Czech authorities recorded 14,539 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the highest daily tally since mid-March and close to all-time highs seen in January, health ministry data showed, as a vaccinations campaign started.
The figure is almost 50 percent higher than that recorded on the same day last week.
It also represents an increase of around 5,000 on Monday and is the largest rise seen so far in the Covid wave currently hitting the Czech Republic.
The outgoing government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis has rejected imposing a lockdown or similar restrictions despite the numbers growing steadily in recent weeks, saying vaccinations were the way to tame the fresh wave of the pandemic.
The Czech Republic had 6.14 million people fully vaccinated as of Nov. 9.
With 58.7% of the total population vaccinated, the country ranks below the European Union average of 64.6%, according to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The latest vaccination campaign is using graphic pictures of COVID-19 victims accompanied by slogans like: “He did not find the time to get vaccinated.”
Hospitalizations grew to 3,295, including 462 people in intensive care.
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