The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Aid for Ukraine|Czechia has in the past 12 months sent over CZK 40 billion of military aid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced at a diplomatic meeting in Poland. Huge figures, with support to continue. The Czech government has sent CZK 10 billion in materiel, with the Czech defense industry providing about CZK 30 billion. Read more in our article.

Online terrorism|President Miloš Zeman signed a bill against spreading terrorist content online into law yesterday, the Presidential Office reported. Under the new law, which is a response to an EU directive, the police will be able to order Czech and European internet service providers (ISPs) to block terrorist content, such as images of terror attacks or executions. Read more in our article.

Organ donation|In 2022, doctors transplanted 520 kidneys in the Czech Republic, the highest number since the monitoring period began, including 300 at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague, according to a press release. The high numbers can be credited to the increased cooperation between hospitals and a change in legislation that allows more people, including foreigners, to donate a kidney. 

Long Covid|Although the Covid pandemic has subsided, around 200,000 Czechs who had the disease can still feel its after-effects, according to Aktuálně.cz. Pulmonologist Vladimír Koblížek from the Hradec Králové University Hospital says that less than 7 percent of people hospitalized for severe Covid ended up in the hospital's post-Covid care center later on, a number that international studies corroborate.

Ukrainian refugees|Czechia had the highest number of temporary protection beneficiaries from Ukraine relative to the population at the end of December, according to the EU statistical office Eurostat. The Czech Republic had 41.1 Ukrainian refugees per 1,000 inhabitants, ahead of Estonia (28.8), Poland (25.5), Lithuania (23.3), and Bulgaria (21.6).

Nusle bridge anniversary|Half a century ago, it became much easier for people to get from one side of Prague to the other. The Nusle Bridge opened to traffic on Feb. 22, 1973. Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda and Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib marked the anniversary yesterday with a ride on a historical train from the 1970s on the C line. Read more in our article.

Controversial statue|A statue unveiled yesterday in Brno's Mendlovo náměstí has divided public opinion, ČTK reports. The monument by Jaromír Gargulák, which represents pea germination and is called Hrachovina, references scientist and Brno resident Gregor Mendel, who is considered the father of modern genetics. The statue was criticized for its location, which complicates traffic, and cost of CZK 24.5 million.

Danish miniseries|A new TV miniseries directed by award-winning filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg recently started shooting in Prague, according to The Prague Reporter. "Families Like Ours" will use locations that include the Kaprova, Pařížská, Salvátorská and Kostečná streets, as well as Wenceslas Square. The production will also shoot on location in Romania and France, after shooting in Denmark and Sweden last fall.

Renaissance masterpieces|If you were lucky, you saw the originals in the Louvre Museum or the Uffizi Gallery. Or they might remind you of pop culture references, memes, or tacky souvenirs from Italy. Either way, now you have a chance to see the Italian Renaissance masters’ best-known works in an exhibition in Prague. Read more in our article.