Blatný: Whole country could face higher Covid levels within weeks

The minister of health, Jan Blatný, says that within two or three weeks the Covid-19 situation in the entire Czech Republic could be as bad as it is in districts that are now particularly hard hit. Cheb, Sokolov and Trutnov have been largely sealed off from the outside world over a high level of transmission of a new variant of the virus first identified in the UK.

Mr. Blatný told reporters on Wednesday that he could not rule out other parts of the country also being placed under severe lockdown. He reiterated that government restrictions were failing to work as individuals were not adhering to them.

The minister said hospitals were close to capacity and were only coping with an influx of Covid patients thanks to transfers between regions.