Dust and sand particles whipped up from the Sahara will once again blanket skies over Europe this weekend, impacting air quality, the European Union’s Copernicus satellite monitoring service said on Friday. It said wind predictions showed a “substantial plume” of Saharan dust would hit southern Europe over the weekend into next week, reaching as far north as Norway. Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said that like a similar event earlier in February, the dust would likely be visible to the naked eye in the skies across Europe. The highest concentration of sand is expected in the east of Spain and the south of France. In smaller quantities, it will reach the UK, Norway, and Central Europe, including the Czech Republic. The “high concentrations” of dust would affect air quality and could have some health impacts. Mark Parrington, Senior Scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service comments: “We monitored similar events in the past weeks with significant air quality impacts in the affected regions, which were confirmed by surface measurements from the countries gathered by the European Environment Agency.” “We expect this will also be the case for the upcoming event, although it is not...
Patients with a mild course of covid-19 could be placed in gyms in case hospitals are nearing their capacity limit. Should the spread of the infection get worse the government may also order specialists in outpatient clinics and medical students to help out in hospitals. In several regions, hospitals that are full have been transferring patients to a decreasing number of less-strained facilities. The government said earlier this week it might ask neighboring Germany to take in patients if the situation worsens further, despite earlier rejecting calls from the most pressured border regions to do so. “We already have selected several gyms and one dormitory where we can place those patients if necessary,” said Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib. At the end of October, when the Czech army built the Letňany hospital, there were around 7,000 covid patients hospitalized, while at the beginning of November there were over eight thousand. As of Friday, 14% of intensive care and high dependence beds were available across the country, including 149 places for COVID patients. The number of those hospitalized in a serious condition has reached 1,258, above a previous peak in November.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health will order the wearing of FFP2 respirators, nano-filtered face masks or two surgical facemasks in public transport and other public places, said Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO) after the government meeting. Home-made face masks or scarves will no longer be acceptable. “The list of places will be specified on Monday in a new decree,” he added. FFP2 masks – also known as respirators – have higher filtering capabilities than surgical masks, and since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, they have been mostly set aside for frontline health workers most exposed to aerosols, or tiny airborne particles of the virus. From Monday, February 22 on, if you get on a bus, train or tram, you need to wear a so-called “medical mask”. It is also recommended that you wear a medical mask in any situation where you might have sustained or close contact with other people – for example, at work, or in busy outside areas. What’s the difference between surgical masks, fabric masks and FFP2 masks? Surgical masks Disposable face masks, such as surgical or medical masks (pictured in the main photograph), are not respirators and do not protect the wearer from breathing...
Shops and shopping centers around the country will not reopen on February 22. The vast majority of them have been closed since October, with a brief exception in the run-up to Christmas, and are scrambling to stock up and prepare to meet the stated safety norms. “The pandemic situation is not good, the UK variant is still spreading. That’s why we decided not to open closed shops for now,” Havlicek said, adding the government will debate shop openings again next week. Pandemická situace není dobrá, dál se šíří britská mutace viru. Na vládě jsme proto rozhodli, že zbytek uzavřených maloobchodů zatím pouštět nebudeme. V příštím týdnu téma ale opět otevřu a podle stavu šíření epidemie navrhnu další kroky. https://t.co/z2j4FgnlKa — Karel Havlíček (@KarelHavlicek_) February 19, 2021 Just a few days ago, Minister of Health Jan Blatný agreed to reopen stores on Monday, February 22. “Store staff needs to wear FFP2 respirators and will be expected to enforce the stated hygiene norms – safe distancing, only one customer per 15 square meters, hand sanitation, and facemasks,” said Havlíček on Tuesday. “Although customers can cover their nose and mouth with a regular facemask, shopping malls should motivate them to wear respirators...
The government has reached an agreement on new pandemic law. The Minister of Health now has the power to order lockdown measures (with the exception of restricting freedom of movement) without the State of Emergency. It’s a step to end a political crisis that started last week after the lower house refused the minority government’s request to extend the state of emergency, a powerful tool that gives the Cabinet the extra powers needed to impose nationwide restrictions and limit people’s rights. In defiance, the government re-declared the state of emergency at the request of the leaders of all 14 Czech regions, who said they do have not enough powers to fight the pandemic. The Minister of Health praises the new law. “I consider this solution essential for an effective fight against the current epidemic,” said Blatný. “The purpose of the proposal is to provide adequate tools for managing the epidemic, even in the post-emergency period. The current legal regulation in the Act on the Protection of Public Health appears to be insufficient,” added the Minister of Health. “The agreement is a big step towards moving from the endless prolongation of the state of emergency towards a more normal life,” said...
In a press conference of the Ministry of the Interior, Health Minister Jan Blatný expressed his frustrations with the current handling of anti-covid measures. The main sentiment of his speech seemed to call upon the public to take personal responsibility because it is all in their hands now. Minister Blatný stated that the situation is even more critical now as just Wed. alone saw 10,813 new COVID infections detected, over six thousand reported to be hospitalized, two dozen people on artificial blood circulation. Hospitals across the country are already at their maximum capacity and the situation does not look promising. It’s estimated that five out fourteen Czech regions will have no free hospital beds by the end of Feb. Currently hospitals in both Prague and Karlovy Vary have less than ten percent capacity remaining. The minister believes that foreign aid may be able to donate hospital beds but only a fraction of what will be needed if the country’s hospital system collapses. Blatný believes the Czech Republic will require thousands of beds donated and more than any foreign intervention will be able to provide. Meanwhile, the return of children to schools and the reopening of retail shops are still planned...
This year, the Czech Republic will send 140 million CZK from the On-Site Assistance program mainly to the Western Balkans and Jordan to relieve these countries from strong migratory pressures or to assist refugees in their countries of origin. Central European countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary have long advocated sending aid to countries where migrants come from to reduce the pressure on Europe’s borders. In addition, the Medevac health and humanitarian program with aid totaling 55 million korunas (€2.14 million) will go to international organizations that help in Iraq, Mauritania, and Nigeria, according to Eurozpravy.cz. As the Czech Ministry of Interior stated in a press release, the goals of both programs include sending medical teams to problematic areas, building medical infrastructure, providing direct assistance to refugees, and fighting against illegal migration. A total of 50 million CZK will go to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia this year. The aim is to strengthen the countries’ capacities in asylum policy, receiving migrants, and their integration or return to their home countries. The Czech Republic plans to donate another 25 million CZK to Jordan on stabilizing the situation of Syrian refugees in the country. The same amount will go...
The situation with the coronavirus epidemic across the Czech Republic may be as serious as in the Cheb, Sokolov, and Trutnov districts in two to three weeks, Health Minister Jan Blatný told journalists on Wednesday. The government has cordoned off the districts Cheb and Sokolov, west Bohemia, and Trutnov, east Bohemia, due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Blatný said the more contagious UK variant of the virus was increasingly spreading in the western part of Bohemia. The minister said hospitals were close to capacity and were only coping with an influx of Covid patients thanks to transfers between regions. On average, about 40 percent of people tested for COVID-19 show a British coronavirus mutation. However, there are big differences between the regions. For example, laboratories in the Liberec region reported up to a 70% share, Hradec Králové region about a 60% share. The occupancy of hospitals and their intensive care units also differs. On average, 16 percent of ICU beds are available in the whole Czech Republic. Latest statistics The official death toll from COVID-19 has reached 18,596 as of Tuesday, a rise of 166 which includes deaths from that day and revisions to previous days, according to...
There are only about 180 ICU beds available in Czech hospitals for patients with COVID-19 out of a total of more than 3,900. The situation is worse in the western part of the Czech Republic, Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO) said at a press conference after today’s government meeting. About 84 percent of the total capacity in the country is occupied. “At the moment, the number of people in the ICU is growing slightly,” the minister said on Czech Television. Therefore, he did not want to state any specific date when it would be possible to relax one of the measures as requires by the regional governors, ie the opening of shops and services. “The situation is different than in the spring or autumn wave of the epidemic. People in intensive care units need care for longer than before”. On average, about 40 percent of people tested for COVID-19 show a British coronavirus mutation. However, there are big differences between the regions. For example, laboratories in the Liberec region reported up to a 70% share, Hradec Králové region about a 60% share. The occupancy of hospitals and their intensive care units also differs. On average, 16 percent of ICU...
Czech Cardinal Dominik Duka gave a sermon in early February where he made some bold claims about the COVID-19 virus. Duka claimed the virus originated as a biological weapon and that his claims could be supported by the military. “All military specialists around the world are convinced of this, who are either afraid to say it or they must not say it,” Duka claimed during the sermon. Jiří Prinz, a spokesman for the archbishop of Prague told CNN Prima News that the cardinal made this statement as more of a theory but that his claim is supported by members of the Czech army. Despite this statement, Prinz did not indicate which member of the Czech army would support such a claim. The Czech military has made it clear that they do not agree with Duka’s sermon. Jan Pejšek, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, told iROZHLAS.cz: “We have no such evidence, nor have we ever presented it anywhere. The World Health Organization is now trying to find out the origin of the virus. We will wait for the opinion of the experts. We refuse to speculate,” said Pejšek. Duka also made comments about how the virus is outperforming our advanced society....
Minister of Health Jan Blatný has agreed to reopen stores next Monday. However, the store staff needs to wear FFP2 respirators. Customers will not be required to wear respirators, but are encouraged to do so. The proposal awaits approval by the Czech government. “The opening of retail stores is a significant shift. It’s a big psychological break. After a long time, people will see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček on Twitter on Tuesday. He also has support from the Minister of the Interior and the head of the Central Crisis Staff, Jan Hamáček. Havlíček announced the opening date on Monday after negotiations with regional representatives, and his words were confirmed by the chairman of the regional association, Martin Kuba. The number of shoppers per store area will remain limited, ie still to 15 square meters per person. Customers should also keep a distance from others and use disinfectants. Další krok ke znovuotevření maloobchodu v pondělí 22/2. Po dohodě na Radě vlády pro zdravotní rizika je tento návrh přijatelný, a to za předpokladu, že personál obchodů bude povinně používat respirátory na bázi FFP2, do osvěty zapojíme...
The Czech government plans to reopen schools for more students from March 1 with regular testing for coronavirus infections, which remain at high levels, ministers said on Monday. The gradual reopening of schools has been one of the main demands from opposition parties and the public increasingly weary with the country’s lengthy lockdown. In-class tuition is at the moment open only for children in the two lowest grades of elementary schools, along with kindergartens. “If we secure enough (tests), nothing prevents children from beginning to return to schools,” Interior Minister Jan Hamacek told a news conference. Education Minister Robert Plaga said the return would start with final years of primary and secondary schools and be followed by other grades, hand in hand with the government’s ability to secure enough suitable rapid-result antigen tests. The plan for school reopening comes as hospitals in several regions creak under the inflow of COVID-19 patients, which is in part due to the spread of the more infectious British variant of the virus. Germany on the weekend tightened entry restrictions on the Czech and Austrian borders due to the spread of coronavirus mutations in the two countries. The Czech Republic has reported 18,250 coronavirus deaths...
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