Czech health ministry to announce new anti-coronavirus measures and regional "traffic light" system

Prague, July 26 (CTK) – Health Minister Adam Vojtech (for ANO) will unveil a system of three alarm levels of measures against the spread of the novel coronavirus, he told Czech Television (CT) Sunday.

A “traffic light” system will be implemented for regions whereby each level/color will indicate specific measures that should be taken for the protection of public health and instructions to hospitals for the preparation of the expected influx of infected patients.

The government has already introduced its three-level ranking of other countries according to the risk of the infection.

The new system is intended to serve as a pandemic plan. The government and the Health Ministry have faced criticism over their failure to develop such a strategy.

“The levels will depend on the strength of the community spread,” Vojtech said.

At present, the Moravia-Silesia Region and Prague would correspond with the second, orange level, he added.

The system is proposed as regional because the situation in individual regions considerably differs.

The Health Ministry collaborated on the system with epidemiologists and the Institute of Health Information and Statistics (UZIS).

The individual levels will be bound with concrete measures such as the mandatory wearing of face masks or the designation of special hospital wards.

In the past days, the number of COVID-19 cases has been increasing, but the number of hospitalized remains low.

Vojtech said on Sunday that there was no need to speak about the declaration of the state of emergency or calling for crisis staff as of yet.

As of Monday, the capacity of these events, now 1,000, will be limited to 500 people.

The measures still can differ according to regions.

Prague has extended measures. As of Monday, the mouth and nose must be covered in pharmacies and in waiting rooms at the doctor’s office. So far, the duty was only effective in hospitals.

The duty to wear face masks during visits to health and social facilities was introduced in the Liberec and Usti regions on Friday. In the Vysocina Region, they must be worn in indoor public spaces, mass transport, and health facilities since July 14.

By contrast, the lockdown measures were somewhat relaxed in the Moravia-Silesia and Central Bohemia regions.

Another 131 COVID-19 cases were recorded on Saturday, less than one-half of the Friday number, the lowest daily increase this week, according to the data released by the Czech Health Ministry Sunday morning.

However, fewer tests are conducted on the weekends, due to which fewer cases are confirmed.

In all, 15,212 have been infected and 5,254 are now ill.

This past week, the number of new cases of coronavirus infection surpassed 200 four times. The maximum, 281, was reached on Friday.