There are 74 COVID-19 patients in Czech hospitals, 19 in intensive care units

Prague, March 22 (CTK) – A total of 74 persons with COVID-19 are now hospitalised in the Czech Republic, Health Minister Adam Vojtech (for ANO) told the commercial television station Prima today.

Of them, 19 are at intensive care units and 11 with a lung ventilation, Vojtech said.

One patient, now in the General Teaching Hospital in Prague, is on a special Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device, he added.

Strict quarantine measures over coronavirus may be eased as of mid-April because they are stifling the economy, Deputy Health Minister Roman Prymula said.

They will take longer at borders.

“Easter will obviously not be such as we are used to. There will be no visits and no churches,” Vojtech said.

The Czech healthcare system is better off than that of Italy, Prymula said.

“This is not only a question of ventilation, but also of the shortage of oxygen,” he added.

The Czech Republic has ordered new ventilation devices, having enough oxygen tanks, Prymala said.

One of the last measures to be eased is the closure of schools.

Vojtech said this might happen at the end of May and beginning of June.

The face masks will have to be worn until tens of cases daily will be occurring, Prymula said.

A curfew is out of place provided people observe the existing government instructions.

“I would propose it to the government if the number of infected were over 10,000,” Prymula said.

The government will also deal with commuters across the border on Monday.

In some localities, there are infected people among them. “It may be right to ban this in some localities,” Prymula said.

They will be able to choose whether to stay in the Czech Republic or abroad where they work, he added.