Hospitals banned from performing elective surgery

Hospitals in the Czech Republic have been banned from performing elective, or non-essential, surgery as of Thursday, December 31.

With a steep rise in the number of Covid-related hospitalizations in recent days medical facilities have been ordered to increase the number of ICU beds reserved for Covid patients.

Health Minister Jan Blatny said on Wednesday that he considered the rise in the number of hospitalizations a more serious problem than the rise in infections.