Coronavirus cases continue to spike in Czechia

New daily COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic set a new record high for the second time this week. One thousand three hundred eighty-two people tested positive on Thursday, breaking the record set on Tuesday by more than 200 cases. Nine hundred eight more people tested positive, which surpassed all previous increases in the evening. According to the Ministry of Health, that’s more than ever since the beginning of the epidemic in March until 8 September, and almost two hundred more than on Thursday. Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people currently suffering from COVID-19 and patients who ended up in hospital after coronavirus infection.

Since 1 March, when the first cases of coronavirus infection appeared in the Czech Republic, 33,322 infections have been recorded. About two-thirds of them recovered from the disease, and 450 people with COVID-19 died.

Recently, the number of people currently suffering from COVID-19 has increased sharply. Since the beginning of September alone, it has doubled to almost 12,000 patients today, the highest number since the beginning of the epidemic. According to the latest data, the number of hospitalized persons has also increased significantly by the beginning of September to half by 264.

The number of hospitalized in serious condition has increased by almost two thirds to 65 since 1 September, which is the most people with COVID-19 in hospitals since April.

The number of coronavirus tests performed has remained above 15,000 in the last three days, which was the highest number since the beginning of the epidemic in the Czech Republic. However, the share of confirmed cases of infection in the number of tests is also high, reaching 9.1 percent on Thursday. This was the same number as on Sunday when the share of positive tests reached the highest level since the end of June.

According to the Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch, children’s return to schools is not behind the situation’s deterioration. According to him, children under the age of 15 make up seven percent of those infected. According to the data of regional hygienic stations, most cases are in people 25 to 34 years old, making up almost 20 percent of all cases. A similar proportion is represented by infections aged 45 to 54 years and 35 to 44 years.

The most significant increase in the number of infected people in the last seven days per 100,000 inhabitants is in the Plzeň-jih district, with approximately 145 cases. The Pelhřimov region follows it with 125 cases per capita in the past week and Prague with 120.

Today, the Ministry of Health updated the so-called traffic light, which shows on the map the risk of infection with a new type of coronavirus in individual regions. In the second orange stage, next to Prague, there are new districts of Beroun, Kladno, Kolín, Prague-East, and Uherské Hradiště. In these five districts, the opening hours of catering facilities will be limited from Monday, 14 September, as now in the capital. Restaurants and bars will need to be closed daily between midnight and 06:00. Restrictions on traffic will also apply to all other Central Bohemian districts, even if they are green in the map, said Dana Šalamunová, a spokeswoman for the local hygienists.

Regions across the country, except for Silesia, have recently moved to the green alert level, indicating the disease’s occurrence without community transmission. Instead of the current ten, there are 40 such areas.

Due to the worsening epidemic situation, it is mandatory to wear a veil indoors inside buildings throughout the country. Since the beginning of September, the obligation to protect your mouth and nose when traveling by public transport or to visit offices and medical and social facilities has been in force.