A revival of an old Easter tradition has gone ahead in the southern Czech Republic amid tight coronavirus restrictions. After the pandemic prevented it from happening a year ago, a procession of participants in black suits with white masks returned to České Budějovice, beating drums and pushing small noise-making carts. They all wear face coverings and abide by social distancing rules. In several European countries, church bells fall silent in the evening on Maundy Thursday – according to tradition they fly home to Rome – and don´t sound again until Easter Sunday. While the bells are still, believers in several countries, including the Czech Republic and Austria, hold noisy processions to call people to prayers. Their effort wasn’t in vain.
Austria, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic have been excluded from an EU move to provide millions of extra vaccines to hard-hit member countries, ending bitter negotiations over jab supply that have divided governments. A coalition of 24 EU countries on Thursday decided on a “solidarity” mechanism that will provide 2.85m additional doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer jab to five member states: Estonia, Latvia, Croatia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria. The decision will not give additional jabs to a trio led by Austria after they blocked proposals for redistribution in protest after seeking a higher share. The negotiations end weeks of divisive horse-trading over how to distribute 10m jabs bought forward from the third quarter to help ease supply shortages as the virus forces new lockdown measures across the EU. Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been an outspoken critic of the EU’s distribution of vaccines, which is being calculated on a pro-rata basis according to a country’s population. He has demanded a more “equitable” system and accused other countries of making secret deals with pharma giants. During the talks, Vienna angered other capitals by threatening to block a 100m order of extra Pfizer jabs if it could not secure a higher share of the...
Czech startup Verdikto aims to transform the way people address their questions related to law. With the help of technology, the company promises its customers guidance from a lawyer for the price of a lunch menu. Each visitor can describe their situation by filling in a simple web form, which is then directed to one of the 80+ lawyers registered on the platform. The answer is delivered within one or two days, depending on the purchased tariff. For the more complicated cases, Verdikto staff will also handpick the best legal service for you, based on the lawyer’s recommendation. Thanks to their marketplace, which contains more than 600 services from different lawyers, it becomes very easy. The vision behind the project is to bring simplicity and transparency to the overly complicated process of getting legal help. The rapid growth and great reviews on Google and firmy.cz indicate the demand for such a service on the market. “We want to eliminate any uncertainty when searching for a lawyer. You know that you get the best service for the best price when you come to Verdikto” – says Dmitry Vanyagin, founder and CTO. Currently, the platform supports Czech and English languages and the...
An application that enables people who are either vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test to visit restaurants, gyms, barbershops and other facilities is currently under development. A brainchild of the Chamber of Commerce, the concept will be discussed by Chamber and government with the possibility of running the app on the state level. The idea is simple: install the app on your phone and log in to your account to get access to confirmation of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test. After that, a map will be shown, indicating the nearest “safe establishments” – businesses that adhere to sanitary measures. When entering the facility, an employee will scan a QR-code from the app to check whether you are vaccinated or have a confirmation of a negative test. You can then proceed to enjoy services of the establishment. One of the people in charge of the app development is Zdeněk Zajíček, vice president of Chamber of Commerce and president of ICT Unie association. According to Zajíček, the app will benefit both customers and business owners. “We want to motivate our entrepreneurs to be ready for waves of easing,” he said. He also confirmed that Chamber is negotiating with the Ministry...
Blanket security checks at Prague Castle are ending from Friday, a spokesperson for President Miloš Zeman said on Tuesday. For many years Prague Castle was open for free to everyone. Having several entrances, it was very easy to get inside without waiting. Since summer 2016, Czech president Miloš Zeman decided to put security checks in place. This measure started to cause a big problem: line ups. “After evaluating the current security situation and in connection with the strengthening of the camera system, blanket security checks at the entrance at Prague Castle are ending from Friday, April 2nd,” said the Office of the President of the Republic (KPR). “Members of the Police of the Czech Republic are still entitled to invite visitors to undergo a random personal security check. A member of the police has the right to prevent entry into Prague Castle with items the entry of which is prohibited according to the valid visiting rules,” states the president’s office. In the past five years, visitors had to walk through a security frame and took anything made of metal out of their pockets (keys, coins…) and then asked to open their bag. Increased security at Prague Castle was promised in the...
Politicians and friends in the Czech Republic have paid tribute to Petr Kellner, the country’s richest man, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Alaska. He was 56. Kellner was one of five people, including the pilot, who died in the accident on Saturday. One person survived. “An unbelievable tragedy,” said Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who offered his condolences to the family. “I’m terribly sorry about it.” “With great sadness, PPF announces that on March 27, 2021, the majority shareholder of PPF Mr. Petr Kellner tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in the Alaskan mountains. The incident, in which 5 lives were lost, is under investigation,” the company statement said. “His professional life was known for his incredible work ethic and creativity, but his private life belonged to his family. His funeral will be held with only close family members.” The Eurocopter AS50 crashed under unknown circumstances about 80 kilometers east of Anchorage at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday. Authorities said the crash site was near Knik Glacier. Kellner owned a 98.93% stake in the PPF Group, an international investment company. His wealth was estimated by Forbes at $17.4 billion. The group operates...
The Czech Republic’s richest man, billionaire Petr Kellner, died in a helicopter crash in Alaska, his financial group PPF said on Monday. He was 56. Kellner, whose net worth has been estimated at $17.5 billion by Forbes, was aboard the Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter when it went down near Knik Glacier, the lodge that chartered the aircraft said on Sunday. Kellner was killed, along with another guest of the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Benjamin Larochaix, also of the Czech Republic; two of the lodge’s guides, Gregory Harms and Sean McMannany; and the helicopter’s pilot, Zach Russel, officials said. One injured passenger remains in serious but stable condition and is receiving medical care at an Anchorage area hospital. The helicopter was an Airbus AS350B3 owned by Soloy Helicopters of Wasilla, Alaska. The group is believed to have been heliskiing in the area. The deceased have been turned over to the Alaska State Medical Examiner. Emergency responders said they were notified at 10 p.m. on Saturday that the helicopter had not returned from an excursion and that debris from a crash had been observed near Knik Glacier. “We announce with the deepest grief that, in a helicopter accident in Alaska mountains on Saturday,...
According to Právo daily, some workers from Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania show a negative PCR test certificate upon entering Czech territory. However, in many cases, they bought their certificate, with all the official stamps, on the black market in Ukraine. While the real PCR test in Ukraine costs around CZK 1,200 korunas, the blank original certificate, fully stamped, is available on the black market at the price of CZK 600 to 700. If foreign workers have the coronavirus, they can spread the infection, for example, during bus transports organized by companies. Currently, foreigners from countries outside the European Union have to fill in an entry form before entering the Czech Republic. Thanks to this document, public health officials know who comes into the country and when. Foreigners must also have proof of a negative PCR test no older than three days and then get re-tested five days after arrival. Until then, they should be in quarantine. Public health officials regularly check whether foreigners have been tested and whether they are adhering to quarantine. For example, in the Central Bohemian Region, such inspections are in progress and have already discovered foreigners with forged documents. Workers who commit this type of fraud...
Germany has deleted the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Austrian Tyrol from the list of regions with a high incidence of the more dangerous coronavirus mutations as of March 28, the Robert Koch Institute, administering this list, announced today. Austria’s hard-hit Tyrol region, which borders Germany, is also no longer considered a virus variant region and is now classified as a lower-level risk area, RKI added. The travel updates come as Germany struggles to halt a sharp rise in new infections amid a slow vaccination drive and the spread of new, more contagious virus strains first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil. In mid-February, the German government declared the Czech Republic, Slovakia and most of Tyrol to be areas with an increased incidence of more contagious coronavirus mutations. From these areas, only German citizens and residents could enter their territory. Exceptions were given to truck drivers, medical staff and other groups of citizens, including cross-border workers. Latest statistics The health ministry recorded 7,853 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, down from over 10,000 the week before. The official death toll has reached 25,639, rising by 189 on the day, which also includes revisions to previous days, according to ministry data.
According to the Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO), if the public adheres to the existing measures for another fourteen days, the first relaxation could come after 12 April. “The numbers are improving, but they are still extremely high. If we persevere and respect the measures for at least another two weeks, the number of infections can decrease radically. Then the date of April 12 will be realistic,” said the minister. As Novinky.cz reports, one of the first measures to be relaxed is the restriction of movement between districts. The return of children to school is also a priority. The government should decide next week, added the main hygienist Pavla Svrčinová. The youngest students will be tested twice a week using antigen. “We want to prevent the spread of the virus in schools,” said Svrčinová. The chief hygienist also intends to present a new anti-epidemic PES system before Easter. Currently, the PES system is unusable due to new and more contagious coronavirus mutations and has not been followed by the cabinet for many weeks. Svrčinová also added that she had already discussed with representatives of various areas, such as culture, and sports, what rules should be set to allow a...
Prague Morning interviewed Soumik, the artist behind Alien in Bohemia, an ongoing art journey for Soumik where he showcases his graphic design talents through weaving relatable short stories by e-comics and photos. Alien in Bohemia’s stories are refreshingly familiar, especially to international students who come to Prague. Here’s the full-length interview. Can you introduce yourself and tell us where you came from? “I’m Soumik from Bangladesh. I came to the Czech Republic to study optics and nanostructure, and to do my master’s in this back in 2017. I had been an engineer up until that point. It was a tough school. I studied at Czech Technical University – Faculty of Nuclear Science. I didn’t have classmates, so I spent a lot of time alone.” There’s a huge contrast between what you were doing before and now. What made you transition to art? “It was a tough subject and science can be demanding. I probably thought it was going be good for me, then I realized I still have to go through a work phase. I realized I loved drawing. I used to come home from school, eat dinner, and from 9 pm till 3 am I would draw. It wasn’t...
You may have met Lucia in our recent “Expat Next Door” feature on her. The Venezuelan expat has lived and worked in Prague for over 10 years and has founded an association to help her fellow Venezuelans acclimate to life in the Czech Republic and begin mapping their demographic needs. Last August, Lucia along with a few friends, founded La Casa Venezolana en Chequia (the Venezuelan House in Czechia) and registered it as a civil association as Prague still has no Venezuelan embassy. “The objectives of our association covers areas such as educational, cultural, as well as assistance and support. Our first big project for 2021 is to “map” the Venezuelan community in the Czech Republic to determine how many we are, how we are geographically distributed, our needs, our profiles, we believe that the best way to serve our community is by knowing it,” said Lucia. In the hopes of attracting more Venezuelan expats to join the association or simply offer their input, La Casa Venezolana en Chequia is conducting an online survey as a “census” of sorts to assess some of the needs of Venezuelans residing in the Czech Republic as well as other demographic data. The survey...
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