Coronavirus update, July 28, 2021: Large event organizers should check status of ticket buyers

The organizers of mass events for which higher attendance limits will be valid as of Aug. 1 should watch that they will sell tickets only to the fully vaccinated people or those who had Covid in past 180 days if the attendance is over 3,000, Health Minister Adam Vojtěch told reporters after a meeting with Health and Social Care Workers' Trade Union leader Dagmar Zitnikova. Under the measure the government approved on Monday, up to 7,000 people outside and 3,000 inside will be allowed to attend sports and cultural events as of Aug.1, instead of the current 5,000 and 2,000, respectively, if they are seated. Indoors, the limit of 3,000 seated spectators can be exceeded up to the full capacity if all above the limit are fully vaccinated or underwent Covid-19 in the past 180 days. The same rule is valid for outdoor events. The first 3,000 visitors who buy tickets can also present a negative test for coronavirus. Vojtěch said this can be regulated only for the events to which tickets are sold.

The Czech Health Ministry will complete its measure concerning mandatory wearing of respirators indoors following the requirements of the Supreme Administrative Court (NSS), Health Minister Adam Vojtěch told reporters. He said he cannot imagine the measure not being in place in the Czech Republic. The Health Ministry measures about wearing respirators in interiors is not sufficiently justified, the NSS said. The court canceled the requirement, but with a three-day grace period. Thanks to this, the Health Ministry has enough time to add the justification. Vojtěch said this restriction is not exceptional on a global level, adding that the question is how detailed explanation will be sufficient for the court.

He added that the court did not contest the measure as such, only said the ministry must complete the justification. The ministry wrote on Twitter that it respects the NSS decision, adding that it is crucial that people cover their mouth and nose indoors and in the public transport, because the Czech Republic has not managed to create herd immunity by vaccination yet and more contagious Covid variants are spreading in the country. Vojtěch said he did not know yet whether the completion would require a special government meeting, adding that this has to be consulted with legal experts. Read our story on the court ruling here.

As of Aug. 1, it will also be permitted to dance in clubs, dance halls and at other events for the persons who are either fully inoculated or have fewer than 180 days after they underwent the Covid-19 disease or present a negative test not older than 24 hours. However, for a mere entry to a club, the condition of a negative test that is not older than 72 hours is still valid. Health Minister Adam Vojtěch justified the difference, saying public health officers considered dance a stronger infection risk than sitting at a table.

The challenging coronavirus epidemic had a negative effect on romantic relationships as a pilot study in the Contemporary Czech Family research project suggests that their quality assessment dropped from 8.3 in December 2020 to 7.8 in April, Brno's Masaryk University (MUNI) spokesman Pavel Žára told ČTK. The research is run jointly by experts from MUNI and Charles University in Prague. The study shows a causality between the assessment of the relationship and worries about a potential job loss. Most polled who said it is likely or very likely that they lose their job within the next 12 months expressed a lower satisfaction with their relationship, too, while this link is stronger in men. The stress from economic threats and problems provoked by the coronavirus pandemic affect romantic relationships, too, sociologists Martin Kreidl said. However, the low satisfaction level did not result in a higher number of break-ups yet, the study says, adding that this might still come.

There were 252 new Covid cases reported for Tuesday, down from 301 a week earlier. The index number of new cases per 100,000 people over seven days remained steady at 12. The reproduction number R remained fell slightly to 0.86. It has been below the break-even point of 1.0 for10 days in a row. The number of hospitalized people was at 52, down from a revised figure of 56 for the previous day. The number of people in serious condition rose by two to reach eight. No deaths were reported for the sixth day in a row. In total, 12 Covid-related deaths have been reported for July. For Prague, where the pandemic situation is worst in the Czech Republic, the index number was at 27, down from 31, and the R number was 0.73, down from 0.78.