Czech Republic Archives – Page 3 of 28

From July 1st, the Czech Republic will lift its trailblazing rule requiring face masks to be worn in public transport, a symbolic landmark in the country’s relatively successful battle against Covid-19.

Covering the nose and mouth will continue to be mandatory only in places with a higher incidence of the disease, said Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch (ANO) today.

From 1 July, restaurants and pubs can be open from 23:00 to 06:00.

Vojtěch added that the regulation would still apply in areas of localized COVID-19 outbreaks (Prague and the coal mine region of Karviná). However, the situation could change in the next two weeks.

As of June 22, 5,000 people can take part in public events if people are divided into sectors, Vojtěch added. From Monday, trade fairs with maximum participation of up to 5,000 people at the same time will also be allowed.

“If the situation develops well, half of the football stadiums could open from 1 September,” said epidemiologist Rastislav Maďar.

The Czech Republic was among the first countries in Europe to close its borders against the spread of coronavirus, on 12 March, ordering the closure of most business days later.

But the mask edict – in common with Slovakia – quickly became the symbol of the Czech fight against the pandemic, prompting debate in other countries over whether they should follow suit.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic reached 10,162 on Thursday morning. 7,399 people have fully recovered from COVID-19.

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world have taken a variety of restrictive measures.

First 2020 numbers already show their significant impact on air transport for all 13 EU Member States according to an analysis conducted by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat): Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Croatia, Italy (see country note), Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Finland.

Prague Airport is one of the most negatively affected airports in Europe: the number of passengers fell by more than 800,000, amounting to a drop of 65 percent year-on-year.

Prague Airport, together with Berlin’s Tegel and Schönefeld airports and Munich Airport, showed the largest percentage decrease when it comes to passengers handled. All four hubs had about 65 percent fewer travelers in March.

However, when considering absolute numbers, the number of passengers fell the most in Frankfurt by a total of 3.5 million.

“None of the dozen EU airports shows a deeper percentage drop in the numbers of checked-in passengers than Prague’s airport,” said economist Lukáš Kovanda from the Czech Fund.

He also added that in January and February of this year, the number of passengers handled at Prague Airport was higher year-on-year, exceeding the value of one million in both months.

Whilst the number of air passengers in some of these EU Member States started to decrease already in February 2020, the number of passengers at least halved in all of them in March 2020.

Compared with March 2019, the largest decreases in numbers of passengers were observed in Italy (-85%, -11.9 million (see country note)), Germany (- 10.7 million passengers carried, -62%), Denmark (-1.7 million, -63%), Finland (-1.1 million, -57%), Czechia (-0.8 million, -65%) and Hungary (-0.7 million,

Poland mistakenly invaded the Czech Republic and kept army presence there in late May until the mistake was discovered and the soldiers were called back to Poland proper, CNN reported on Friday.

The Polish Republic closed its borders to protect its public from the spread of the coronavirus and, to ensure that nobody entered the country, the army was sent to Pielgrzymow.

Due to both nations being EU member countries, the border is not clearly marked and it is possible the soldiers simply mistook their grounds as part of Poland when it was, in fact, a foreign country.

Surprised Czech citizens were told they could not visit a local church, which the soldiers thought was on the Polish side, when in fact the church and the church-goers were in the Czech Republic the entire time.

Looking for a job in Prague? Visit our new job section!

When the Czech Embassy in Poland was informed of the news it reached out to the Polish government which quickly instructed the army to depart from there.

The Czech foreign ministry said Poland has not formally explained the error but had “unofficially assured us that this incident was merely a misunderstanding caused by the Polish military with no hostile intention”.

Poland’s ministry of defense said in a statement: “The placement of the border post was a result of a misunderstanding, not a deliberate act. It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved – also by the Czech side.”

Four thousand tickets for RegioJet’s direct line between Prague and Rijeka sold on Thursday night alone, which surprised the company itself.

RegioJet spokesman Aleš Ondrůj told Jutarnji list that the Czechs’ interest in this line is huge, revealing that the two lines were already sold out in July. He held out the possibility that RegioJet can increase the number of lines during the summer.

Sales were partially driven by, among other things, the operator’s announcement that it will be possible to buy tickets on this line for the price of 22 euros one way, making it one of the cheapest transport connections on the market.

“The interest is really high, so after we sold four thousand tickets on Thursday, we started selling the rest gradually, in order to satisfy the interest of passengers,” Ondrůj said. “By the way, this is the biggest interest and jump in ticket sales recorded throughout history by our reservation system.”

The sale shows that Czechs are definitely interested in a holiday in Croatia and that they perceive our country as safe.

Looking for a job in Prague? Visit our new job section!

Asked if there is a possibility that the company if the interest remains so high, will increase the weekly number of lines between the Prague and Rijeka, Ondrůj told us that the company will make estimates next week, depending on the pace at which to reserve and sell seats on the train.

As things stand, the line between Prague and Rijeka should run three times a week between June 30 and Sept. 26, with Pardubice, Brno, Bratislava, and Ljubljana on the way from larger cities, which means that the Czech railway the operator reckons that Slovak tourists will also show interest in this line.

The line from Prague to Rijeka will depart on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and the return from Croatia will take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Mondays. If they wish, Croats will be able to travel by train this summer.

Poland is to open its borders with EU countries as of June 13, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced in Łochów, north of Warsaw, on Wednesday.

The PM added that as of June 16, Poland will relaunch international flights, but noted that carriers “will probably need a week, or two or three, to prepare a flight-connection network.”

“In some countries…this pandemic is still behaving in a very disturbing way, so for now we limit this decision (opening borders) to European Union countries,” Morawiecki said.

Morawiecki, visiting one of Poland’s largest styrofoam factories, said Poland needs to restore normal trade relations with the European Union countries as quickly as possible.

Poland closed its borders to foreigners in March to stop the spread of the coronavirus. However, it has been progressively loosening restictions on public life, with shopping centres, hotels and restaurants all reopening in May.

Poland has seen a recent rise in infections, mostly centred around coal mines in the south. On Monday 599 new cases were reported, a record.

As of Wednesday morning Poland, a country of around 38 million people, had reported 27,668 cases of the coronavirus and 1,191 deaths.

The Metronome Festival Prague has released a statement letting fans and customers know that the music event has been postponed to June 17 – 19, 2021.

“In reaction to the regulations enacted by the government, we, unfortunately, must confirm that despite our best efforts Metronome Prague will be postponed to June 17–19, 2021. We’re very sorry to have to make this decision, but all possibilities for a date this year have been exhausted,” organizers wrote on the website.

“In light of the uncertainty of the situation in three months’ time, we’re facing a case where no one will purchase tickets and therefore we cannot organize the festival in the way we would like. We asked to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Health, but we continue to receive the answer that only 500 people can gather in one place even though we were prepared to accept all possible preventive measures that we proposed that would prevent the potential spread of contagions better than current measures.”

Unfortunately, flights from the US are also uncertain, which would prevent the participation of some performers. The good news is that talks with booking agents are positively progressing and more than half have confirmed the new date: June 17–19, 2021. All tickets purchased remain valid for the new date.

In case of serious reasons for refunding tickets, please contact us at tickest@metronomefestival.cz where we will address each situation individually.

About Metronome Festival

Metronome Festival Prague is the first large pop/rock festival to take place in the Czech capital. It strives to provide a cross-section of various genres and musical epochs, focusing on the hottest new sounds and the best of the past.

Czech scientists from the T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute (VÚV TGM) have had promising results in detecting a coming coronavirus epidemic before it starts to spread in the population. The researchers found that, after several months of research, the only thing they need is a sample of wastewater.

Because bacteria and viruses do not get leave the body only through respiratory droplets but also through excrement, wastewater could become a valuable source of information.

“Indeed, it seems that this approach could be used as a basis for an early warning system for detecting the onset of another epidemic,” explains Hana Mlejnková of VÚV TGM, who is in charge of the wastewater project.

Czechia is one of the pioneers of wastewater research, one of only six countries in the world that have been able to carry out such demanding research.

“If it turns out to be a reliable tool, it will become one of the possible ways to detect a coming second wave,” says Jan Kynčl, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at the State Institute of Public Health.

However, researchers had little reason to be optimistic in early April because, for a long time, they could not find the virus in the wastewater.

“At the beginning, it was surprising that we did not find any traces of coronavirus in the large wastewater treatment plants, as we knew there was a high number of infected individuals in the area,” says Mlejnková.

But the situation changed when the first results from small wastewater treatment plants in the municipalities arrived. Suddenly, scientists started to detect the coronavirus in these samples, even though the number of infected people in municipalities was, on average, much lower than in cities.

This was an important signal for researchers. It turned out that traces of the virus can be found in wastewater and that the method works, even if there are only a few coronavirus patients in the area. Researchers from the VÚV TGM explain that the small dilution and short piping probably made it easier to detect the virus. Thus, the small wastewater treatment plants could be a pillar of a coronavirus early warning system in the future.

“It will probably be necessary to identify critical places, in which the number of infected individuals could grow rapidly, but at the same time, the wastewater in the area will be concentrated,” comments Mlejnková on further steps of the research.

As wastewater treatment plant operators take samples regularly, the new method would not impose any additional burden on employees at the wastewater treatment plants.

“The early warning system could be implemented right away,” Mlejnková believes, pointing out that if the method proves successful, it could detect not only COVID-19 but also warn against other epidemics.

The Czech Republic allows from today gatherings of up to 500 people as coronavirus infections remained among the lowest in Europe.

“If the epidemiological situation remains favorable, the limit will grow to 1,000 on June 22,” Minister of Health Vojtech said of the size of gatherings that would be permissible.

Cinemas, theatres, and concert halls are no longer bound to respect strict social distancing rules that severely limited the size of the audience. Outdoor areas of pubs, restaurants, and cafes no longer need to close by 11 pm.

Some credit the success in stemming infections to the mandatory face mask rule, which remains compulsory in shops, offices, and on public transport.

Interior Minister Jan Hamacek credited an early warning from an unnamed expert encouraging the government to act quickly in early March.

“When I saw a mathematical model using data from Italy, I realized we were facing a train wreck,” Hamacek added.

“We still do not underestimate the situation,” said Vojtech. “The virus is still here and that is why people should follow the rules. Wear the face mask, and keep a safe distance when possible” he added.

The Czech Republic had 9,628 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection by Monday morning. So far 6,891 people have recovered and 327 people have died.

Earlier this week, Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib posted on his Facebook account that the city had created a new “Manual for a Cultivated Prague”, which delineates visual esthetic practices for the capital’s businesses.

Ms Třeštíková also said that the sudden crash in tourism could be used as an opportunity to reform some of the tourist locations in Prague, removing what has been called the “visual smog” in the capital, such as the many Thai massage parlors.

“The manual is the next step in the fight for a cleaner city center, following the slogan Prague is not Disneyland. The coronavirus crisis may also be an opportunity for change,” she adds.

The “Manual for Cultivated Prague” is a set of rules containing different decrees, regulations, and laws. According to Třeštíková, it is not a binding document. “We will explain through pictures what is advisable and what is not,” says Třeštíková.

The aim is, for example, to remove unnecessary stickers and to eliminate plastic boards with photographs of dishes typical of Chinese restaurants.

“At the moment, the streets of Prague are like a room where people speak very loudly and everyone are shouting. If we manage to talk a little more quietly, everyone will hear them,“ remarked the author of the manual, Kristýna Drápalová.

Moreover, the Prague Technical Communication Agency (TSK) will end its practice of renting placements for advertisers on billboards and posters in other public places.

The advertising is seen on bridges, billboards and other signage. Often the signage is in the middle of sidewalks or other places which are disadvantageous to pedestrians.

The city is also preparing a grant program to motivate entrepreneurs to follow the rules. They could get money, for example, to repair their facade, if they get rid of visual smog.

After 73 days, restaurants and pubs in the Czech Republic were able to open their indoor premises on May 25. According to new data from Storyous, a quarter of restaurants, along with some pubs and cafes, did not re-open after the coronavirus lockdown.

Storyous, a cloud POS system – which supplies cash register systems to 3,000 businesses in the Czech Republic, shows that almost 25 percent of restaurants, bistros, and bars remained closed.

“The number of indoor premises on Monday, June 1, was the same as last week. It is possible that a quarter of the restaurants will not open at all,” said the CEO of Storyous Igor Třeslín.

Stouryous maps individual companies through their cash registers. Restaurants can also create orders for suppliers through the system. “At the moment, 22 percent of companies have EET turned off in the cash registers,” added Třeslín.

“The average restaurant or small pub will have probably about two to three weeks cash flow in reserve, that ran out and we have staff not getting money as businesses have no money to give them. Even if you lock up your building, there are fixed costs, alarms, security, insurance. All of that goes on, people are at their wits’ ends,” says Daniel Kolský from Café Jedna, which has officially closed after six years.

“The current situation is not economically sustainable for us. Our goal will be to find someone to take over the business and continue what we have been trying to build for three years,” stated the official Facebook page of Miska Ramen.

Other bars have turned to technology to help adhere to social distancing.

Lubos Kastner, who runs several bar-restaurants in the Czech Republic, said his outlets have QR codes on the tables that fire up the menu on customers’ smartphones, allowing them to order without a member of staff having to come over.

“We’re operating on a reduced capacity until spring 2021 by which time hopefully they will have a treatment or a vaccine,” adds Kastner.

Yet many of Europe’s breweries and bars might not have that long. They need an antidote to financial ruin, and soon, or the hangover may prove to be fatal.

Greece said Friday it would reopen its airports in Athens and Thessaloniki to arrivals from 29 countries from June 15, the start of the tourist season.

Visitors would be allowed to fly into Greece from 16 EU countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, Baltic countries, Cyprus and Malta, the tourism ministry said in a statement.

But countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic — such as France, Spain, Britain, and Italy — were not on the list. Outside the European Union, holidaymakers from Switzerland, Norway, and neighbouring Balkan countries such as Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia will be allowed to land at Greece’s main airports from June 15.

The list also includes Australia, Japan, Israel, Lebanon, China, New Zealand, and South Korea. The ministry said that further countries could be added before July 1 when the country’s regional airports also reopen.

“The list has been drawn up on the basis of the epidemiological profile of each country,” taking into account the recommendations of the European Aviation Safety Agency and a report by Greece’s commission for infectious diseases, the statement said.

Greece began the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions on May 4 and will start reopening its hotels next month. It has been less severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that many EU countries, with 175 deaths and 2,906 infections officially registered so far.

On Thursday, Czech Airlines announced a new daily flight to London (Heathrow) starting on June 25, meanwhile, on Friday the Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizzair announced the launch of a direct flight to Tirana, Albania.

The carrier will fly to the capital of Albania twice a week from July 3, 2020, on Mondays and Fridays.

Smartwings will start flying to Croatia from mid-June, as well as to Mallorca, the Canary Islands, Cyprus (Larnaca), Madeira (Funchal), and Bulgaria (Burgas and Varna).

Air France will start flying from Prague to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport from June 3. Initially, it will fly twice a week, increasing to four flights a week by the end of June. From July, the Finnish carrier Finnair plans to renew the flight to Helsinki.

Prague Airport has a number of protective measures in place. All passengers and visitors to the airport must wear a face mask in all areas, maintain safe distances, and ensure hand hygiene. More than 250 disinfection stands are located throughout the airport.

“If passengers arriving in Prague do not have their own face mask, they will receive it one for free. The check-in are also equipped with plexiglass, forming a safe barrier between the passenger and the check-in employee,” said Kateřina Pavlíková, spokeswoman for Prague Airport.

Last year, Prague Airport handled a record 17.8 million passengers.

Check all the upcoming flights here

Search