Traditional award-giving ceremony at Prague Castle cancelled

The traditional award-giving ceremony held at Prague Castle on Czechoslovak Independence Day, October 28, will not take place this year due to the severity of the coronavirus epidemic, the president’s chancellor, Vratislav Mynář said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The chancellor said that the president had bowed to mounting pressure from the health minister, experts and politicians who pointed to the health risks of holding such a ceremony.

Mr. Mynář said the president would hand out the respective state awards sometime next year.

Nation-wide restrictions are currently in place to try to bring the epidemic under control.