Public health chief: return to normal life after holidays explains Covid spike

The Czech Republic’s top public health official, Jarmila Rážová, has attributed the ongoing spike in known Covid-19 cases in the country to the fact two weeks have passed since people returned from holidays and normal life resumed with the start of the school year. In an interview with news site iRozhlas.cz, Ms. Rážová said an increase in testing should also be borne in mind: 10 days ago there were 400 tests per 100,000 people but the figure now stands at 700.

The country’s chief hygiene officer conceded that the authorities in Prague were struggling to reach those who had been in contact with infected persons within 24 hours, adding that it would take some time for the latest restrictions aimed at containing the virus to make themselves felt.