The Czech government will announce new anti-COVID measures next week

Prague, Sept 27 (CTK) - The Czech government may limit leisure activities to 10-20 people and introduce distance learning in secondary schools to combat COVID.

Speaking to TV Prima Sunday, Czech Health Minister Roman Prymula (ANO) said the measures will be announced on Wednesday or Friday, adding that he did not expect elementary schools to be closed.

The tightened measures are to curb the coronavirus reproduction number, now oscillating between 1.26 and 1.29.

Prymula stressed the later the lockdown measures were imposed, the longer they would have to stay in force.

He said along with the restrictions, he would like to introduce a long-term plan to predict how the situation might develop roughly until Christmas.

Earlier this week, Prymula announced the anticipated lockdown rules.

He said Sunday he would to limit the maximum number of participants in leisure activities to 10 to 20.

There could be an exception of maximum 30 participants for weddings, he added.

Prymula said he expected secondary schools to adopt distance instruction since this age group is currently the riskiest with regard to the spreading of the epidemic.

He said he would speak with Education Minister Robert Plaga (ANO) about a temporary cancellation of musical and physical education during which students do not wear face masks.

Prymula said the testing capacities for COVID-19 should be enhanced. At present, roughly 23,000 tests a day can be conducted, but that number might rise to 30,000 a day.

Tracing efforts will also be stepped up by help from an additional 660 professional workers from call centers, he added.

The number of COVID-19 cases has significantly grown in Prague and its surroundings. In the past week, there were about 220 new cases per 100,000 population in Prague itself, the Prague-East district and the Prague-West district each.