Coronavirus update, June 7, 2021: Lowest number of new cases in Czech Republic since mid-July

Plus: South Moravian school closed over Covid cluster, govt. to discuss allowing more people at events and unifying rules.

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 07.06.2021 09:32:00 (updated on 07.06.2021) Reading time: 4 minutes

South Moravian school closed over Covid cluster

Clusters of coronavirus infection have been revealed in a kindergarten and elementary school in the municipality of Bánov in the Uherské Hradiště district and the British variant of the virus has been confirmed, the regional office spokeswoman Soňa Ličková told ČTK. Zlín Region Governor Radim Holiš said the kindergarten would stay closed and children would not go to the elementary school on Monday and Tuesday. Seven infected persons in the kindergarten and 11 in the elementary school have been confirmed. After the first case of the British variant was revealed, the public health office immediately introduced sanitary measures and traced the risk contacts. Holiš said the clusters were revealed soon enough thanks to good cooperation of the staff of the school and the public health office.

Govt. to discuss further loosening of rules

The government will discuss further mitigation of anti-epidemic measures today. It will address the unification of cultural rules with other sectors, where there are now less demands on tests and operators. The limit for the number of visitors could be increased to 1,000 for indoor cultural event and to 2,000 for outdoor events. Ministers should also discuss the possible abolition of the obligation for pupils to cover their mouths and noses during classroom instruction.

Chcípl PES supporters demonstrated against the government

An anti-government demonstration of the Otevřeme Česko–Chcípl PES (Open the Czech Republic–Croaked Dog) movement took place on Prague's Wenceslas Square on Sunday ay 2 pm. The organizers criticized the measures introduced by the government due to the spread of Covid-19. The event was attended by about a 100 supporters of the movement. The participants had banners calling for schools without face coverings, stopping Covid passports, or stopping Covid totalitarianism. The movement's chairman, Jakub Olbert, criticized, among other things, the government's issuance of measures that were later overturned by the Supreme Administrative Court (NSS). Representatives of other movements also spoke at the demonstration, such as MP Zuzana Majerová Zahradníková from Tricolor. "I will not be vaccinated to buy freedom," she said. With the gradual relaxation of some anti-epidemic measures, the government sets conditions for the operation of services, shops, sports, culture and other activities. In many cases, people have to prove themselves with a negative test for Covid-19, proof of recovery, or confirmation of vaccination.

Babiš says bars did not reopen so foreigners could drink

The hopes of hotel, restaurant and bar operators for a fast return of tourists are not shared by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. He said he wanted to avoid a situation such as occurred last year, with n outbreak of Coivd linked to a party in a bar.

"I understand that people are upset that the bars are open and music can't play, but we didn't want to open the bars. We don't want foreigners from all over Europe coming here to drink again, then it becomes a big problem,” Babiš said on Czech Radio.

Music clubs or discos are allowed to be open but live music and dancing is forbidden. While Czechs' vacation trips are a priority for the government, the resumption of tourism to the Czech Republic is on the second track, news server Novincky.cz stated.

Babiš asks Slovakia to recognize Czech Covid tests

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš asked Slovak PM Eduard Heger to accept the Czech tests for coronavirus when people travel to Slovakia, he said on his Sunday message on Youtube.

"I wrote to the Slovak premier this morning and asked him to change the attitude that our PCR tests are not recognized for our people," Babiš said.

People traveling from the Czech Republic to Slovakia have to undergo a coronavirus test in Slovakia. However, people needed to undergo another Czech test also when going from Slovakia to the Czech Republic. People who traveled from Slovakia might enter the Czech Republic when their presented their negative test carried out in Slovakia, but subsequently they had to undergo still another test for Covid-19 in the Czech Republic within five days. As a result, people coming from the Czech Republic to Slovakia had to undergo one test, while those traveling from Slovakia to the Czech Republic had to undergo two tests. As of Monday, June 7, the Czech Republic will move Slovakia from the red to the orange category of lower risk countries, and so the second test carried out in the Czech Republic would not be required anymore.

Lowest number of new cases since mid-July

Tests in the Czech Republic on Sunday confirmed 90 cases of coronavirus, at fewest since July 13, 2020. The last time the daily gain was below 100 was on July 19 last year, according to Health Ministry data. The daily gains of those infected have been gradually declining since the beginning of March this year, when they reached almost 17,000. The number of people infected per 100,000 inhabitants last week fell to 22. . It was over 100 a month ago. Deaths are also declining. So far, 30,164 people have died from Covid-19. In March, about 200 people died of the disease every day, and there have been fewer than 10 deaths in the last 10 days.

Latest Covid-19 data from the Czech Ministry of Health (June 7, 2021)

  • New cases 90
  • Deaths 30,164
  • Currently hospitalized 281
  • PCR tests performed 7,428,967
  • Antigen tests performed 18,274,412
  • Total vaccinations 5,868,484
  • Daily increase in vaccinations 40,570
  • People who have completed vaccination 1,728,055
  • New cases per 100,000 in seven days 22
  • PES index 39
  • R number 0.83
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