From Friday, children in primary schools have to wear face masks when teaching in the classroom, and all restaurants and bars will have to be closed between midnight and 6:00 a.m., the Czech Ministry of Health announced as its races to halt the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
“The epidemic situation is not good, the epidemic is gaining momentum. The number of hospitalized patients is also growing,“ said Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch.
For the first time in the Czech Republic, more than 3,000 cases of coronavirus were recorded in one day on Thursday. Most infected people have a mild course of the disease however, the number of hospitalized is growing, having increased by more than a third in the last week. There are also more people dying with the COVID-19.
The director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics, Ladislav Dušek, added that of the newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19, on Wednesday, a fifth of cases were children attending schools.
Originally, the Prague Hygiene Station planned to introduce the mandatory wearing of face masks in classrooms at primary, secondary, and higher education institutions from Monday, however, the epidemic is gaining strength every day, prompting hygienists to speed up the process of introducing new measures. More restrictions will likely follow in the coming days.
Hygienists in the Czech capital also intend to order the obligation to wear masks at outdoor events for more than 100 people, stated Zdeňka Jágrová, the director of Prague hygiene, after the meeting of Prague representatives.
Prague remains the worst affected region in the Czech Republic, however, the disease is spreading rapidly in other regions too.
The Ministry of Health announced during the week that it prohibits internal mass events for more than 10 people from Friday. Exceptions are exhibitions, markets, and similar events.
The regulation also applies to restaurants, bars, or clubs, which must not allow more people inside than seating capacity allows. The ministry has also clarified the regulations for wearing masks in these places. People do not have to have them only while eating or drinking, and they are also obligatory at the bar if a guest does not sit down.
Statistics show that in regards to the daily number of new infections per million, the Czech Republic was the worst in the whole of Europe on Sept. 17.
Title image: People exiting a tram wear face masks on a first school day in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Starting Tuesday it is mandatory that all people must cover their mouths and noses in all of public transport and some public places in affords to stem the spread of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
