In view of the improving epidemiological situation, the government has agreed to loosen coronavirus restrictions faster than originally planned. As of Sunday, August 1, the attendance limit for public events at indoor venues will be raised to 3,000 people and 7,000 people at outdoor venues. The changes at the press conference after Monday’s government meeting were announced by the Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch (ANO). Mandatory space for standing spectators will be raised from four to two square meters per person. Dancing will once again be allowed at dance clubs and discos. Swimming pools will be able to operate at full capacity, galleries and exhibitions at 75 percent capacity. Other changes will come into effect from August 1. There will be no capacity limit in swimming pools (at the moment operators can fill it to 75 percent). All visits to Czech castles and ZOOs will be without admission restrictions for groups with less than 20 members. According to Vojtěch, the government agreed to loosen coronavirus restrictions on the basis that the epidemic situation is stagnant. “We do not observe any major negative aspects, considering both the number of new positive cases or the number of hospitalizations,” he added. The Health...
Czech Republic has the third-highest rate of obesity in the EU with 60% of the population is classified as obese, according to figures published by the European Commission. The lowest share of overweight people is among those aged 18-24, at just over 20%, while this figure rose to over 60% of those aged 65 to 74. The EU member states with the most overweight adults were Croatia and Malta (65%). In contrast, the lowest share was found in Italy and France with 45 per cent of adults overweight. People are considered overweight if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) – a measure of a person’s body fat which is based on their weight relative to their height – of 25 or more. A person’s BMI is calculated by their weight in kilogrammes being divided by the square of their height in metres. High BMI Adults with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese, while a BMI in the range 18.5-25 is classified as normal. Overall, the Eurostat figures which contain the first results of the European Health Interview Survey show that just over half of all adults in the EU are overweight. While 45 per cent had...
A group of major European spa towns was added to the highly prized World Heritage list on Saturday for their “exceptional testimony to the European spa phenomenon” from the 18th century to the 1930s, Unesco said. This includes Baden bei Wien in Austria, Spa in Belgium, Karlovy Vary, Františkovy Lázně and Mariánské Lázně in the Czech Republic, Vichy in France, Bad Ems, Baden-Baden and Bad Kissingen in Germany, Montecatini Terme in Italy, and Bath in the United Kingdom. The World Heritage Committee, meeting in China for its annual session to review the list of world heritage sites, said the group captured “the most fashionable, dynamic and international spa towns among the many hundreds that contributed to the European spa phenomenon”. “Whilst each spa town is different, all the towns developed around mineral water sources, which were the catalyst for a model of spatial organisation dedicated to curative, therapeutic, recreational and social functions,” it said. Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary, also known as Carlsbad, is a charming little spa town known for its amazing variety of healing thermal springs. The area offers a variety of walking paths you can use to get to the various springs to relax in, many of which...
Saturday will see UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee discuss proposals for new additions to its heritage list. Czech spa towns are teaming up with other eight European counterparts. Spas were a huge European phenomenon from the 18th century to the early 20th century. The Bader Lexicon of 1854 lists 652 major European spas, but only a handful of the grandest spas now survive in an authentic form. Each used natural mineral waters to treat pain and disease in the days before industrial medication and they are testimony to the development of medicine. The towns have unique urban forms and significant architectural ensembles including special spa buildings and visitor facilities such as spa houses, colonnades, churches, theatres, casino houses, dedicated hotels and boarding houses. The combination of the fabric of the towns with their parks and green spaces and surrounding ‘therapeutic landscape’ is very important. Four Czech spa towns — the western triangle of Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně, together with the east Moravian spa resort of Luhačovice — have teamed up with around half a dozen major European spa resorts in a bid to obtain the prestigious UNESCO recognition quicker. The 11 candidate spas are: Baden bei Wien (Austria) Spa (Belgium) Karlovy Vary,...
Twenty-three percent of Czechs said they are not willing to get the coronavirus vaccine, according to a new survey by the Public Opinion Research Centre (CVVM). Meanwhile, 35 percent of respondents say that they will vaccinate themselves, with 7 percent replying that they are still unsure. The remaining individuals questioned by the survey said that they had already received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose. The Czech Republic is occupying 21st place in the EU when it comes to the number of coronavirus cases in the past 14 days, according to the data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The government is pushing ahead with vaccinations but PM Andrej Babis has recently said that he had no plans to make them compulsory. Health Minister Adam Vojtech said he shared this view. “To be clear, no vaccination, be it of the public or health professionals will be ever made compulsory under this government,” Babis stressed. There were another 192 coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic on Saturday, and the reproduction number fell to 0.93, according to the data the Health Ministry released today. For the second time in three weeks, the number of the infected dipped...
The right to defend oneself and others with weapons under legal conditions will be enshrined in the Czech Constitution. It will become part of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. The adjustment is a response to disarmament trends within the EU. As expected, the Senate on Wednesday confirmed the approval of the amendment to the Charter. The change will now be signed by the president, who, unlike ordinary laws, cannot veto constitutional laws. The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms will now contain a provision stating that “the right to defend one’s own life or the life of another person with a weapon is guaranteed under the conditions laid down by law.” According to the submitters, the constitutional change will prevent this right from being restricted by ordinary law. It will also strengthen the position of the Czech Republic in discussing other EU regulations. “The proposal is not only symbolic in nature but can also serve as insurance for the future,” said Senator Martin Červíček on behalf of the submitters. Červíček pointed to the tendency of some EU countries to ban carrying any objects that could be used as a weapon. According to Červíček, the disarmament of the population...
On 21 July, the Czech government announced that the Masaryk Institute of Oncology (MOÚ) will invest over CZK 1 billion in the modernisation and expansion of its services. As TheMayor.eu reports, MOÚ is one of the country’s largest oncology centres, with approximately 246,000 outpatient treatments taking place each year. The expansion of the institute is set to begin in August 2021 with the construction of a new inpatient anti-cancer treatment centre, a palliative medicine centre, and a bronchoscopy centre. These developments are expected to cost over EUR 3.9 million. By 2026, another CZK 1 billion will also be put towards the establishment of a Cancer Prevention Centre and the creation of new workplaces for innovative and supportive care. The financing for these developments will come from the country’s National Recovery Plan. Visiting the MOÚ in Brno, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš commented on the importance of the expansion, explaining that oncological diseases are the second most common cause of death in the Czech Republic. Each year, approximately 27,000 lives are lost to these illnesses. According to Babiš, the aforementioned developments are therefore crucial as MOÚ is perceived as “a leader in oncology, a leader in the fight against cancer.” Taking this further,...
The British Grand National has long been revered as one of the hardest cross-country races, with Aintree’s 28 fences proving a stiff test of the 6.5km, two-and-a-half-furlong race. It’s the longest jump race in British horseracing, but it doesn’t quite compare with the most gruelling cross-country race in Czech horseracing. The Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase, also known as the Grand Pardubice Steeplechase is the Czech Grand National. It lays claim to not only being the world’s oldest cross-country event but the toughest too. Outside of the Czech Republic, the Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase is rarely covered by the leading tipsters and handicappers at oddschecker, whose daily tips typically cover the UK and Irish racecards. Nevertheless, this article is designed to shine a spotlight on this iconic event for locals that are yet to experience this 147-year-old race as well as horse racing enthusiasts reading and living further afield. Unlike the British Grand National, the Grand Pardubice Steeplechase has more obstacles totalling 31. It’s one of the main reasons why Czech racing enthusiasts are drawn to Pardubice, which is situated 100km from Prague. The Grand Pardubice Steeplechase is also slightly longer than the Aintree Grand National at 6.8km. Historically, this event is scheduled...
Recently, the Czech Municipality of České Budějovice began working on the development of an adaptation strategy that will help prepare the city for the current and future impacts of climate change. Last month, representatives from several organisations spoke to various vulnerable groups (such as the elderly, disabled individuals, and parents of young children) to find out which locations in the city need to be improved. Now, the city has taken another important step towards the formulation of the strategy. Citizens have the best knowledge of the city On 20 July, the municipality announced that all residents can help the city in its development of the adaptation strategy. More specifically, the city invites all citizens to visit adaptuj-cbudejovice.cz where they will be able to fill out a survey. In addition to this, they will also find a map that allows them to identify locations that overheat in the summer, flood during torrential rains, etc. It is important to note that residents are further encouraged to pinpoint the areas they find pleasant. The municipality will then use this information to ensure their protection. What is more, it will use them as good examples from which it will derive ideas for the upgrade of other...
Lactalis CZ recalls 385,000 Kunín Pohár milk desserts from Czech stores. The examination found in them a trace amount of ethylene oxide – a pesticide banned in the European Union. The news was reported by the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic. We are talking about the 150-gram desserts with chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, and apricot flavors with an expiration date of 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, and 29 July 2021. Customers are asked to check refrigerators and return it to the place of purchase. Desserts with different flavors and expiration dates are ok, no problem found. Ethylene oxide is largely used to sterilize materials and instruments used in surgery and for medical devices, but it is not allowed for food use in Europe. Its use as biocide was banned in Europe due to the risks from its toxicity. It is not even approved as an active substance in plant protection products in the Union. However, since September 2020, the European RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) system has notified the entry of multiple foods contaminated with ethylene oxide in European countries. Since January 1, ethylene oxide was responsible for more than 1,000 food safety alerts. While EU...
Every day, more than 1 billion people all over the world wake up to a hazy day because they have impaired eyesight and have no means to address this problem. 80% of these people are concentrated in only 20 countries – and it’s the poorest populations that suffer the most. Having poor vision tends to dramatically decrease one’s ability to learn, earn, be productive and enjoy the highest standard of life quality. To address this enormous global challenge, an innovative solution created in the Czech Republic has the potential to change the lives of millions. The Czech start-up DOT Glasses has come up with the world’s first, one-size-fits-all glasses and radically simplified lens concept. The customized DOT Glasses consist of six-piece snap-together frames and agnostic click-in lenses, which are provided on the spot with the help of a simple DOT Glasses testing tool. The founder, Philip Staehelin, wants to bring his glasses to the most remote locations in countries, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Uganda – nations where roads, quality, and free health care are largely pipe dream. What makes it financially accessible? DOT Glasses solution was designed in such a way that vision screening and glasses...
The flooding in western Europe leaves behind major damage on railways. Several lines in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and towards the Czech Republic are still disrupted and in some cases, no traffic is possible. Large clean-up and restoration efforts are in progress, here’s a current overview. Water instead of trains on the rails, it was a strange sight. Now that most of it has gone down, layers of mud cover the tracks, which on some parts have been washed away. Track systems, communication lines and other infrastructure elements have suffered major damage from the water and mud. Czech Republic Long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn between Bad Schandau in Germany and Dečin, Czech Republic, are being disrupted. Since the affected section of the route can only be used on a single track, the trains are delayed by around 60 minutes. There can also be short-term train and stop cancellations. According to DB, this will probably be the case until Tuesday, July 20. According to Czech Railways České Dráhy, the operation for the section Bad Schandau – Sebnitz might only be restarted on July 31. Belgium In Belgium, the rail infrastructure has taken a huge hit. “The severe storm that hit...
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