Almost 47,000 people in the Czech Republic received their first vaccinations against Covid-19 on Wednesday, a daily record for the vaccine program. The ministry reported 948,144 vaccine shots have been administered. The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš visited Israel on Wednesday to learn more about vaccine strategy and production in a country he called “a leader in technologies” and “traditional partner.” Together with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will meet with their Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. A group of Czech experts will be joining the Czech PM on his trip to Israel to meet with local scientists who have developed a new experimental inhaled medication against COVID-19. In the Czech Republic, vaccinations have been vaccinated since December 27 last year. Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO) said last week that he wants to reach at least 35,000 Covid jabs a day in March. So far, the limit of 35,000 vaccinations has been exceeded only twice. The vast majority of vaccine doses administered are Pfizer/BioNTech. In addition, the Czech government is using vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca. The vaccine from Johnson & Johnson could probably arrive in April. Latest statistics The health ministry recorded 14,353 new COVID-19 infections on...
On this day one year ago, the Czech Ministry of Health decided to close elementary, secondary, tertiary schools and universities due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the country. Theatrical, musical, cinema performances and other artistic, sports, and religious events, markets, trade fairs, and other public and private events with an expected participation of more than 100 people were prohibited as well. Life instantly and inexorably changed. Yet March 11 was far from the only date of the note, and the first major move in the battle with the novel coronavirus took place exactly one year ago today, even if no one realized it at the time. As of the 10th of March, 2020, the Czech Republic had 40 cases of coronavirus. Below is what Prime Minister Andrej Babis said during the press conference on that day: “We believe that these measures are necessary because, in Europe, several countries do not have the coronavirus under control. The main reason why we decided to do this is the recommendation of regional hygienists and Deputy Minister of Health Prymula,” the Prime Minister added, calling on the public to understand the need for this measure, given the seriousness of the situation. “We understand that...
President Miloš Zeman wants Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) to remove the Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO) and the director of the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL) Irena Storová over their positions on Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. As Parlamentní listy reports, Zeman said the two officials’ rejection of the Russian vaccine meant they were responsible for deaths in the Czech Republic. Zeman pointed out the interest of Italy and Slovakia in the Russian vaccine. “This leads to the conclusion that if millions of people are vaccinated with the Russian or Chinese vaccine, then Mr. Blatný Ms. Storová and are to blame for the fact that our people will continue to die unnecessarily.” Zeman also said on Wednesday that the Czech Republic had received an offer to participate in the production of Sputnik, which would be produced in one of the German federal states, in cooperation with Germany and Russia. “In the Czech Republic, the Prime Minister is the only one who can dismiss ministers. The opinion of the President is relevant in this discussion, but any changes in the cabinet are proposed by the Prime Minister,” said the Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček (CSSD). Scientists said the...
The gastronomy industry has been struggling to survive for the past year enduring numerous government-mandated closures. As a result, only 45 percent of the previously open gastronomy businesses still remain open and operating through a window. According to recent data published by the Confederation of Trade and Tourism, restaurants have lost an estimated 72 billion crowns, down 37 percent from their pre-covid earnings. Before the pandemic ravaged the gastronomy industry in the Czech Republic would earn about 195 billion crowns each year. Restaurants in the Zlín, Karlovy Vary, and Pilsen regions have been among the worst afflicted by closures earning only half of the reported sales before the pandemic. While the Prague City Tourism board has actively promoted local tourism over the past year, the capital still remains at 66 percent of its earnings recorded before March 2020. Insight into the industry’s revenue loss comes from Dotykačka, the point-of-sale system used in restaurants and retailers across the Czech Republic. “It can certainly be said that there is a great dependence on tourism. Prague, even though most companies have remained open there, is moving in the middle of the field. On the contrary, places that were open during the summer, such...
Czech police barred 10,500 vehicles from leaving their home districts last week, the first in the three-week period of tightened Covid restrictions including the ban on people’s free movement between districts. Since last Monday, the police have registered over 13,000 cases of people not having adequately covered their nose and mouth, and over 5,000 other misdemeanors violating the government-introduced crisis measures. The police settled the cases mainly by issuing warnings and instructing the persons at fault. The new lockdown measures include strict limits on personal mobility, the closure of all kindergartens and other schools that are currently operating, and a restriction of sales to essential goods. Residents are limited to walking and jogging during the day in the municipality where they live. People who need to travel outside of their district to visit a healthcare facility or public authority must present an official form or written declaration stating the time and destination of their appointment. People traveling for work purposes will need a document from their employer stating the employee’s place of work and place of residence. Latest statistics The health ministry recorded 10,466 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, down from 12,321 cases a week earlier. The official death toll...
Starting with this month, Kaufland Czech Republic will gradually introduce in its stores a new type of shopping receipts, more resistant and more environmentally friendly. Thus, the company reaffirms its commitment to sustainability. The new receipt is made of an innovative, blue thermal paper, without chemical dyes. Thus, it is resistant to sunlight, water and grease and does not lose its legibility or other physical properties over time. In addition, the paper from which it is made is FSC certified, coming from sustainable forestry. The receipt is recyclable and when customers no longer need it, they can safely collect it along with other paper waste. Together with the transition to the new shopping receipt, the packaging of paper rolls for cash registers was also optimized – the company gave up the use of plastic for grouping rolls. The new receipts have already been tested at two stores in Olomouc and Prostějov, and there have been positive feedback from customers. From March, Kaufland will gradually introduce them to other stores across the country. Within July this year, there should be eco-receipts at all cash desks of 135 Kaufland stores in the Czech Republic. This change contributes to the objectives of the...
CBD-based company CBD Star tripled their business’ profit and success during the pandemic, due to the rise of demand for their products. CBD Star is operated by Brno entrepreneurs David Binko and Dragan Gašić, and their company grew by 300% in the last quarter of 2020. Surprisingly, the pandemic helped the company. “Christmas and the second wave of lockdown were crucial to our business. CBD helps with soothing the body, relaxing, better sleep, and at this point in time there was a great demand for our products,” explains Dragan. The idea to produce CBD products was conceptualized by the duo a long time ago, with the help of friends’ suggestions. Both of the entrepreneurs already knew the benefits of cannabidiol and had the idea of going into production for the domestic Czech market. In terms of operation, Dragan handles marketing, while David handles business and production. “We place emphasis not only on the organic composition of our products but above all on the high content of the active substance CBD, which, unlike the more well-known THC, is not psychotropic and therefore does not cause mind numbness,” says David. CBD Star products contain 10 percent cannabidiol in 10-milliliter packs, or 1,000...
On March 8th, 2004, the Czech Republic recognized International Women’s Day (Mezinárodní den žen in Czech—commonly referred to as MDŽ for short) as a state-recognized holiday for the first time since before the Communist regime fell in 1989. Its recognition fell squarely in line with the norms of the United Nations and the European Union, the latter of which the Czech Republic would go on to join later that year. The day is approached by these supranational organizations, along with the many countries in which it is actively celebrated, as a time to bring attention to women’s achievements and promote women’s rights domestically and around the world. Its recognition passed the parliament as part of a bundle of commemorative holidays, so-called “meaningful days” (významné dni), which included a day honoring “victims of the Holocaust” and “victims of the Communist regime”. However, it was MDŽ that captured the attention of the news media. Throughout the debates in parliament over whether or not to reinstate it, and in the days leading up to its first official postsocialist celebration, national newspapers and tabloids ran a multitude of articles, editorials, opinion polls, and interviews on the topic. For example, on March 8th 2004, Mladá...
The company is investing nearly CZK 4.5 billion in a new plant in the Plzeň region. The multinational Ball Corporation, the largest manufacturer of fully recyclable beverage containers in the Czech Republic, is expanding its activities here. The company is building its second production facility in the Plzeň region and is also planning to construct a development centre. It is investing nearly CZK 4.5 billion in the new plant and equipping it with the latest automated technologies. In addition to that, it is offering high-skilled engineering jobs. The company plans to put the plant into operation in autumn 2022. “We plan to install sophisticated automated equipment at the facility, leveraging the latest modern technologies to minimize environmental impacts, and strengthened by our recent commitment to 100% renewable energy to cover our operations in Europe,” said Gerhard Mayer, vice-president of Ball Beverage Packaging EMEA. The investment in the amount of nearly CZK 4.5 billion is part of the company’s broader strategy to increase investments throughout EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). At the same time, the company has begun assembling a technology team, which will further develop and improve its automated and semi-automated production lines. “With CzechInvest’s assistance, we are...
The Czech government is ordering medical and other university and high school students to help out at hospitals struggling to cope with the record numbers of COVID-19 patients, the country’s health minister said on Friday. Health Minister Jan Blatny warned that hospitals across the country are under “extreme pressure” amid an infection surge that he attributed to a highly contagious coronavirus variant. “The more infectious variant of the coronavirus, the British one, has been spreading across all our regions and has become dominant in the Czech Republic,” Blatny said. Blatny said students will get to work at hospitals on Monday. He said the situation will remain difficult as 600-700 daily hospital admissions are expected over the next 10 days. Daily confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 13,074 on Friday. Of those patients hospitalized 1,735 were in intensive care – eight less than a record set a few days ago. Individual hospitals, especially in the Czech Republic’s western region near the German border and the central part of the country around Prague, have been already overwhelmed, transferring some patients to clinics elsewhere in the country. “Staff are terribly tired,” Petr Hubacek, the director of a regional hospital in Domazlice told Czech public television....
The Czech Republic is set to receive over one million coronavirus vaccine doses in March, out of which some 700,000 doses will be from Pfizer/BioNTech, and roughly two million vaccine doses are to follow in April, Health Minister Jan Blatny told a press conference on Friday. The aim is to administer at least 35,000 doses a day in March and 100,000 a day in April. The vaccination has been speeding up in the Czech Republic and a record 31,376 people were vaccinated on Thursday. As of Thursday, 78 percent of the elderly over 80 who registered for vaccination have received their first dose, while 21 percent have received both doses already. Hospitals With hospitals in some parts of the Czech Republic filled up, the country turned to Germany and other European countries with a request for help. Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on Wednesday neighboring Germany has offered dozens of beds in its hospitals to treat Czech COVID-19 patients. He said 19 of them were immediately ready. Hamacek added that Switzerland was another country ready to help with 20 beds in its hospitals while offering to take care of the transport of the patients. Talks were also underway with Poland...
After the Czech Republic asked Chinese authorities for the delivery of Chinese Sinopharm vaccines, “according to information provided by the Czech embassy in Beijing, the Chinese side decided to immediately comply with the request,” the Czech president’s spokesperson said on Wednesday. Czech President Miloš Zeman is well known for his close ties with Chinese authorities. In February, he attended a virtual “17+1” summit of China and Central and Eastern European countries, where Chinese President Xi Jinping offered the Sinopharm vaccine to his European counterparts. However, Zeman’s spokesperson said the president had approached China at Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’ request. While the Chinese jabs are currently used in Hungary and Serbia, Poland is also mulling vaccinations using the Sinopharm vaccine. Poland’s Health Minister Adam Niedzielski, however, has said that due to the lack of data, he is not recommending inoculation with the Chinese jab just yet. The Sinopharm vaccine has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), nor has it applied for registration. The same goes for the Russian Sputnik V. However, PM Babiš admitted that Czechia could bypass the EMA approval process and, like Hungary, approve Sputnik V independently. The Czech government is currently split on this matter...
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