Czech morning news in brief: top stories for Dec. 28, 2020

For those who do not belong to vulnerable groups, vaccination against COVID-19 should begin in late March and last until Sept., according to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. "Vaccination will take about nine months, but we will do our best to shorten the deadline," Babiš said in his regular weekend address. On Sunday morning, the PM was vaccinated at the Central Military Hospital in Prague. The Czech Republic has ordered a total of 15,901,700 vaccines for 8,953,849 citizens. Vaccination is now underway in hospitals in Prague and Brno, and will gradually expand to a total of 31 vaccination centers.

The coronavirus risk index of the PES anti-epidemic system holds at 71 points out of 100 in the Czech Republic for the second day Monday, which is the second-highest degree on the 1-5 scale, with the reproduction number decreasing to 0.89, the Health Ministry's morning data shows. Out of the 14 regions, the infection risk stays on the fifth degree only in Moravia-Silesia, while the rest see the fourth-degree risk (61-75). The Liberec, Hradec Kralove and Zlin regions are one point short of facing the worst fifth risk degree. The situation is the most favourable in Prague, which, with 61 points, remains on the lower limit of the fourth risk degree. 3,732 cases were reported on Sunday; the death toll is currently at 11,152.

Members of the hospitality industry in the Giant Mountains region toured local ski resorts with a symbolic coffin in protest of the closure of ski resorts and hotels. The Coffin for Giant Mountains protest started in Harrachov. Those who are against the lockdown were encouraged to hammer a nail in the coffin. Protesters organizers plan to give the coffin, in which hotel owners and businesses impacted by the measures inserted letters with their stories, to the government. The fifth, strictest degree of lockdown took effect Sunday, halting ski lifts and further tourism services. Hotels have been closed since Dec. 18; the lockdown is set to last until Jan. 10. The period around Christmas and New Year's Eve accounts for up to 40 percent of revenue for most businesses in the mountains.

The Czech Republic spent almost six months this year in lockdown, during which free movement was severely restricted. This has negatively affected all carriers in the country. The Prague Transport Company (DPP) has lost CZK 1.4 billion this year due to the epidemic, while Czech Railways lost CZK 4 billion. According to iDnes.cz Multiple carriers reported that they would not as of yet increase fares. Those included Czech Railways, Leo Express, Student Agency, and Flixbus. However, DPP which operates Prague's metro system did not say if they would raise fare in 2020. Read more here.

Starting this week, it will be cloudy to overcast in most areas with rain or snow. Snow will occur mainly in the Giant Mountains and the Jeseníky Mountains with temps ranging from zero to 4 degrees Celsius. Tuesday will see a slight warming; for the rest of the week, temperatures will fall below zero again and precipitation should mostly take the form of snow. In the Krkonoše and Jeseníky mountains, up to 20 cm should fall from Monday morning. Up to 5 cm could fall in the lower regions particularly in the western half of Bohemia according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.