Daily news summary

State of emergency to end at midnight

The state of emergency, which was put into force in the Czech Republic on March 12 in an effort to contain the coronavirus epidemic, will be called off on Saturday midnight local time. The government initially imposed a 30-day state of emergency on March 13, but MPs later twice voted to extend it until May 17.

Despite the lifting of the state of emergency, some restrictions will remain in place, such as the obligation to wear face masks in shops and institutions and closed public spaces with a high risk of transmission such as public transport and taxis. Public gatherings of more than 300 people will also be banned.

Restaurants, cafés, hotels and some other facilities will be allowed to reopen on May 25 in the final stage of the government’s easing of the Covid-19 restrictions.

Darkov mine in Moravia Silesia sees outbreak of Covid-19 cases

17 miners from the Darkov mine near the Silesian town of Karviná have tested positive for Covid-19 and five members of their families have also been infected with the virus, the Czech News Agency reported on Sunday. According to the head of the regional hygienic station, a blanket testing will be carried out in the mine starting on Monday.

After the outbreak of the virus, the Darkov mine introduced strict hygienic measures, including regular disinfecting of the premises. Employees are required to wear gloves, eye protection and FFP2 respirators and have their temperature checked upon their arrival at work.

Austria reopens border crossings with Czechia

Austria reopened all its border crossings with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary at midnight Saturday.

As of Sunday morning, police and customs officers will only carry out random tests of people travelling across the border, the Austrian interior ministry informed.

According to the spokesowman of the Czech Ministry of Interior, people returnign to the Czech Republic will have to present a negative test for Covid-19 or to be qurantined for two weeks.

Daily increase in coronavirus cases below 100 since start of May

The number of newly registered coronavirus cases has remained under 100 over the past 15 days, with 49 new cases reported on Saturday, according to Czech Health Ministry statistics. 

The number of registered cases has reached 8,455. 296 people have died and 5,422 have recovered from the disease. At the moment, 183 people are hospitalized with COVID 19, 39 of them are in serious condition.

Buildings in Czech cities will turn red to mark International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

Buildings in cities and towns across the Czech Republic will be illuminated with red light on Sunday to mark the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. The international event, organised in the Czech Republic by the Czech Aids Help Society, is held annually on May 21 to raise social consciousness about HIV and AIDS and to commemorate the people who died from AIDS.

Among the buildings to light up red on Sunday night will be the Dancing House and the lookout tower on Prague’s Petřín Hill, the North Bohemian Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ústí nad Labem and the New Town Hall Lookout Tower in Ostrava. There are currently over 3,600 people with HIV living in the Czech Republic.

Survey: two thirds of Czechs ordered restaurant food during state of emergency

Two-thirds of Czechs supported their favourite restaurants by ordering food during the state of emergency, according to a survey conducted by the agency Up Czech Republic among more than 500 respondents.

Over 40% of consumers ordered take-aways or home deliveries, most of them on a weekly basis, suggests the survey. Restaurants and pubs were allowed to reopen their outdoor spaces as of Monday, May 11. The interiors are due to reopen on May 25.

Weather

Monday will be mostly sunny, with some clouds towards the evening. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius.