Coronavirus update, April 28, 2021: State has no more Covid tests for schools due to canceled tender

The State Material Reserves Administration (SSHR) does not have any further supplies of antigen tests for Covid-19 for Czech schools and it does not have any PCR tests for the schools either, its director Pavel Švagr said. On Monday, Švagr announced that the SSHR canceled its public tender for the delivery of 5.6 million antigen tests for schools because none of the four applicants met the requirements. Primary schools have enough tests for pupils and teachers until May 7. Education Minister Robert Plaga said it was uncertain whether the tests would be delivered on time because of the need to repeat the tender. He said the government will do its utmost so that teaching does not have to be limited due to the problems with the tests. However, Plaga also said this was an opportunity to speed up the use of PCR tests at schools.

Some 10 percent of the stands may be occupied during Czech first football league matches as of this weekend, the Czech League Football Association said, adding that the Health Ministry permitted this. Long-term partners of the club will be allowed to be in the football arena, including fans who have permanent tickets, with a respirator or similar protection of the mouth and nose. The fans may come to the arena if they have their negative PCR or antigen test for Covid-19, which is not older than 48 hours, or possibly a certificate saying that they completed their vaccination against coronavirus or that they recovered from Covid in the last 90 days. Currently, permission to occupy 10 percent of the stands concerns not only the first, but also the second football league.

Registration for vaccination against Covid-19 is open for another age group from 55 to 59 years. Those interested in the vaccine can register through the website of the Health Ministry or register with their general practitioners. There are 653,500 people aged 55 to 59 in the Czech Republic. More than 111,000 people of this age, vaccinated or chronically ill, have been vaccinated with both doses of the vaccine. The Ministry of Health has been releasing another age group since Easter after about a week. In each subsequent group, five years can apply.. On the first day, more than 100,000 people signed up for people over 60 and 65.

When visiting a hairdresser, cosmetics, pedicure, or other services related to body care, customers will be able to use tests from work or school, Health Minister Petr Arenberger stated this on Twitter. Originally, the government decided that only a professional test from the sampling point would be mandatory. Some service providers have criticized the regulation. The minister wants to publish details after Thursday's cabinet meeting. Hairdressers, manicures, pedicures, massage and beauty salons can reopen on May 3. Clients will be required to provide proof of a negative PCR or antigen test.

The Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) rejected the proposals for the abolition of the Health Ministry measure on the basis of which employees are tested for Covid-19 in firms, filed by trade unions, a firm and two female employees. The court states it perceives and often shares the objections to the interference in people's life over the coronavirus pandemic, but that the examined measures of the Health Ministry as well as the chosen method of antigen tests with nasal swab were assessed as substantiated. The NSS at the same time called again for a thorough justification of the anti-coronavirus measures. The court proceedings were the third in a row to deal with corporate testing. The current motions were filed by the independent trade unions of the Teva Czech Industries firm and one of its employees and the Brno-seated Castellana company and its executive.

The Czech Republic is one of the countries in Eastern and Central Europe where the biggest part of the population is ready to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a poll conducted by the Slovak NGO Globsec. Out of the 10 examined countries, the biggest share, up to 73 percent of the population, is prepared to be inoculated against Covid in Austria. The second and third places are occupied with 61 percent and 57 percent by Slovakia and the Czech Republic, respectively. On the other hand, a mere one-third of the population are ready to do so in Bulgaria and Romania. The poll, also conducted in Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

There were 3,229 new COVID cases were recorded, 15 percent fewer than a week ago, according to the Health Ministry data. There were 151 newly infected per 100,000 people in the past seven days. The spread of the coronavirus epidemic is slowing down. The reproduction number R has been under 1.0 for two weeks. In the past three days, it has oscillated around 0.88. On Tuesday, 55,572 doses of COVID vaccination were applied. This was roughly 1,600 doses fewer than a week ago. The total number of doses administered since the start of the vaccination in late December is now close to 3 million. In all, 966,625 Czechs have completed vaccination with two doses.