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...
With the administration of 4.2 million vaccines nationwide and over 1.7 million people recovered from Covid-19, the Czech Republic is close to reaching herd immunity, indicated the biochemist Zdeněk Hostomský. “We are talking about more than 40% of the population has already received one or two doses, which is extremely important. We are possibly among the most advanced countries,” he said. The Pfizer vaccine has been the most widely used. Hostomský moreover argues that the actual number of people who have contracted the virus in the past year is likely to be much higher. The Czech Republic has recently halved the waiting time to get a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to three weeks, as the country races to boost vaccinations and fend off new coronavirus variants. The country is aiming to boost vaccination numbers before the autumn and as new coronavirus infections slowly start to rise again, hoping to get younger people inoculated. As part of this effort, the government last week opened two new vaccination centres in Prague – one at the main railway station and another at Chodov – for walk-ins, requiring no registration beforehand. The Czech Republic went through some of the world’s worst waves of the...
Czech legislation of marijuana is “more benevolent” than most other countries in Europe, said Jan Vit, chairman of Konopa, a non-profit organisation that works with educating people about marijuana. Possession of fewer than 10 grams of marijuana and growing five plants at home has been decriminalised since 2010, although it remains a civil offence and can be punished by a fine of around CZK 10,000. However, possession of more than 10 grams remains a criminal offence, and selling marijuana carries a prison sentence of between 2-18 years. In January, a cross-party bill was defeated in parliament which would have allowed people to store 1.25 kilograms of dried cannabis at home and to carry up to 30 grams in public. Notably, it would have also allowed people to legally give 30 grams to another adult but only for free, not sold. Tomas Vymazal, an architect of the parliamentary bill defeated in January and a member of the Pirate Party, has argued that allowing home-growers to “give” cannabis to friends for free would end much of the black-market trading, as well as needless criminal charges for small-time growers. Current laws also put buyers at more risk of associated crime as well as...
Czech nationals vaccinated in any third country are now eligible to apply for the EU Digital COVID-19 Vaccination Passport, the Czech Ministry of Health has announced. According to a press release issued by the institution, Czech nationals who have been vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) such as Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer are permitted to apply for the document that aims to facilitate the travel process within the block. “We want to provide Czech citizens vaccinated in third countries with one of the four vaccines, which is also available in the EU, the same benefits that vaccination brings them in the country,” the Health Minister, Adam Vojtěch, noted. He also said that people coming from third countries and have or will visit a healthcare provider will have their information electronically shared into the Infectious Disease Information System; therefore, the vaccine will be issued a single EU certificate. The criteria for the applicant to obtain such a document is to present proof of the vaccination certificate issued in a third country in English by the medical authorities. The certificate must also include information on the holder’s vaccination, such as type of vaccine administered,...
The Czech Ministry of Health came up with a new way to motivate residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Next week, insurance companies will send out paper letters to their clients, inviting them to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointments. “This so-called motivation letter could be sent to vaccinated people by mistake since insurance companies receive these data with a short delay,” said Adam Vojtěch. The minister announced that three walk-in centers (in addition to two in Prague) will open in the country, offering Covid-19 vaccination without prior registration. They will be located in Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. More than a third of the population of the Czech Republic, about 3.8 million people, have already been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and another 1.4 million people have received a single dose. However, vaccination coverage among people aged 30 and below is only about 40 percent. Czechia reported 227 new COVID cases on Thursday, 22 fewer than a week ago and the reproduction rate dropped from 1.3 to 1.25, while the incidence rate is 16 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days, Health Ministry has said. The figures imply that the week-over-week increase stopped.
On Tuesday, July 13, the lower house of the Czech parliament approved legislation requiring foreigners with long-term residence in the country to be insured with the state-owned insurer VZP, despite criticism that such a requirement amounts to unacceptable monopolization. One of the key changes will require all foreigners with commercial insurance to use Pojišťovna VZP for the first five years, according to reports in various Czech media outlets. Only after this time would they be able to switch to other insurance companies. The Senate version finally received 71 votes from the 158 present, opposed by legislators from SPD, the Communist Party, and many from ANO. The Lower House proposal received 108 votes out of 160 present, and was duly passed. “Hospitals that provide assistance to foreigners with policies from non-medical insurance companies today cannot be sure that they will receive the money spent on treatment back,” said Miloslav Yanulik, a deputy from the ANO party. The first time MPs approved the amendment in early June, but a month later the Senate rejected the document, believing that it would lead to a monopolization of the market. Senators returned the bill for reconsideration to the lower house, proposing their own solution to...
According to half of Czechs, the state is ready for a possible new wave of coronavirus, about a tenth of people are sure of that. This follows from a survey by the Median agency for Czech Radio. By contrast, more than two-fifths of respondents are skeptical about the country’s readiness. According to Median director Přemysl Čech, women mistrust the state more (49 percent) than men (39 percent). On the other hand, government voters have confidence in the country’s readiness. “Voters of ANO movement lead by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš are convinced in 69 percent of cases that the state is ready,” he told the Czech Radio. According to him, the same opinion would be supported by 54 percent of those who would go to the polls. On the other hand, almost half of non-voters (47 percent) are convinced that the state will be unable to manage the pandemic this time around. Immunologist Václav Hořejší is rather optimistic. According to him, Czechia learned from previous mistakes. “I hope we have enough experience.” In addition, according to him, the epidemic would not have to intensify due to vaccination, as in previous months. “The next wave would certainly have a much different character...
Budvar, the Czech brewer that has been in a long legal dispute with U.S. company Anheuser-Busch over use of the “Budweiser” brand, increased its net profit by almost 10% last year amid record output as the pandemic saw people drink less in bars and more at home. Budejovicky Budvar NP, a 125-year-old state-owned brewery, said Monday its net profit reached CZK 305 million ($14 million) in 2020. Its output rose 3.1% to a record of 1.73 million hectoliters last year. Demand for its beer in tanks and barrels declined last year as bars and restaurants were closed for a long time, but Budvar was able to meet rising demand for bottled beer. The brewer has been expanding in recent years to be able to produce more than 2 billion hectoliters (52.8 billion gallons) of beer a year. That investment made it possible to react to changes in the markets amid the coronavirus pandemic. Budvar sells its beer in around 80 countries and Germany, one of its key markets, grew particularly strongly in 2020. Revenues also hit a record last year, growing 0.4% to CZK 2.81 billion. Czech beer consumption in 2020 fell to its lowest level since the 1960s. In...
In June, the average Czech’s spending on lunch in a restaurant rose to CZK 137, nine crowns more than before the pandemic broke out, the news site iDNES.cz wrote on Tuesday. The average sum Czechs spent on lunch in 2019 was over CZK 120. Spending has risen in all regional cities except Prague and Brno over the past year. Spending in Plzeň is currently the highest, at CZK 143.90, according to data on meal voucher card payments from Edenred. Current spending on restaurant lunches is on average three percent higher than last June, when the first wave of the pandemic was unleashed. In three regional cities, the average spending exceeded CZK 140, as stated by data from payments made by more than 250,000 employees who use Edenred’s meal voucher card. “The three percent year-on-year growth reflects the inflation trend in the Czech Republic. We expect lunch prices and spending levels to continue to rise,” says Edenred CEO Nicolas Eich. Catering businesses are facing higher prices for raw materials and staff shortages. Czechs are also dining out less than in the past. Edenred recorded 57 percent fewer lunch transactions this June than in the pre-pandemic period. In June 2020, that drop was only...
The Czech Republic will halve the waiting time to get a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to three weeks, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said on Monday, as the country races to boost vaccinations and fend off new coronavirus variants. The country has administered at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines to 48% of its total population, lagging the European Union average. The Pfizer vaccine has been the most widely used. Like others, the central European country is aiming to boost vaccination numbers before the autumn and as new coronavirus infections slowly start to rise again, hoping to get younger people inoculated. As part of this effort, the government on Monday opened two new vaccination centres in Prague – one at the main railway station and another at a shopping mall – for walk-ins, requiring no registration beforehand. “We are looking for all ways to make vaccinations accessible to people and reach those who have not yet shown an interest,” Prime Minister Andrej Babis said. Almost 36% of the 10.7 million population has been fully vaccinated since the end of December 2020. Around 100,000 to 120,000 shots a day were administered during the workweek in June, although the start of...
Strong thunderstorms accompanied by high winds and torrential rains hit the Czech Republic on Thursday, leading to two deaths, officials said. Police said the victims’ car was hit by a falling tree near the town of Pisek in the southern Czech Republic. Two children who were also in the car were injured and taken to hospital. Police said the dead were not the children’s parents. In the southwestern Czech Republic, a railway track was blocked by fallen trees while another one was flooded. Meteorologists issued a warning against extreme thunderstorms that were forecast to hit the central part of the country. “The most affected are Písek and the České Budějovice region,” said Vendula Matějů, a spokeswoman for the South Bohemian fire brigade. Firefighters have intervened in the Klatovy region, removing uprooted or fallen trees. Between 17:00 and 18:00, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute also recorded the largest precipitation in the Pilsen Region. A rare tornado believed to be the most devastating in the country´s modern history torn through the southeast Czech Republic two weeks ago, killing six people and injuring hundreds. The tornado touched down as strong thunderstorms hit the entire country. Seven towns and villages sustained heavy damage that included...
Czech citizens will be able again to cross the border with Slovakia after the country decided to reverse its controversial decision to close several border crossings to try and curb the spread of COVID-19 on Monday. Small crossings were barred with concrete blocks or gravel piles. The decision of Slovak authorities prompted heated reactions from people living in the towns near the borders who are traveling between the two countries for family or work on a daily basis. Mayors of local villages even issued notes of protest, saying they had not been informed of such drastic measures in advance. Clashes with police were also reported on Tuesday. The closed border crossings will be opened again by the end of the week, announced Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamáček. “The Slovak interior minister has just informed me that the Slovak side decided to open all border crossings till the end of the week and switch to randomized controls,” Hamáček added. Latest statistics On Wednesday, the Czech Health Ministry reported 279 people positive for the COVID-19, more than double the number of infections detected on the same day last week and the highest daily number of new cases detected since June 8. Prague...
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