Anti-covid restrictions in the Czech Republic have been extended until late January

This article was updated on Jan. 7, at 15:15.

Anti-COVID measures in the Czech Republic will remain in accordance with the strictest level of the PES system at least until Jan. 22, Health Minister Jan Blatný announced in a press conference following Thursday morning's government meeting.

"The extraordinary measure of the Ministry of Health has been extended and antigen tests will continue to be carried out after Jan. 15," said Minister Jan Blatný.

The rules, which include a ban on the gathering of more than two people in public places, the closure of services and a number of shops, and distance learning, have been in place in the country since Dec. 27. For the full list of restrictions see here.

Government measures will allow visits to long-term and aftercare facilities, Blatný said. A negative test for COVID-19 and a respirator will be required, he added.

Individual consultations at universities and some exams at universities and technical colleges will be allowed to take place in person a spokesperson for the Education Ministry told the press briefing.

The Czech Republic saw another record high number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 17,668, on Wednesday, 310 more than on record Tuesday, while a total of 132,725 is currently infected, so far the highest figure, according to data released by the Health Ministry this morning.

Experts expect the number of the COVID-19 hospitalized as well as those demanding intensive care to rise along with the daily numbers of new confirmed infections, and they do not expect any improvement before next week.

The country remains in the fifth, strictest COVID alert degree for the ninth day in a row.

Since Wednesday, the Health Ministry has calculated the value of the PES using a new method that no longer takes into account the proportion of those testing positive for the coronavirus but includes the number of hospitalized.

Minister Blatný told reporters that if the situation improves next week, the cabinet would reconvene to consider a possible change.