czechia Archives – Page 9 of 25

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the restrictions on movement may be extended until April 1st if the Covid-19 situation does not improve as the country went into a two-week movement restriction period on March 13th.

The government will discuss on Monday the introduction of a Kurzarbeit program – a short-time working arrangement in which civilian employees agree to or are forced to accept a reduction in working time and pay, usually introduced in times of recession.

Kurzarbeit (roughly translated, “short-time work”) is a German government program first used during the 2008 financial crisis that pays roughly two-thirds of an employee’s salary to a company that would otherwise be forced to resort to layoffs in the face of an economic downturn.

By providing for staff to remain on the job (even at reduced hours and salary) Kurzarbeit benefits both employers and employees. Workers maintain a steady stream of income, while companies avoid losing the skills these workers have acquired and which are likely to be needed once an economic upturn arrives.

The Czech Republic’s tough measures to slow the spread of coronavirus may be relaxed somewhat in three weeks, but the country’s borders are likely to stay shut to most travel for months, the head of the country’s crisis committee said on Sunday.

Schools will be closed at least until the end of May, and borders may be shut for tourist travel for many months, or even a year or two depending on circumstances, added Prymula.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic reached 1120 on Sunday, after an increase of 158 cases on Saturday.

“Strict quarantine measures will probably last until mid-April. The borders could be closed for months, if not years,” said Roman Prymula to iDnes.

“We are determined to aim at 8,500 (cases), with the limit of 10,000 at which point we want to halt the increase,” Prymula said in a live television debate.

“From this point on, the daily growth in percent should not be as it is now, although we have already managed to lower that a lot. The daily growth should be zero.

“If we manage that, which we expect some time after Easter, we would like to gradually relax the measures, let’s say from mid-April, and return the country to life.”

There were a total of 1,047 confirmed infections in the country as of Sunday morning, with no deaths so far. Nineteen patients are in intensive care.

Traveling can be limited to two years

Both Vojtěch and Prymula agreed that border measures would take a long time. “We cannot afford to have another wave of cases,” the minister said.

According to him, police were instructed to tighten movement measures more. On Monday, the government will consider banning commuters to work in neighboring states.

“We noted that there were cases of coronavirus infection among cross-border workers,” added Vojtěch.

On Saturday shortly before midnight, a large Ukrainian aircraft An-124 Ruslan landed at Pardubice Airport with five million masks, two million respirators, 120,000 protective suits, 80,000 protective goggles, and tens of thousands of coronavirus tests from Shenzhen, China.

The flight cost 35 million crowns. According to the Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch, it is one of the largest transports of medical material in the history of the Czech Republic.

According to the Minister of the Interior, three flights with similar loads should land two more times, on Tuesday and Friday.

From China, the aircraft flew through Myanmar, Bangladesh, India and refueled in Karachi. The reason for this route is the tense relations between Ukraine and Russia.

Masks and respirators from China will not remain in the warehouse for a long time. “They will be distributed immediately by the fire brigade,” said Martin Netolický, Governor of the Pardubice Region. Firefighters will allocate 35 cars and 75 people for the distribution.

“We are finally getting to the point when a relatively large number of respirators and masks are entering the Czech Republic. We can equip healthcare workers, but also the population,” said Roman Prymula.

Už je tady… 🙂 #spolutozvladneme pic.twitter.com/XNmSKLQYlU

— Jan Hamáček (@jhamacek) March 21, 2020

On Wednesday, a Czech aircraft landed in Prague-Kbely, carrying 150,000 testings kit for the coronavirus disease COVID-19.

On Friday, a planeload with one million respirators has arrived in the Czech Republic from China.

The deliveries have cost the Interior Ministry 1.5 billion crowns so far.

The projection is that with every new week that the epidemic lasts the country will spend another billion crowns on medical equipment.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic reached 995 on Saturday, with 106 new cases registered that day.

Sixive people have fully recovered from COVID-19.

At a time like this—when the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the globe and has killed over 10,000 people—we need some happy news.

The annual World Happiness Report has just been released, timed to the UN’s annual International Day of Happiness on March 20.

For the third year in a row, Finland has placed at the top of the list as the happiest country in the world, with Denmark coming in second, followed by Switzerland, which pushed Norway out of the top three this year.

Since its launch in 2012, just four countries have taken the top spot: Denmark in 2012, 2013 and 2016, Switzerland in 2015, Norway in 2017, and Finland in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The results are based on an average of three years of surveys between 2017 and 2019, meaning there’s overlap in the data from previous years, and include factors such as gross domestic product, social support from friends and family, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, perceived corruption and recent emotions — both happy and sad.

“The World Happiness Report has proven to be an indispensable tool for policymakers looking to better understand what makes people happy and thereby to promote the wellbeing of their citizenry,” said Jeffrey Sachs, one of the report’s editors.

“Time and again we see the reasons for wellbeing include good social support networks, social trust, honest governments, safe environments and healthy lives.”

The least happy of the 186 cities ranked were Kabul, Afghanistan; Sanaa, Yemen; Gaza, Palestine; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; and Juba, South Sudan.

World’s 20 Happiest Countries

1. Finland

2. Denmark

3. Switzerland

4. Iceland

5. Norway

6. Netherlands

7. Sweden

8. New Zealand

9. Austria

10. Luxembourg

11. Canada

12. Australia

13. United Kingdom

14. Israel

15. Costa Rica

16. Ireland

17. Germany

18. United States

19. Czech Republic

20. Belgium

Students threw a dorm party at the Větrník dormitory on the night of Monday to Tuesday, which was attended by about 30 to 40 students despite a ban on gathering due to the spread of coronavirus.

Despite the Czech government’s request to limit social gatherings of over 10 people, not all young people have taken advice about “social distancing” seriously.

The students are mainly foreigners attending the Erasmus program. Similar events were also held at the dormitories of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (CULS).

Because of the party, the virus appeared to be spreading among the residents.

“Unfortunately, there was a big Erasmus party at Block III at Na Větrníku dormitory. The students did not listen to the calls of the municipal police,” said the spokesman of Charles University Vaclav Hajek.

Charles University has already informed the schools where the students’ come from, mainly from Italy and Spain.

Minimizing crowds of people is an important step in preventing the spread of coronavirus, as even low-risk groups like young, healthy people can become infected with it without showing any symptoms.

As of Friday morning, there were 765 registered cases of Covid-19 in the Czech Republic. A number of people are in a serious condition but as yet no deaths have been reported.

A planeload with one million respirators has arrived in the Czech Republic from China to help it deal with its growing coronavirus crisis, as reported by Czech Television.

More flights should follow, carrying millions of masks and other medical supplies.

According to the Minister of the Interior, three flights with similar loads should land weekly. “I’m convinced that the Czech Republic is out of the worst in terms of lack of protective equipment,” he said.

The first deliveries are already being distributed to the regions which are desperately short of respirators and facemasks.

The Czech Republic has ordered another 5 millions respirators from China along with 30 million masks and 250,000 sets of protective clothing but it will take until Sunday for the material to arrive.

On Wednesday, a Czech aircraft landed in Prague-Kbely, carrying 150,000 testings kit for the coronavirus disease COVID-19.

The tests were delivered to residents of those Czech villages that have been lockdown on Monday.

The Ministry of Health paid about CZK 14 million for 100,000 testings kit, while another 50,000 tests were paid by the Ministry of the Interior. Transport was provided by the Ministry of Defense.

Currently, there are 774 people in the Czech Republic with a confirmed infection with a new type of coronavirus.

Czech Post limits opening hours. As of tomorrow, all its post offices will close down at 4 pm.

Between 10 am and 12 pm (midday), they will be open for the elderly over 65 years of age only. Post offices also cancel their weekend working hours.

At the same time, the Czech Post is asking the public to visit its offices only in the most urgent cases.

Česká pošta runs 3,200 branches, with 124 closed to Prague city center. On Tuesday, the management announced that one employee at Prague’s headquarters in Politických vězňů Street had been affected by the coronavirus.

Moreover, as of Thursday, March 19, 2020, Czech Post suspend the shipments to China, Israel, Iran, South Korea, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, and Georgia.

Today the Czech government has approved a ban on going out anywhere in public while not wearing a surgical mask or covering one’s nose and mouth with a scarf.

The measure is due to come into effect from midnight on Wednesday. There is a fine of up to 20,000 Kc for violations.

As of Wednesday at 2 pm there were 464 registered cases of Covid-19 in the Czech Republic. Three people are in a serious condition and three have recovered.

Over 1,300 tests have been conducted to date.

A Czech aircraft landed in Prague-Kbely at on Wednesday morning at 2.30, carrying 150,000 testings kit for the coronavirus disease COVID-19.

The tests will be delivered to distribution points in the morning, especially to residents of those Czech villages that have been lockdown on Monday.

As the virus spread in Wuhan, Chinese researchers developed a more rapid “point of care” screening test, which detects antibodies that emerge some time after Covid-19 symptoms appear.

A study in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Virology said the test could return results within 20-25 minutes, much faster than the current standard testing.

The Ministry of Health paid about CZK 14 million for 100,000 testings kit, while another 50,000 tests were paid by the Ministry of the Interior. Transport was provided by the Ministry of Defense.

The Czech Republic wants to buy other medical supplies from China. According to Hamáček, 30 million masks could be transported on Sunday.

Other flights will be provided by Smartwings and Czech Airlines.

In order to fight the spread of a new type of coronavirus, the Czech Post will offer the state its capacities to deliver food and other vital supplies.

Operations at the post office continue to run as normal.

The company plans to outfit its offices and staff with necessary disinfectants. The current state of precautions has been described as “catastrophic” by Evžen Dvorský, the head of the postal service’s trade union, with one office in Prague apparently even lacking soap and no floor cleaning taking place.

Czech Post will not distribute additional products, such as leaflets. “Delivery works without restrictions, except for the advertising leaflets. We will distribute only the most necessary products,” said Roman Knap, CEO of Czech Post.

Czech Post has prepared a non-contact delivery method for people in quarantine. The consignments intended for the addressee’s hands will be stored in the mailbox or left at the post office where they will be able to pick them up within a month.

Approximately 9200 disinfectant sprays were distributed to the postmen who most often come into contact with the costumers.

In the following week, Czech Post will provide other 40,000 sprays to the offices.

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Czech Republic has now reached 189. Over 5,000 people have been quarantined.

Prague’s Charles Bridge is once again “decorated” with new graffiti. Vandals spray-painted “Krakow + Moscow = Prague”, and Sunday’s date, on a bridge arcade on the Lesser Town side.

“We know about the new graffiti and we are already dealing with the National Institute for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and the Department for the Preservation of Monuments of Prague,” said Barbora Lišková, spokesman for Technical Administration of Communications (TSK).

None of the security cameras apparently caught the vandals.

Nové graffiti na Karlově mostě. Krakóv + Moscow = Prague
8.3.2020 pic.twitter.com/l8hxoOlU5I

— janekrubes (@janekrubes) March 9, 2020

The stones are very porous, and it could be very difficult, maybe even impossible to clean them so that there are no traces of the graffiti left on the wall.

Prague is not a crime-torn city. Prague’s crime index is only 24.65. The highest risk of crime seems to come from corruption and bribery, with a 53.61 rating. Vandalism was second with a crime rating of 37.63, still considered very low.

Last year, two German tourists accused of spray painting the Charles Bridge were sentenced to a one-year suspended term sentence, 5 years expulsion from the Czech Republic and a 100,000CZK fine.

But vandalism is pervasive across the board in Europe, perhaps more so than ever. The Sun UK reports that of France’s 42,285 churches, 875 had been desecrated in 2018. Sadly, this report came just a week before the Notre Dame fire, which devoured much of the 850-year-cathedral. The same year, 59 cemeteries were reportedly vandalized.

Czech President Milos Zeman presented his Christmas message on Thursday, drawing attention to the slowness in trial proceedings, housing, and infrastructure construction in the country.

“I would summarize the problem I want to talk about in one word. Slowness. The slowness of court proceedings, slowness of construction process, slowness in the construction of transport infrastructure,” he said, citing examples of trials lasting 10 to 20 years while warning against highway construction that takes 13 years.

In the message, Zeman praised the low unemployment rate, stable economic growth, relatively low state debt and the growth of the average wage and old-age pensions in the country.

Zeman also talked about climate change in his message. Calling himself “a heretic of the climate change debate”, the president said he was unsure whether the decisive factor of the planet’s warming was human activity.

“I believe that the discussions on climate change are becoming a new religion, and therefore let me be a heretic,” he said, warning that the European Union (EU) should not become an environmental open-air museum with a lower standard of living under the influence of climate protection measures. He added that he would not like green banking in the EU to favor green projects over economically meaningful ones.

Zeman’s speech about climate change was criticized by scientists and experts, according to reports of Czech News Agency.

Jiri Kozeluh from Friends of the Earth said scientists had proven the dominant influence of mankind by means of measurements and calculations.

Michal Marek, director of the Global Change Research Institute (GCRI) of the Czech Republic, said Europe was responsible for the Industrial Revolution. “If Europe is having any intellectual standard, it should set an example,” Marek said.

It is no longer necessary to prove a physical card to a conductor or inspector; a mobile application suffices.

The newest PID Lítačka application has arrived for regular passengers and public transport in Prague, as well as suburban lines in the Central Bohemia Region.

This is another step in the modernization and digitization of urban travel, in where the new transport system started in Prague and the Central Bohemia Region last year. This significantly facilitated the purchase of tickets and coupons as well as their recording on physical carriers. Until now, only physical plastic cards have been used as identifiers with which you could prove yourself during the transport control.

Since the launch of the new transport system, the PID Lítačka application has also worked, but it was only possible to buy short-term fares. However, this is now changing, and it is finally possible to upload long-term coupons (i.e. quarterly, half-yearly or yearly) to a mobile application that works on both Android and iOS. As of December first, the application can serve as an identifier.

Lítačka has been ready for long-term coupons and their uploads for a while, but more than 3,000 check-in devices had to be ready for vehicles to work with in-app vouchers and reviewers. With the vehicles now prepared, they can safely recognize a long-term coupon on both a plastic card and a mobile phone.

Either a card or app

A long-term coupon can still be uploaded to a single identifier, but you can only have it on either a physical card (Lítačka, In ČD Card, Visa, Mastercard) or in the PID Lítačka mobile app. Therefore, it is not possible to prove your card just once, by your mobile phone— you have to choose, or manually change your coupon when you change the carrier.

As the representatives of Prague Integrated Transport have revealed on our inquiry on Twitter, the impossibility of multiple identifiers is mainly due to the possible misuse, which significantly increases the existence of one coupon on two identifiers. Two people could theoretically travel on one document, one showing the card and the other on their mobile application.

The developers do not exclude that the system will be technologically modified in the future for the possibility to use more identifiers, because—even according to them—although it would be a “more friendly and modern” solution, it is not yet possible. However, the Czech Railways In Karta card, for example, works both on the physical card and mobile application.

To verify the long-term coupon, the QR code will be displayed in the PID Lítačka application, which will be scanned by the attendant or reviewer. Contactless NFC chip will also work on selected Android mobile phones. It will be possible to identify in both metro and trams as well as buses or trains, as was the case with single tickets so far.

Passengers still have to go to the PID Lítačka e-shop when they want to buy a long-term coupon. Momentarily, the ICT operator is working to move this feature into the mobile app. We should expect further updates next year.