Czech Republic coronavirus updates, October 13: 4,310 new cases, schools and restaurants to close

The Czech Republic reported 4,310 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to the latest data published by the Czech Health Ministry this morning.

It's one of the highest totals in recent days, following a record 8,616 cases on Friday.

With about 493 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days, the Czech Republic has the European Union's highest rate of coronavirus infection, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Over the past two weeks, Belgium (364 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents) and the Netherlands (345 new cases) have overtaken Spain and France as the second- and third-most-affected EU states after the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic has now reported a total of 121,421 COVID-19 cases since the start of the epidemic in March. The vast majority of those cases have come in the past six weeks, and there are currently 62,170 known active cases.

On Monday, the country reported 31 deaths, bringing the total to more than 1,000 deaths for the first time. In the country, 2,146 people remain hospitalized, with more than 430 of those patients in serious condition.

Starting Wednesday, stricter anti-COVID measures will take effect across the country, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced on Monday night following an emergency meeting.

The new measures include the closure of pubs and restaurants and the lower grades of primary schools, the implementation of new mask-wearing measures, and a ban on public alcohol consumption.

All restaurants and pubs in the Czech Republic must close their doors to patrons starting Wednesday. They may still operate on a delivery and takeaway basis. However, takeaway windows can only operate until 8 p.m.

All schools with the exception of kindergartens will switch to distance learning, if they have not already done so. 

The requirement to wear a face mask will be extended to all train, tram, and bus stations.

In addition, outdoor gatherings can only be limited to six people. There will be a ban on drinking alcohol outdoors as well, according to the Health Minister's Twitter account.

These measures will last through the end of the current state of emergency on November 3. By that date, they will be reevaluated and extended, modified, or repealed, presuming the state of emergency is also extended.

Last Thursday, the Czech government announced a series of measures that closed gyms, pools, cinemas, theaters, museums, galleries in the country, with some of those measures taking effect immediately and the rest going into effect on Monday.

The situation continues to worsen in many districts across the country. Over the past seven days, there have been about 351 confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in Prague.

The highest rates of infection in the country over the past week are in Uherské Hradiště (569 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), Liberec (388 cases), Žďár nad Sázavou (448 cases), Plzeň (417 cases) and Příbram (434 cases).