Czech Republic coronavirus updates, Nov. 16: Cases continue to decline, death toll surpasses Sweden's

Former Minister of Health says new PES system should not require 'state of emergency' for all five levels, death toll reaches 6,208.

James Fassinger

Written by James Fassinger Published on 16.11.2020 10:17:00 (updated on 16.11.2020) Reading time: 2 minutes

The Czech Republic confirmed 1,887 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, which is the lowest daily rise since October 5, according to the latest data that the Health Ministry released on its website today. According to the latest data from the Health Ministry, there were 65 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 6,208, surpassing even much-criticized Sweden, which opted not to lockdown their country and has 6,164 total pandemic deaths.

Experts say the spread of the virus is slowing down in the country, especially this week. But nearly 2,500 infected persons have died in November so far.

The daily rise in COVID-19 cases will drop below 1,000 around December 14 if the current measures against the pandemic are maintained, epidemiologist and former health minister Roman Prymula said in a discussion program on Prima TV yesterday.

With regard to the new anti-pandemic system that current Minister of Health, Jan Blatny (ANO) presented on Friday, Prymula said it was not good that all the five levels of risk assessment required a state of emergency. He said the two worst levels should require the state of emergency, but the others should not require it.

Prymula also said the pandemic was slowing in the Czech Republic, but it is a question whether it was enough. He added that if restrictions are lifted too soon, the infection could again spread quickly and added that vaccination against Covid-19 would start in January. He said he did not expect any vaccine doses to be delivered to the country this year.

The head of the Czech Chamber of Doctors, Milan Kubek said the present measures can slow down the epidemic - but not stop it.

The Czech Chamber of Doctors has called for the continued tightening of restrictions. Kubek said vulnerable groups of the population are not sufficiently protected.

Kubek said the government should launch a campaign in support of vaccination. "Because the anti-vaccine campaigns have been running online for a long time, and the vaccine is really a light at the end of the tunnel."

Kubek added that the number of current tests is insufficient and the authorities have distorted data as a result, with many of the infection cases not being recorded. It turns out that there are two healthcare systems in the country, Kubek stated, adding that health care was much more accessible in big towns than in the countryside.

He also said the loosening of restrictions could start too soon if Health Minister Jan Blatny gave in to pressure from other ministers. If shopping malls open in early December, a big problem may occur after New Year’s Day, he warned.

The Vysocina Region currently suffers from the highest infection rate and four of its five districts have more than 700 infected per 100,000 inhabitants over the past seven days. The highest number, 806 cases, is in the Pelhrimov district. The best situation in the Czech Republic is in Prague and the Prague-West district with 231 and 232 cases per 100,000 citizens.

Latest Czech pandemic totals according to the Ministry of Health:

  • Number of confirmed deaths: 6,208
  • Number of current cases: 126,602
  • Number currently hospitalized: 7,200
  • Number of people recovered: 327,306
  • Total number of confirmed cases: 460,116
  • Number of tests: 2,776,953

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