Govt. aiming to make initial purchase of vaccines for 5.5 million people

The minister of health, Jan Blatný, says the Czech government has ordered 5.5 million doses of vaccine against the coronavirus. It will purchase the vaccines from three producers under a European Union system at a cost of CZK 1.8 billion, he told journalists on Monday afternoon after a cabinet meeting. Mr. Blatný said the country would ultimately buy 16 million doses, which is more than required for the population of 10.7 million, saying other states had similar plans.

The minister also said that a provision under which hospitals were barred from carrying out deferred treatment had been lifted. Hospitals may now carry out planned operations but must maintain reserve capacity for Covid-19 patients, he said.