Coronavirus update, Sept. 30, 2021: Czech senators file criminal complaint over vaccine discrimination

Czech senators call for investigation over 'crimes against humanity'

Two Czech senators have asked the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Czech government representatives whom they suspect of crimes against humanity over measures they say discriminate against unvaccinated individuals. Jitka Chalánková, from the opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) and Alena Dernerová, from the opposition Mayors and Independents (STAN) party, said government measures have given the vaccinated an advantage over those who are not inoculated.

The two senators have written to the ICC that the government advisory bodies in the Czech Republic often include people who may be in conflict of interest and who are given much media space while experts with the opposite view have been discredited.

A lawyer from the international law department of Charles University's Faculty of Law told CTK that the ICC prosecutes only individuals and only if the state would not or could not do it itself, meaning the senators have turned to the wrong court of law.

Covid-19 reduced life expectancy most since World War II

The Covid-19 pandemic has reduced life expectancy in a number of countries, particularly in Western Europe which has experienced the most drastic decline in life expectancy since World War II. The data comes from a new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. In Eastern and Central Europe, it fell below the figures ​​recorded after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The research focused on twenty-seven European countries, the U.S., and South American Chile. 

Researchers reported the largest decline in life expectancy of American men (2.2 years). They were followed by Lithuanian (1.7 years), Bulgarian (1.6), and Polish (1.5 years) men. Czech male life expectancy decreased by an average of 1.1 years. Czech women saw their life expectancy decrease by less than a year compared to 2019.

State insurance company VZP to spend more on Covid costs

Czech insurance company Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna (VZP) estimates that this year it will spend about CZK 16 billion on the costs associated with the Covid-19 epidemic, about CZK 7 billion more than anticipated in its health insurance plan. The company's health insurance budget estimated this year's expenses for Covid-19 at CZK 9 billion. According to a spokesperson this amount included the estimated costs of the hospitalization of patients with severe covid, testing, and vaccination. 

The company's health insurance budget estimated this year's expenses for Covid-19 at CZK 9 billion. According to a spokesperson this amount included the estimated costs of the hospitalization of patients with severe Covid, testing, and vaccination. According to current calculations, however, VZP will spend CZK 7 billion more.

The company attributes the cost to further testing, an increase in hospitalizations, and the third vaccine dose. The approved VZP budget anticipates a deficit of CZK 9.7 billion this year. Due to a higher collection of premiums, however, the basic health insurance fund, from which expenditures for health services are paid, shows a surplus of CZK 1.7 billion.

Covid spread continues to accelerate in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic confirmed 732 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since May 19, according to the latest data released by the Health Ministry this morning. The Wednesday rise was higher by 211 cases than a week ago and by 260 than on Tuesday, which was a national holiday.

The number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 rose to 237, which was 20 more than on Tuesday and 63 more than a week ago. The incidence rate or the number of infected per 100,000 population in the past seven days has risen from 31 to 33, four cases more than a week ago. The reproduction (R) number, standing for the average number of those infected by a single person with Covid, has also increased, from 1.1 to 1.15.

Covid-19 is spreading fastest in Prague with 53 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days, followed by the Karlovy Vary Region with roughly 47 cases. On the contrary, the Hradec Kralove and Liberec regions have the fewest number of cases with an incidence rate of nine and ten, respectively. Opava in North Moravia is the worst district with 79 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days.

Latest Covid-19 data from the Czech Ministry of Health (Sept. 30, 2021)

Source: onemocneni-aktualne.mzcr.cz/covid-19