Czech Health Ministry limits participants at outdoor standing events to 50 people

A limit of 50 people has been placed on outdoor events with no seating room, new Czech Health Minister Roman Prymula has announced at a press conference this afternoon.

Prymula also confirmed two earlier-reported restrictions during the conference, a limit of 2,000 spectators at outdoor sporting events, and a new closing time of 10 p.m. for bars and restaurants across the Czech Republic.

All announced measures will go into effect from Thursday, September 24, for a period of 14 days. They will be reassessed after that time, and based on the spread of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic either kept or lifted.

Previous restrictions on mass events were eased on September 1, with up to 1,000 people able to attend outdoor events.

"We are in a situation where we are seeing an increase in cases, our data is not very satisfactory," Prymula stated.

"The measures are on the edge, we can no longer make the restrictions more benevolent."

Prymula stated on Monday that he would recommend closing the upper grades of schools in the country, but today stated that would only be done on the basis of local outbreaks of COVID-19.

He also said that the Czech Republic was unlikely to close lower grades of schools, as was done in the spring, due to the complications involving childcare that it would entail.

The new Health Minister still recommends that schools close this Friday, giving students a four-day weekend in an attempt to slow the surge of COVID-19 cases, but it is not a requirement.

"We do not intervene in schools. Closing schools on Friday is only a recommendation, schools do not have to do so," he stated.