Czech Republic coronavirus updates: Jan. 4, 2021: PES index drops but is still at the fifth level

The COVID risk index of the PES anti-epidemic system has dropped from 90 to 85 points thanks to the reproduction number decrease in Czech Republic. This is still at the highest, fifth alert level on the PES anti-epidemic scale, Health Ministry data released this morning show.

In the previous three days, the index was 90 points, the so far highest figure. The country has been on the fifth level for the sixth day in a row.

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The lower PES score is caused by the decreased in the reproduction (R) number, expressing the average number of the people who are infected from one positively tested person, from 1.4 to 1.31. However, the other three PES indicators have slightly worsened.

The PES index is on the fifth level in all 14 Czech regions. The worst situation is now in the Karlovy Vary Region with the PES index of 96 points out of 100.

Since March, the Czech Republic has reported a total of 746,714 COVID-19 cases. There have been 615 083 recoveries. There are currently 119,561 active COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic. There are 5,777 hospitalized. The country has reported 12,070 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Czech residents over 80 will be able register for COVID-19 vaccination as of Jan. 15 and all other inhabitants of the Czech Republic as of Feb. 1, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said on CNN Prima News.

The actual date people will receive to be vaccinated will be based on several criteria, Babiš added. The main criteria will be age and health condition, he said.

“This will be programmed into the system and everyone who makes a reservation must naturally submit their data,” Babiš said.

People will be able to register for the vaccination online, by phone, or via their general practitioners.

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Young and healthy people will be registered in the database and later receive a date and time for vaccination via text message.

Another factor for the vaccination date will be employment in the integrated rescue system, critical infrastructure, health care, and social services.

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Health Minister Jan Blatný will reveal full details at a press conference on Tuesday.

The Czech Republic received its first 9,750 anti-COVID vaccine doses on Saturday, December 26, and they were divided among hospitals in Prague and Brno.

The vaccination process was launched on Sunday, Dec. 27, with Babiš being among the first Czechs to be vaccinated. An additional 19,500 vaccine doses arrived in the country on Dec. 30.

Czech President Miloš Zeman will get vaccinated against COVID-19 during the second half of January during his regular medical check-up, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told reporters after their New Year luncheon at the Lány presidential manor.

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Zeman had said in the past that he would wait for the vaccine to be administered in a single dose only. At present, two doses are needed from the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine currently available in the Czech Republic.

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A group for re-opening restaurants created a chain of 0.5 liter beer glasses and other glasses with lit candles inside from the Government Office to Old Town Square in Prague’s center in protest against the government anti-coronavirus measures on Jan. 3.

The organizers of the protest say the “Path of Hope” should warn of the critical situation of small- and medium-sized businesses and sole traders.

The demonstrators ask the government to lift the anti-epidemic lockdown measures and start making payments to the operators of the closed establishments. They also complain about the government's bad communication.

Along the route of the light chain, there were also several stalls. One was offering a call for the Czech economy re-opening and another one displayed a coffin symbolizing the funeral of the gastronomy sector. People could symbolically hammer in a nail into the coffin there.

Some protesters carried flags and part of them did not have face masks. The only minor incident during the otherwise calm protest occurred around 4 p.m. when several demonstrators got into a verbal clash with police over the former’s refusal to wear face masks. Some protesters were then chanting anti-police slogans.

The economy must reopen in the Czech Republic on Jan. 6, the organizers said in a statement.

The activists also demand a payment for all closed establishments at the minimum level of 50 percent of their turnout from the past years be paid in a week and a program be launched within a few days to help physical persons who lost everything and face debts from business over the lockdown.

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The Chcipl PES (Croaked Dog) group, whose name hints at the currently applied PES anti-epidemic system, was protesting against the government lockdown measures in the past as well. Its members, for instance, kept their restaurants open even after 8 p.m. when this was the official closing time.

Restaurants, bars and similar establishments in the Czech Republic have been closed for the third time since last March and can just provide take-away sales until 9 p.m.