Czech Republic imposes new restrictions as COVID infections surge

The Czech Republic has approved several new measures to prevent the steep rise in COVID infections. As per the reports, the infections have now reached levels that had been reported in late April. So as per the new measures, face coverings will be made mandatory at workplaces, whereas from November 1, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs will need to check if their guests are fully vaccinated, or have the required proof that they have recovered from the virus or tested negative.

Reportedly, the government has also decided to limit the time for which the negative tests remain valid. The national health insurance will also, from now on, not cover the costs of COVID tests for non-medical purposes, such as visiting restaurants or travelling, in a move to push more and more people to get vaccinated. As per the reports, the rise in infections in Czech Republic reached 3246 on Tuesday, which is more than double the cases a week ago. The said number was the highest number since April 20, as per the Health Ministry.

The surge in COVID infections has been further accompanied by an increasing number of people being hospitalised. Reports suggest that the Czech Republic has been one of the hardest hit of the European Union's 27 countries in the pandemic, which reported 17 million confirmed COVID-19 infections, and as of now, just over 6 million have been fully vaccinated in the nation of 10.7 million, which is below the EU average.