The Czech Republic recorded 14,054 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its largest daily tally since November 4 as a spike in infections approaches previous peaks, the Health Ministry reported on Thursday. Other epidemic indicators are also deteriorating. The percentage of positive tests rose from about 30 to 38 percent in 24 hours. The Czech government announced on Wednesday it would shift to the highest level of its risk index from Sunday, triggering tighter restrictions that include closing non-essential shops, ski lifts and imposing stricter curfew and gathering rules. Daily infections are again nearing peaks of above 15,000 a day seen in October and November and the seven-day test positivity rate has risen this week to almost 29%. The government is seeking to keep the strain off hospitals with the number of COVID-19 patients currently needing care at 4,836, after peaking at over 8,000 last month. Deaths related to COVID-19 have jumped amid the second wave of the pandemic, increasing more than 15-fold since the start of October to a total of 10,776 as of Wednesday. The Czech Republic is currently at the fifth, most serious level in all regions except Prague. The worst situation is actually recorded in the Hradec...
The Czech government will close non-essential shops, services and ski lifts and enforce a stricter curfew from Sunday as it seeks to curb another rise in COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations, Health Minister Jan Blatny said on Wednesday. The measures will be in effect until January 10, when they will be reviewed by the government. COVID-19 infections have risen throughout December, coming after the government only just loosened restrictions at the beginning of the month after curbing one of Europe’s biggest spikes in infections in October and November. The country has already re-closed bars and restaurants, so the new restrictions will hit retail outlets and services like hairdressers. Shops selling essential goods will stay open, although supermarkets will be only be allowed to sell essentials. Other items can be ordered online. A nighttime curfew will shift its start to 9 p.m, from 11 p.m., and public gatherings will be limited to two people outside families. Religious services will be allowed for up to 10% of seat capacity. Ski lifts will close. Schools, which were due to reopen on January 4, will go back to distance learning, with the exception of 1st and 2nd graders. The latest numbers The Czech Republic reported...
The lower house of the Czech Parliament has extended the state of emergency until January 22. Health Minister Jan Blatný urged deputies to extend the state of emergency so as to prevent a new upsurge of coronavirus infections. Tomorrow, the government will take a final decision on the transition to the fifth level within the anti-epidemic PES system. “If the numbers will grow, the Czech Republic will enter the 5th level of the PES anti-epidemic system on December 25th,” said the Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO). There would be no exceptions: all shops and services will close except those that sell basic goods. The fifth level introduces a stricter night curfew, which should apply from 9 pm. The Czech Republic reported 7,860 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday as daily infections continue to trend higher. In total, 635,414 cases have been detected since the pandemic started. There are 83,840 active cases currently, the highest since mid-November. The number of hospitalized patients is at 4,728 while the number of deaths have climbed to 10,562. General information The state of emergency is declared under Constitutional Act No. 110/1998 Coll., on the Security of the Czech Republic. The Government of the Czech...
In the last 10 years, the number of foreigners living in the Czech Republic with permanent residence permits has increased to more than 590 000. Every foreign non-EU national submitting the application has to pass the Czech language exam. Last year, officials wanted to raise the exam language difficulty from A1 to A2 level. Demand to learn Czech is getting higher every year and therefore more unique ways to learn Czech are arising too. In 2019, the Ministry of the Interior stated plans for 2021: “A priority is also to provide measurements to ensure that every applicant for a permanent residence permit will pass Czech language exam at A2 level.” Plans to raise the standards of the Exam in The Czech Language for Permanent Residence to A2 level for non-EU applicants would certainly increase the demand for Czech language courses and learning tools. The reason for the change to A2 level stated by the Ministry of Education was that the A1 level is insufficient for conducting a conversation. Right now, it is still enough for expats to have A1 level of the Czech language in order to apply for a permanent residence permit according to the official website. Will this...
Zeman will be vaccinated as he considers the vaccine to be a way out of the crisis. According to Zeman, the vaccine is probably the only way out of the coronavirus crisis. He intends to get vaccinated, although not in front of television cameras. He thanked the government for its progress in the fight against the disease, although, he had dozens of reservations about the confusion caused by the representatives. “The vaccine is most likely the light at the end of the tunnel. And if the vaccine starts working over next year, we will be out of the worst,” the president said. During his vaccination, he will not do “any clown show with TV cameras”. “When people find out that the president has been vaccinated, this information is important,” Zeman said. In addition, Zeman called for a sensible marketing campaign to promote vaccination. He believes that the main reason for the Czech Republic’s delay in preparing for the vaccination of people is the frequent replacement of health ministers, when Adam Vojtěch, Roman Prymula, and Jan Blatný took turns in this position in a short time. “The slip can be caught up. There is no problem with the vaccine, the problem...
Specializing in architecture, urbanism, and graphic design, Studio Xtopix created the final design for Mariánské náměstí. Until reconstruction commences, the square will temporarily be a pedestrian zone, furnished with Prague tables and chairs, art installations, and other attractions. Traffic on the square will be minimized, except for paramedics, public transport, and local residents. It will not be possible to drive in front of the Municipal Library building. With the exception of Žatecká and Maiselova streets, all streets for cyclists will be two-way. There will be new stops in Žatecká and Platnéřská streets. Fountain and trees The new design of the square will provide a pedestrian zone which will have two maple trees. Public furniture, such as benches and tables will not be absent either. Nor will be water fountains which will provide refreshment even in the hottest of the summer days. “Pedestrian areas are being expanded, including sidewalks. The square surroundings will naturally undergo a very much needed modernization as well. These include Platnářká street, which will have its sidewalks alongside the Klementinum widened in order to be used as extra exhibition space for the National Galery; the Kaprova square, on which new lines of trees will be planted; and...
Moving abroad means that one has to face many new challenges especially when coming from a vastly different cultural background. The cultural differences are sometimes so significant that for many expats the cultural shock is too big to overcome. To help foreigners to get used to living in the Czech Republic, the Czech Ministry of the Interior has introduced integration courses which will start taking place from January 2021. What Exactly Are These Courses About? Following the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, it was decided that from January 2021 some groups of expats living in the Czech Republic will have to undergo special integration courses. The new decree regarding these courses came into effect on December 11. The reason behind the original proposal of the Ministry of the Interior is the Ministry’s effort to prevent expats from socially isolating themselves from the Czech society, help them get used to a completely new foreign environment, and to acquaint them with their rights and obligations. The main topics of these courses will be the general information about the Czech Republic, rights and obligations of foreigners, employment, business, health system, education system, and housing. Other topics these courses should cover are also...
In pursuance of the Prague – Kladno train track modernisation including a direct connection to Václav Havel Airport Prague, the Railway Infrastructure Administration closely cooperates and coordinates its plans with Prague Airport. In December, the companies signed two important documents in this regard. Namely, a Letter of Intent and an Agreement on Association of Sector Contracting Authorities were concluded which will enable the joint preparation and coordination of individual rail connection construction projects on Prague Airport premises, respecting the specifics of the airport infrastructure. The agreements solve the coordination of the construction project called Looping the Airport Railway Connection to the Prague – Václav Havel Airport Prague – Kladno Line, pursued by the Railway Infrastructure Administration, with the project of expanding Terminal 2 and relevant taxiways (APRON D2), worked on by Prague Airport. The coordinated processes of the Railway Infrastructure Administration and Prague Airport mainly comprise the coordination of the planned tunnel ring track under Terminal 2 and the adjacent taxiways. “The conclusion of the agreements will enable technical and time sequencing during the preparation and subsequent implementation of construction. In addition, the procedure will ensure cost savings for both parties,” Jiří Svoboda, CEO of the Railway Infrastructure Administration, said. “Apart...
The European Union’s drug regulator on Monday authorized the use of the continent’s first coronavirus vaccine, enabling countries to begin inoculations next week in an urgent but complicated fight to ease the pandemic. “It is a significant step forward in our fight against the pandemic,” said Emer Cooke, the executive director of the European Medicines Agency, “not just for Europe but all over the world.” The Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Italy have said they plan to start vaccinations from December 27 as Europe tries to catch up with the United States and Britain where the roll-out began earlier this month. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed hope that countries would start the vaccination in unison in the days after Christmas. Adding the populations of the U.S., U.K., and Canada, the new approval means that the vaccine will become available to a total population exceeding 850 million, with over 600 million of those in the approved group above 18 years of age. Student medics, retired doctors, pharmacists and soldiers are being drafted into a European vaccination campaign of unprecedented scale. “We are not yet at a turning point,” Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, said...
The government will take a final decision on the transition to the fifth level within the anti-epidemic PES system on Wednesday. “If the numbers will grow, the Czech Republic will enter the 5th level of the PES anti-epidemic system on December 25th,” said the Minister of Health Jan Blatný (ANO) after Monday’s government meeting. According to Novinky.cz, there would be no exceptions: all shops and services will close except those that sell basic goods. The fifth level introduces a stricter night curfew, which should apply from 9 pm. In the last few days, the situation in the Czech Republic has been deteriorating. “The growth of newly infected people continues. It is also due to the number of tests, but we cannot underestimate it,” the minister explained. The index remains at 76 points out of 100, the lower limit of the fifth level. The situation in hospitals is still stable so far, the facilities in the Moravian-Silesian region are the most burdened. Level 4 On December 18, the Czech Republic switched back to level four of the anti-epidemic PES system. Restaurants, hotels, and gyms are closed. Shops, services, and ski resorts are open. It is not permitted to consume alcohol in public, and...
The 74th edition of the oldest Czech winter swimming contest will be held near the National Theatre, between Slavonic Island and Střelecký Island. The event will start at 11 a.m. on December 26 and will be attended by hardy men and women. In addition to the antigen test, organizers will measure the temperature of all participants. At the entrance to Slovanský ostrov, everyone is obliged to wear face masks. Spectators will not have access to Slovanský ostrov, while organizers will ensure they do not gather on the adjacent embankments, bridges and neighboring islands. The awards ceremony will take place in the Small Hall of the Žofín Palace. The memorial is called after Alfred Nikodém, who was a goldsmith in Prague and a proponent of Spartan lifestyle. Winter swimming was first seen in Prague in 1923 when he and six other enthusiasts plunged into the freezing cold Vltava River watched by a crowd of stunned on-lookers. 430 swimmers launched themselves in the cold waters of Vltava river during the last edition. Swimmers came from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, England, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Since 1947, this race is celebrated on December 26th – with swimmers of all ages, competing in three distances: 100,...
More countries banned travel from the UK on Monday amid concern over a more infectious strain of Covid-19 as French restrictions curtailed freight transport across the English Channel. The closure of the borders came at the most inconvenient time, when the number of shipments is increasing due to Christmas and pre-supply due to concerns about Brexit. Hundreds of Czech trucks are in a difficult situation at the borders on both sides. Normally about 10,000 lorries a day pass through Dover alone and the haulage industry is expressing alarm over supermarket supplies. France’s decision to block lorries arriving from the UK for 48 hours will have a “devastating effect” on the supply of food and other consumer goods to Britain, industry representatives have warned. “We depend on the short straits for our daily supplies. What we are talking about is everything: factory parts, fresh and frozen vegetables, and all the Christmas deliveries,” says Rod McKenzie, policy director at the Road Haulage Association. Poland and Turkey joined countries including Germany, France, Italy, and Ireland that were among the first on Sunday to bar people coming from the UK after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. Belgium, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and India...
Don’t have an account? Register
[swpm_registration_form level=”6″]
Already have an account? Log In
How Would You Like to Promote Your Business? PR ArticleDisplay bannersVideo productionNewsletter adsJob ListingsInfluencer Marketing
Your Email
We will come back to you within 24 hours with our proporsal
