Coronavirus update, Sept. 3, 2021: A post-Covid care center is opening in Prague today

A post-Covid care center will open at the City Aftercare Hospital (Městská nemocnice následné péče) in Prague on Friday. The center will take care of patients who have persistent problems after experiencing Covid-19. There will be specialized outpatient clinics in the department, which will ensure professional examination of patients and, if necessary, send them to other specialists. The number of those who have various symptoms of post-Covid syndrome has been increasing recently, not only in the elderly or at-risk patients but also in young and otherwise healthy people. "Our patients, as well as their close relatives and acquaintances, go through a very difficult and psychologically demanding period, which often affects their private lives. We are ready to help all of them not only with treatment and recovery in our hospital but also with another solution to their life situation," Iva Vyšatová, director of the City Hospital, said.

Children will not have to test for Covid-19 for after-school activities if they are not in the circle for more than 20 children older than six years. Therefore, most clubs will have up to 20 participants this year. If the group were larger, the children would have to submit a Covid-19 test result. If they do not take the school test, they should bring a self-test or confirmation from a public test site. It will be mandatory for all to wear face coverings in the corridors, Libor Bezděk, the chairman of the Association of Workers of Children and Youth Homes, told ČTK. Interest in after-school activity groups is expected to be similar to the past. According to Bezděk, the obligation to test for Covid-19 according to the current rules should not be a problem for the activity circles.

The Czech Health Ministry is planning a nationwide study on coronavirus antibodies and cell immunity this autumn, in which thousands of volunteers are to get involved, the Czech Radio reported. Several big centers should participate in the study, such as the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), the Thomayer Hospital in Prague and the Teaching Hospital in Olomouc. Deputy Health Minister Martina Koziar Vašáková said that the aim of the study would be to find out the exposure of the population to the infection or collective immunity.

Police officers who helped fight the coronavirus epidemic will be able to receive a one-time reward of at least CZK 10,000. The Interior Ministry of the will draw up a subsidy program in which towns with local police will be able to apply. The ministry will provide CZK 5,000 for each police officer, if the municipality gives at least the same amount from its budget, Interior Minister Jan Hamáček told reporters on Thursday. The Ministry will set aside up to 42.5 million crowns for the program from its budget. Although the police officers are employees of municipalities, I think they should also receive rewards from the state, as they were received by employees of the Czech Police, customs administration and others. I will discuss this with the Minister of Finance on how we can resolve this injustice." Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Twitter.

According to the number of coronavirus infections in the last 14 days, the worst situation from EU countries is now in Ireland with 504 cases per 100,000 population, a week ago Ireland was second with 497 cases, data from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) shows. The second most affected country is Cyprus, which has been the most affected country since the beginning of July. In Cyprus, 496 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the last 14 days, compared to 603 a week ago. The third most affected country is Greece with 412 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a week ago it was the fourth with 420 cases. In the Czech Republic, the number of cases is stagnating, with fewer than 25 cases it is now the third least affected EU country. A week ago the Czech Republic was in 24th place, or fourth-least affected, with approximately 24 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days.

Tests on Thursday revealed 306 newly infected with coronavirus, some 95 cases more than last Thursday and the highest figure since mid-July. The reproduction number to date rose to 1.12 from Thursday's 1.05. it is the highest since Aug. 12, and above the break-even point of 1.0 for the ninth day. The incidence number of cases per 100,000 people over seven days rose to 14. There were 56 people hospitalized, down from 58 a day earlier. The number of people in serious condition remained the same at 10. One death was recorded, and the September toll is now one. In terms of incidence numbers, Karlovy Vary is now worst in the country at 27, and the R number is 2.5. Prague is second at 25, down from 26 a day earlier. Prague’s R number is 0.87.