as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last month that on Mar. 11, Canada would observe National Day of Observance.

As of Wednesday, the death toll in the Czech Republic stood at 27,329 and death per day are declining throughout the country although data are continuously being gathered and the numbers will continue to change.

According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, over 4000 people died in February alone. The ministry believes thousands of people are dying from the virus every month.

Still, compared to January, covid-related deaths fell by two and a half thousand. The Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) looked at data from a five-year period of 2015-2019 and determined that February was about 36 percent higher than the average number of deaths in the Czech Republic pre-pandemic.

The country’s death toll was the highest in January of this year where it reached over 51 percent higher than the five-year average previously recorded with 15,900 reported dead.

The report also found that the region with the highest increase in deaths was Karlovy Vary which lost almost three times as many people more than usual.

“The February number of deaths was higher than in the average of 2015–2019 in all regions, but while in the Vysočina Region and the Zlín Region only by one and four percent, respectively, in the Karlovy Vary Region by an extreme 168 percent,” said Michaela Němečková from the CZSO.

In the Karlovy Vary region, 837 died in February alone, up from the 312 monthly average before the pandemic.

The Hradec Králové region follows closely behind where in February, the death toll increased by 90 percent higher than the five-year average before the pandemic.

Not included in the CZSO announcement, was the grim statistics for March which saw an average of 194 deaths a day due to the virus.

The Czech Republic ranks among the highest in the world in terms of number of deaths. Since last March, the country has reached 2500 deaths for every one million people.

Since the start of the pandemic,1.48 million people have been infected and the current covid-related death toll stands at 27,169 people in total.

Despite current conditions, the country is poised to let the state of emergence expire on Apr. 11 and has the Prime Minister has expressed the government will not seek to renew it.

Beginning in April, Prague Public Transport will begin conducting Covid sampling on public transportation, taking swabs of contact surfaces rather than passengers.

In a partnership with the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Physics, DPP will attempt to collect at least 500 samples on trams, buses, and trains running throughout the city.

The program is said to be inspired by findings from other major metropolitan cities like London, where researchers found no evidence of the virus on public transportation.

Scientist will use biosensors and air extraction mechanisms to detect the presence of the Coronavirus. Within the trains they will be taking swabs of seats, poles, buttons, and handles. At metro stations, things like staircases, handrails, and benches will be sampled as well.

Airborne samples will also be taken while passengers are onboard the buses, trams and trains. To accomplish this, scientists will be using a technology developed by the Institute of Physics.

“Their (biosensors) is based on a specially designed polymer nanobrush that specifically captures coronavirus particles contained in a liquefied sample, ignoring everything else,” Alexandr Dejnek, head of research at the Institute of Physics told novinky.cz.

Similar research was conducted in shopping malls in a project funded by the Association of Shopping Centers. The study sampled surfaces like, bathroom door handles, escalators, and elevator buttons and found no trace of the virus among the several dozens of samples.

The program is expected to be fully up and running in April and 150 samples will be taken from buses along with another 150 from trams. Trains will provide at least 100 samples and down in the metro, at least 50 samples will be taken.

The metro stations chosen for sampling is based on strategic locations such as stops near large hospitals or areas with heavy foot traffic.

This program would be expanding on the existing safety measures Prague Public Transport has taken since the start of the pandemic. DPP has cleaned and disinfected their trains and buses daily, provided over 150 disinfectant dispensers near metro stations, and have begun selling respirators to passengers directly.

Most of the data will be compiled in České Budějovice at the University of South Bohemia as well as by scientists from the Institute of Physics.

According to DPP spokesman Daniel Šabík, they expect to produce findings sometime between May and June of this year.

The Czech national football club traveled to Wales for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier match against the Welsh national club.

Noticeably missing from the group was Slavia Praha’s Ondřej Kúdela. Kúdela was believed to be absent due to concerns for his safety.

Kúdela is currently in the center of recent controversy regarding an incident that occurred when the Glasgow Rangers FC faced off with Slavia Praha.

During the match, the play became quite aggressive as Slavia’s goalkeeper was kicked in the face and taken off the field on a stretcher. Two Rangers players received red cards for aggressive play in the second half.

Shortly before the end of the match, Kúdela approached Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara, a Finnish man of African descent, and was seen cupping his hand and whispering something into Kamara’s ear. Kamara alleges that Kúdela said to him, “You’re a f***ing monkey. You know you are.”

After the match, Kúdela claims that Kamara physically assaulted him and punched him in the head before fleeing to the locker rooms. SK Slavia Praha filed a criminal complaint to Scottish police through the Czech Embassy in London.

A statement from Slavia Praha reads:

“Physical assault on Ondřej Kúdela was prepared and deliberate act which included covering of cameras on the site of the incident. The assault was brutal and carried out with the full force with the intention to hurt and cause physical harm to our player.”

Management from the two clubs have met and Kùdela maintains that he simply called Kamara a “f**king guy”.

Kamara spoke out and called on the Europa League to act.

“If UEFA genuinely wants to ‘show racism the red card’, then it’s time to stop the tokenism and take a zero-tolerance approach. The vile racist abuse by Ondřej Kudela took place on the international stage, and any failure to act by UEFA will be viewed as a greenlight for racism.”

The day after the match, Slavia Praha “ultras” fans took to Instagram and posted an image on the hooligans.cz page holding a banner that reads: “Kamara: Just a N*****”.

Slavia management quickly issued a statement disavowing the racist comments. Club chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik called it “absolutely disgusting, embarrassing, racist.”

Unfortunately, this was not the first incident of a few Slavia fans tarnishing the clubs image with racist acts.

At the start of the 2019/2020 season, the Czech Football Association ordered the team to close a portion of their stands as punishment for fans throwing bananas at a black player from city rival team Sparta Praha.

The Slavia Praha organization stands behind Kùdela and denies any racial abuse stating:

“The modern Slavia is a fully multicultural team and even our hardcore fans wear jerseys of all players without exceptions.”

An active investigation into the alleged racist incident by Scottish police is still underway.

Although he did not travel with the rest of the team, it has been confirmed that Kúdela will play in the world cup qualifier and the club will likely hold a press conference before the match to address the issue.

Health professionals are reassessing the current quarantine guidelines regarding the novel Coronavirus mutations that have made their way to the Czech Republic.

The nation’s Chief Hygienist Jarmila Rážová went on Czech Television to explain that people who came into contact with someone infected with one of the Covid mutations and wore only cloth masks should quarantine while those wearing respirators may not be required to quarantine again even if they were closer than two meters away.

The so-called Kent-variant, a highly infectious strain first discovered in the UK, has been confirmed to reach the Czech Republic and is believed to be 30 to 70 percent more contagious.

Epidemiologists believe that anyone coming into contact with someone infected with a variant, for any amount of time and not just the previously stated 15 minutes, may be at risk.

“The truth is that the minimum contact time of up to 15 minutes has been omitted precisely because new mutations, especially the British one, are more infectious in a shorter time than the original coronavirus,” Rážová told CeskaTelevize.

Anyone suspected of carrying a British, Brazilian, or South African mutation of the virus will be subject to quarantine and the discretion of the hygienist as well as anyone they have been in contact with.

Whether a quarantine is mandated will now be considered by epidemiologists on a case-by-case basis after a thorough investigation. Rážová explained the significance of the new assessments.

“The change occurred in the fact that people who suspect a mutation are routed preferentially only by epidemiologists, not by call center assistants.”

Quarantines prompted by suspected exposure to new variants will also include those who have been vaccinated as health professionals are still monitoring the efficacy of vaccines against the Coronavirus mutations.

Rážová went on to stress the importance of respirators, social distancing, and proper hygiene to help combat daily infection rates.

In recent days, recorded infections across the country have been around 8,167 daily, down from over 10,000 a week before.

Now in the country’s fourth wave of the pandemic, the death toll stands at a grim 24,667.

As vaccination efforts have increased across Europe, countries like Greece and Croatia are already preparing for large amounts of tourism.

In Croatia, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tomáš Petříček is currently negotiating conditions of entry for tourists visiting the Adriatic sea from the Czech Republic.

Safe locations to visit will be designated by a special marking stating “Safe Stay in Croatia”.

According to Petříček, Greece will accept an antigen test as an adequate requirement for those who have not yet been vaccinated. They are anticipating the country’s tourism season to begin on May 14 if safety conditions permit.

“They are either being tested or will show sufficient immunity as a result of the Covid -19 disease they have already undergone, or they will submit a negative test for covid-19,” Petříček said.

This year trains will continue to run from the Czech Republic down to the Adriatic coast with stops along Croatia at Rijeka and Split.

Croatia has long been a popular tourist destination for Czechs. Last year, 511,000 Czechs visited the country between Jan. and Sept. despite the global pandemic transpiring.

Croatia has implemented new health precautions for travelers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among tourists. The Stay Safe in Croatia program has already been implemented to promote tourism this year and over 10,000 companies have already signed up for the program.

Restaurants, cafés, museums, and other similar tourism businesses have signed on to comply with the programs safety standards. Participating businesses will be designated with a stamp that indicated it meets the safety requirements of the Stay Safe in Croatia program.

Covid test sites are expected to be set up all around Croatia and the third wave of vaccinations will begin in April.

“It can be expected that Croatia will require tests upon arrival in the country. The only solution is whether it will have to be PCR or whether antigenic will suffice,” said Petříček.

The European Union is currently working on a “green digital passport” for travelers who have been vaccinated to make crossing borders more efficient.

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