According to the Czech Statistical Office, an average Czech consumes 292 beers, 100 glasses of wine, and 175 shots of hard alcohol annually. Approximately 7,000 people die due to heavy alcohol consumption each year in the Czech Republic. In 2019, there were 4,486 car accidents due to driving under the influence of alcohol, in which 50 people were killed. One in every seven people in the Czech Republic – over 1,000,000 people – consumes a dangerous amount of alcohol. For experts, two drinks per day for men and one daily drink for women is considered risky drinking, which concerns around 1.5 million Czechs, according to their estimates and the consequences exceed 59 billion CZK a year. The amount includes both the financing of treatment for addiction, as well as crimes, traffic accidents and reduced labor productivity. Based on the WHO report, alcohol consumption is the world’s third-largest risk factor for disease and disability; in middle-income countries, it is the greatest risk. Alcohol is a causal factor in 60 types of diseases and injuries and a component cause in 200 others. Almost 4 percent of all deaths worldwide are attributed to alcohol, greater than deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, violence, or tuberculosis. Dry...
The Czech branch of the American company Novavax is only a step away from the launch of the coronavirus vaccine. In late May, Novavax acquired a plant by the small town of Kostelec nad Černými lesy, around 40 kilometres east of Prague. The deal saw Novavax take ownership of a biologics manufacturing facility and ‘associated assets’. “They have started the production of the vaccine, and I know that at the moment it is a question of certificates and approvals,” the Minister of Industry and Trade Havlíček told CNN Prima NEWS. Marketwatch.com portal stated that Novavax is to produce up to one billion batches later this year, and a significant part of it is to fall to the Czech branch Novavax CZ. The Novavax vaccine uses a distinct technology from other already-authorized COVID-19 vaccines. It harnesses insect cells to churn out full-length copies of the spike protein that studs the surface of SARS-COV-2 and enables it to invade host cells. It is the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccine to report out results from a pivotal clinical trial. Like the COVID-19 vaccines authorized so far, it requires two doses. Another company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, is expected to announce results for a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine...
Czech Television (ČT) presenter Václav Moravec claims that the current Minister of Health, Jan Blatný, will quit and leave his position in 14 days. Moreover, ČT also claims that the current Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, will take over the Health Ministry department and that Blatný will be replaced by the former head of Ministry, Roman Prymula. Prymula was the Minister of Health for the duration of a month last year in 2020, however, he has since then resigned after being spotted leaving a restaurant during Covid-19 lockdown. Additionally, ČT claims that Prymula has been attending government meetings in the past weeks. Prime Minister Babiš has publicly denied the information given by ČT, stating that he has no intention of leaving or replacing the current Minister of Health. “It’s all just speculation and gossip on the Václav Moravec show. I suppose he was trying to raise the profile of his show, which is not much talked about anymore”, commented PM Babiš. President of the Chamber of Deputies, Vondráček, has also publicly stated that the show’s claims are all just gossip and rumors and that there has not been any information between government officials claiming that this would...
The ninth annual Dry February, aimed at highlighting the dangers of excessive drinking, begins today in the Czech Republic. The campaign “Dry February Challenge” aimed at encouraging Czech men to abstain from alcohol for the month. The event is organised by the group League of Open Men but is also encouraging women to not drink a drop of alcohol during February. The group has a dedicated website offering tips on exercises and alternative, non-alcoholic drinks, as well as advice from psychologists. The NGO prepared “A survival kit” for the courageous ones who want to join the campaign. Social media is used as a space where people share their experiences. Last year, about 6 percent of Czechs joined the campaign, which is about half a million of the overall population. When the NGO asked 300 participants after the campaign, 90 percent of them stayed away from alcohol throughout the whole month, and more than half of them even through May. The organizers point out that Czechs are among the world’s heaviest drinkers and excessive consumption threatens their health and quality of life. A recent report from OECD shows that the Czech Republic ranks 4th in terms of alcohol consumption. The report used data...
New mortgages in the Czech Republic grew by 34.3% year-on-year in 2020 to a record volume of 217 billion crowns, despite the global coronavirus pandemic’s impact on lending, data from the Czech National Bank showed on Friday. The central bank has been monitoring the mortgage and housing market in recent years as a potential source of inflationary pressures caused by soaring property prices. House prices were 17% overpriced on average, the bank said in November as it warned against risks to both banks and the broader economy. Low interest rates supported the demand for mortgages, as the central bank has kept its main two-week repo rate at 0.25% since last May after it had slashed it by 200 basis points during the first coronavirus wave in spring. The bank also eased some of the limits on mortgage lending in April, like the share of the loan to the property price (loan-to-value, LTV) or the maximum share of payments on the clients’ income (debt-servicing-to-income, DSTI). Overall, new and refinanced mortgages rose by 39.6% year-on-year to 266 billion crowns, the data showed, while household loans added just 0.8% to 264.5 billion crowns.
Czechs are the most distrustful nation in Europe — or perhaps the wisest — when it comes to sharing their data, according to an international survey by the EOS KSI agency. They protect their health data the most and, compared to other European countries, are more reserved about sharing their location, GPS, and movement data. Contact data (44 percent) is one type of data that Czechs are more willing to share with businesses, services, and applications. Almost two-fifths provide their personal information to third parties. The third most commonly shared item is data on shopping behavior and popularity of certain products or brands (37 percent). Only 27 percent of people share location, GPS, and motion data with third parties. Only 10 percent of Czechs share their health data. “Data is, of course, a valuable commercial tool. However, they can often help rescue services to determine the location of the endangered or in contact with an infected person, for example. In addition, sharing financial data can enable companies to better assist indebted clients with loan repayments, as is the case in our sector. Caution is certainly commendable, but people should know the point where secrecy can be detrimental to themselves,“ said...
The Czech Republic will close its borders, including those with Slovakia, for all foreigners at midnight between Friday (January 29) and Saturday (January 30). Until now, trips to the Czech Republic have been ruled by travel traffic lights, both for Czech citizens and arrivals of foreigners. With this new decision, the travel traffic light ceases to apply. Only essential travels will be allowed. This means people working or studying in the Czech Republic, essential travels to family, medical facilities, nursing homes, wedding or funeral, the iDnes.cz website reported. ⚠️ The Czech Goverment decided to ❌ ban all NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELS to the Czech Republic 🇨🇿, regardless of which country (green, orange or red) you are travelling from. The decision will enter into force at this midnight from Friday to Saturday (30/01/2021 0:00). — Czech MFA (@CzechMFA) January 29, 2021 The ban is part of a series of new restrictive measures that are tightening the country’s lockdown. They have been approved with a goal to further limit people’s contacts and movement. Earlier in January, the day-to-day increase in coronavirus cases in the country was gradually declining since hitting a record high of nearly 18,000 on Jan 6. But the numbers didn’t drop...
Czech scientists are currently utilizing genetic technologies to manipulate hops used in producing beer. Researchers working at the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences in České Budějovice are using genetic modification tactics like the gene-editing tool CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) to produce newly altered and healthier hops. Back in 2012, the CRISPR method was discovered and used to cut out harmful DNA at precise locations. This method for genetic manipulation involves harnessing the natural ability of bacteria to identify and disable foreign DNA and later be replaced. Since its’ inception the CRISPR method has been used by farmers to produce higher crop yields with higher amounts of disease-resistant nutrients. It also achieves this without the use of chemicals and relies solely on natural bacteria. The method has already worked with tomatoes and wheat for example but has never been done with hops until now. The team has discovered that if they isolate the genes responsible for the production of bitter acids and make targeted changes to increase the amount of bitter acids, the beer will have more medicinal substances. Scientists at the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences would like to point out that there...
The unused military field hospital in Prague-Letňany will be packed up due to staff shortages even as high numbers of COVID-19 patients stretch Czech health-care facilities to the limits, officials said on Friday. The army erected the field hospital on the outskirts of Prague in October on the site of an exhibition ground and put the facility on standby, equipped to care for as many as 500 COVID-19 patients. “We are unable to roll out the hospital in a way that makes sense,” Deputy Health Minister Vladimir Cerny told a news conference. “If we (do) have staff, it seems to be more purposeful to reinforce standard hospitals than to activate the field hospital.” The 500-bed hospital was constructed by the Czech Army last October, as a hurried response to the rapidly rising number of Covid-19 cases. The state also purchased 4,000 beds from hospital and nursing bed maker LINET. There were 5,856 COVID-19 patients in Czech hospitals as of Thursday, including 970 in intensive care – about 20% below peaks in mid-January. But six of the country’s 14 regions reported zero or single-digit numbers of available intensive care beds. Officials have used ambulances and helicopters to move patients to less...
On Friday night, someone parked three cars on Charles Bridge. One of them has the inscription “sorryvlado” on the side, referring to the website sorryvlado.cz According to the whois.com domain registry, the site is registered by the Association of Outraged Citizens (Spolek rozhořčených občanů), which, according to the company registry, was founded by YouTuber Mike Pán. “We do not agree with the papalism shown by the Czech government. We do not agree with the constant tightening of measures against citizens of the Czech Republic,” the website states. The bridge is 515 meters long and 10 meters wide, decorated by a continuous alley of 30 baroque statues and statuary, erected around 1700. However, all of the statues have been systematically replaced by replicas and the originals have been exhibited in the Lapidarium of the National Museum. It was not until 1965 that all traffic has been excluded from the Charles Bridge since then, making it accessible by pedestrians only. It is not yet clear how the car owners managed to drive unnoticed on the historical bridge. Mikael Oganesjan, nicknamed Mike Pán, is known for deliberately committing offenses and insulting members of the city police. In 2018, his account was canceled due to...
Prague is an incredibly popular tourist destination. And there’s good reason why. From cheap beer to incredible historic attractions, it’s no wonder the Czech capital is visited by roughly 8 million people every year. When they aren’t traipsing around attractions like the National Library and Old Town Square, the ‘city of a Hundred Spires’ has a lot to offer in the form of nightlife. Want to have the perfect night out in Prague? This guide covers just about everything you need to know. The top bars, clubs & hangout spots Chapeau Rouge From the outside, the Chapeau Rouge may not look like much. But down below is a treasure trove of club life, with several stories of bars and dance floors. It has a reputation for getting sweatier and wilder the further down you go, so if you’re looking for a rave-style night, this is the place to be. Lucerna Music Bar Not far from central Wenceslas Square is Lucerna Music Bar — one of the city’s biggest clubs. It’s always a bustling spot known for 1980s nights as well as a concert venue where it hosts some big names. James Dean A 1950s-themed American diner, this place has...
Protesters will gather once again in central Prague today, January 29, to challenge restrictions adopted to combat the Covid-19 spread. The Chcípl PES initiative (PES/DOG Croaked), — the name refers to the government’s “PES” five-level coronavirus alert system – which brings together entrepreneurs who do not agree with the government’s anti-epidemic measures, is preparing a demonstration in Prague today. They want to block government buildings from three o’clock in the afternoon. The organizers will publish more details of the protest on social networks at 2 pm. “It will be a simple and non-violent protest. We will block some government buildings,” said Jiří Janeček from the Malý Janek brewery. The is the last of several protests organized by Chcípl PES. Last Saturday, protesters called on to open pubs, restaurants, and other businesses. On January 10, organized a demonstration in Prague’s Old Town Square, which drew up to 3,000 people to Old Town Square. On January 3rd, hundreds of protesters gathered in Prague with empty beer glasses to rally against the closing of pubs and restaurants in the country. The demonstrators, many of whom work in the hospitality industry, lit candles inside beer glasses and set them in a line stretching about...
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