A state of emergency could go into effect in the Czech Republic from Wednesday

Prague, Sept 28 (CTK) - The Czech government will presumably convene this week to approve a state of emergency in response to the rapid increase in coronavirus cases.

On Sunday's televized pre-election debate Prime Minister Andrej Babis told TV Nova that he assumes the outcome of Wednesday's extraordinary government meeting will be the approval of a state-of emergency proposal presented by new Health Minister Roman Prymula.

"I suppose that I will call the government extraordinarily for Wednesday in order to approve the state of emergency at [the health minister's] proposal," Babis said.

A state of emergency is declared by the government and, in extreme circumstances, by the prime minister whose decisions can then approved or overruled by the government.

The government must inform the Chamber of Deputies about the declaration of the state of emergency. The lower house can cancel it.

According to the Prime Minister, what the state of emergency would mean for the country will depend on Prymula. 

Earlier on Sunday, both Babis and Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamacek discussed with Prymula the reintroduction of the state emergency due to the coronavirus situation.

"In my view, the Health Ministry will, first, say the situation is serious and there is a need to adopt measures that simply cannot be taken under the law. Hence the need of a stronger mandate, the mandate of the whole government, which means the declaration of the state of emergency," Hamacek said.

During the debate leaders of the strongest opposition parties, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and Pirates, Petr Fiala and Ivan Bartos, respectively, criticised the government for its handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Fiala said the conditions to declare the state of emergency were not fulfilled.

"If the government is threatening with the state of emergency, the measures adopted by the new health minister are obviously insufficient," he added.

In a Monday Tweet Fiala wrote: "The eventual proclamation of the NS is the result of the inability of the current government. They absolutely did not prepare the country for the second wave. They did not launch smart quarantine, did not strengthen hygiene measures, did not ensure sufficient testing and tracing. They lied to citizens and did not fulfill their tasks. The ODS will not support the introduction of a state of emergency."

Prymula said on Friday he was planning to issue further lockdown measures relating to assembly over the coronavirus.

On Sunday, he said the limitations of leisure activities would mean the maximum participation of 10-20 people in mass events.