Czech Republic coronavirus updates, July 13: 112 weekend cases, tourists return with COVID-19

The Czech Republic reported 53 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 59 new cases on Sunday, according to the latest figures provided by the Czech Health Ministry this morning.

The daily rise in new COVID-19 cases over the weekend was lower than weekdays during last week, which peaked at 143 on Friday, though that is expected as fewer tests are conducted over the weekend.

The numbers reported over the weekend are generally consistent with those from the past month, showing neither a significant rise nor decline in new COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic over that period.

The new cases are still most confined to three outbreak zones, though the rate of new cases in Karviná has been steadily declining following the end of blanket testing on employees at the OKD coal mine facilities.

In Karviná, there have been 84 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past week. In neighboring Frýdek-Místek, that number has been 36 new cases per 100,000 residents.

In Kutná Hora, there have been 37 new cases per 100,00 resident over the past week, and in Jihlava 22 new cases.

Most other districts in the Czech Republic have reported no new COVID-19 cases over the past seven days. In Prague, there have been just under 6 new cases per 100,000 residents over that span, a number that has remained relatively steady over the past month.

There have now been a total of 13,174 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic since the beginning of the outbreak in mid-March.

Over that period, there have been 352 COVID-19-related deaths and 8,246 confirmed recoveries, leaving a total of 4,576 known active cases in the country. A total of 128 of those cases are being treated in hospitals, with 15 considered to be in serious condition.

Yesterday, Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtěch reported some of the first new cases of COVID-19 confirmed to be coming from returning tourists following the reopening of most European borders over the past month.

While officials did not name the specific countries from which the tourists returned with COVID-19, Croatia, Greece, and Bulgaria were identified as risk areas. Not coincidentally, these are three of the most popular vacation destinations for residents of the Czech Republic.

According to Vojtěch, these cases were isolated incidents, and less than “dozens.” Still, the Health Minister recommend preventative measures while travelling abroad.

“If someone still chooses to visit a foreign destination, such as Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria and other places popular among Czechs, it is necessary to consider the risk and take preventative measures to protect themselves.”

Hungary has strengthened their anti-coronavirus measures over the weekend, barring entry to the country from a number of European states, though residents of the Czech Republic are still allowed to enter.