Czech Republic daily cases remain above 2,900

The Czech Republic recorded 2,913 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the second-highest daily increase since the beginning of the epidemic, with more than 3,100 cases added last Thursday. There are now 30,425 infected people in the country, most with a mild course of the disease.

However, the number of hospitalized people is still growing, and the number of COVID-19 deaths is also increasing, according to the Ministry of Health. Since March, tests in the Czech Republic have revealed 58,374 infected. Of these, 27,382 people have recovered.

The increase in confirmed cases of the disease accelerated significantly in September. In previous months, the daily increase did not even exceed the limit of five hundred infected. In September, it was only twice below it. This week, 9088, more infected people came from Monday to Thursday. Last week there were 7962 cases in the same period. The number of tests is also growing. In the previous ten days, the laboratories have performed more than 20,000 of them six times.

According to the latest data from the Ministry, there are 670 patients with coronavirus in hospitals, of which 131 are in severe condition. Both data are the highest since the beginning of the epidemic in the Czech Republic. Since the beginning of September, the number of hospitalized has almost quadrupled, with about three times more people in serious condition than at the beginning of the month. However, the share of hospitalized people in the total number of people infected is around 2.4 percent, significantly less than in the spring, when it was even above ten percent.

Minister of Health Roman Prymula (for YES) spoke at a meeting of the House Health Committee on Wednesday about the possible shortage of hospital beds with ventilators if new cases were to increase at the same rate as before. He reiterated the need to stop distinguishing between beds for patients with and without COVID-19. It is necessary to plan the capacity of beds, especially in Prague, said Ladislav Dušek, director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics (IHIS).

Since the beginning of September, 142 people have died in the Czech Republic with coronavirus, almost half of them in the last seven days. In August, 45 people died with COVID and 35 in July. The ministry notes that the statistics include the deaths of all people who tested positive for COVID-19, regardless of the cause of their deaths.

The worst situation in the last seven days is in Prague and the surrounding area. In the capital and the neighboring district of Prague-East, about 205 are equally infected per 100,000 inhabitants. This is followed by the districts of Prague-West, Liberec, Hodonín, and Uherské Hradiště, where in the past seven days, there have been approximately 173 to 175 infected people per 100,000 inhabitants. There are already more than 30 districts in the Czech Republic, with more than 100 infected per 100,000 cases.

In Prague, infections have increased at a record pace in recent days. From Wednesday to Thursday evening, hygienists reported 601 cases. The capital is, therefore, preparing special measures. Prague will cooperate with the ministry to transfer hospitalized patients without symptoms to home treatment, said Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) after negotiations with Prymula. The management of Prague also wants to negotiate with the Ministries of Health and Education on the spread of COVID-19 in Prague schools, several dozen of them are affected.

The ministry has expanded emergency measures across the country since Thursday. Restaurants and bars must be closed from 22:00 until 06:00. The number of spectators at outdoor sports and cultural events is also limited to 2,000 and 1,000 seated people at indoor events. Outdoor standing events can only take place with the participation of 50 people. Indoor standing events are still prohibited for more than ten people. Exceptions are meetings of constitutional bodies, courts, exhibitions or markets, and fairs.