The number of people newly infected with COVID-19 in the Czech Republic has been growing rapidly during the last couple of weeks. In response to this, hygienists decided to make wearing face masks mandatory in more places in Prague, where they have experienced the biggest spike in cases. Stricter countermeasures may follow in the next few weeks all over the country depending on the situation.
Situation in Prague
The epidemiologic situation in the Czech Republic has been getting worse and of all places, it was Prague in particular that experienced a big spike in new cases. For this reason, it was decided that as of September 9, wearing face masks will be mandatory not only on public transport but also in stores and areas that belong to them (such as hallways of shopping centres, etc.). As of September 14, face masks will be mandatory also in all common areas of schools.
In Prague it is currently mandatory to wear a facemask:
- On public transport;
- In indoor areas of sanitary and health facilities;
- In the public areas of offices;
- In all areas of Prague airport;
- At metro stations;
- In indoor areas of train stations.
Another change is that as of September 9 bars and restaurants will have to remain closed between midnight and 6:00 AM in order to contain the spread of the virus as these places turned out to be particularly risky.
Other Districts
While Prague has been struggling with the epidemic the most, there are several districts where the situation is not much better. In addition to Prague, it is now also the districts of Hodonín, Frýdek-Místek, Třebíč, Uherské Hradiště, Strakonice, Svitavy, Pelhřimov, Tábor, Příbram, and Pardubice where the situation is getting worse.
On the other hand, only a few of these districts are marked green on the local coronavirus map. This includes In the districts of Hodonín, Blansko, Třebíč, Příbram, Beroun, Kladno, Mělník, Kolín, Prague-West, and Prague-East. At the same time, in the Hodonín district, there are currently 135,76 infected people per 100,000 inhabitants while in Prague there are “only” 134,34 infected people per 100,000 inhabitants. Yet, Prague is marked orange while the Hodonín district is only marked green on the local coronavirus map and no specific countermeasures (besides those in place nationwide) have been introduced so far.
What Can Happen in the Future?
Because of the rapid increase in new cases, it is possible that more countermeasures will be (re)introduced – mostly the ones regarding the face masks. Some experts, however, believe that more serious countermeasures will have to be reintroduced in order to contain the spread of the virus. According to them, the number of new cases will grow even faster now that schools are open again. At the same time, epidemiologist Roman Prymula believes that the first batch of vaccines should arrive this winter.
Let us know and get your residence permit as soon as possible to be safe in the future in case the pandemic indeed returns in full force. Having a residence permit is the best way of making sure you’ll be able to return to the Czech Republic even if the borders are closed again.
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Source of the image: Pexels.com
