Coronavirus update, Feb. 2, 2021: Czech Republic changes travel rules, drops VAT on respirators

The PES anti-epidemic system’s COVID risk index remains at 73 points in the Czech Republic. All four indicators for its assessment have slightly improved, but the reproduction (R) number is still closely over 1.00, the Health Ministry's data released this morning show.

Along with the reproduction number, expressing average number of the people infected from one positively tested person, the other three criteria for the PES score calculation are the average number of the infected per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days, the two-week average number of the infected seniors per 100,000 as well as the share of the hospitalized patients whose COVID-19 infection was proven in hospital only.

These three indicators have slightly dropped since Monday and even the R number has improved a bit, but it remains over 1.00. If it declines under this figure, it means that the epidemic is slowing down.

People coming from the countries with very high risk will have to undergo a PCR test for coronavirus before they travel to the Czech Republic and go to quarantine after their arrival. If they undergo another test five or more days afterwards and it is negative again, they will be allowed to end their quarantine, but they will still have to wear an at least FFP2 respirator for five more days.

People from orange countries, with a medium risk, will have to undergo an antigen test not more than 48 hours before their arrival. Until now, this was mandatory only for long-term foreign workers but not for cross-border commuters.  See the full story here.

The Health Ministry has postponed making any changes in the PES system’s lockdown rules due to the occurrence of the more infectious British coronavirus mutation and the continuing overloading of Czech hospitals.

The planned changes had included, for example, raising the number of people at events if they had a negative COVID-19 antigen test.

Envisaging the suspension of the VAT previously, Finance Minister Alena Schillerová previously called on producers and sellers, mainly retail chains, to lower respirators' prices accordingly.

The government's lockdown-tightening package on Thursday did not contain the obligation to use respirators in most circumstances. It only recommended the use of respirators at risk places.

Last Thursday, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said the Czech Republic is interested in buying the Regeneron drug. Germany plans to use it as the first EU country.

The drug cannot be officially registered by any EU member country separately, but only by the European Commission based on the EMA stance.

The Czech Republic is to receive 335,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 110,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February, in total 525,000 doses of vaccines against coronavirus, Health Minister Jan Blatny (for ANO) said today.

Out of those vaccinated in February, 271,600 are to get their first dose, while the rest will be people who will be receiving the second of the two doses.

Source: onemocneni-aktualne.mzcr.cz/covid-19