Czech Republic coronavirus updates, Nov. 9: cases steadily decline, new travel rules in effect

The Czech Republic reported 3,608 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, according to the latest data provided by the Czech Health Ministry this morning.

Sunday's numbers marked the lowest daily rise in cases in several weeks, right after another record low on Saturday: 7,722 new cases.

Saturday's tally came after 25,916 tests were performed, nearly half the usual number of tests performed during the week. The number of tests performed on Sunday will be revealed later today.

Last week, Czech Health Minister Jan Blatný unveiled a new plan for the potential easing or tightening of the country's current anti-COVID-19 measures in the coming weeks.

The Health Ministry will release a daily figure on a 0-100 scale for both the entire Czech Republic and particular regions. Risk level will also be indicated by color, ranging from green, through yellow to red, Blatný added.

Additionally, a chart of corresponding anti-COVID-19 measures will be completed by today, feedback on it can be sent, and it will then take effect as of later next week, Blatný said. The chart will comprise five levels of measures to be taken, based on the new COVID-19 risk scores.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in the Czech Republic since March keeps rising. Since the start of the epidemic, 4,858 have died. More than 300 people lost their lives over the weekend alone.

Since March, the Czech Republic has now reported a total of just under 414,828 COVID-19 cases, the majority of which have come over the past month. Of those, there have been 243,129 recoveries, with 166,841 known active cases.

Over the past week, the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic has been steadily declining after last week's record high of 15,727 new cases. An average of roughly 13,000 cases have been reported over each workday since last Monday.

There are currently 7,779 COVID-19 patients in Czech hospitals, with 1,196 of those in serious condition.

The Czech Health Information and Statistics (UZIS) has predicted that the number of patients requiring hospitalization will continue and peak next week, and has recommended that Blatný keep the current restrictions in force for at least the next two weeks.

The most-affected localities in the Czech Republic over the past two weeks continue to Pelhřimov, which has reported about 1,168 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week, and Vsetín, with about 1,096 cases per 100,000 residents in that span.

Prague has reported the lowest number of COVID-19 patients per 100,000 residents over the past seven days: 302 new cases per 100,000 residents.

The Czech Republic returned as the most affected state in the EU with about 1,506 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents trailing only Belgium (1,386 cases), according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Over that span, the Czech Republic leads Europe in COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 people at 24.5, topping Belgium's 18.5.

In travel news, Czech residents travelling to Bavaria must go into a mandatory 10-day quarantine as of Monday, the Czech Foreign Ministry tweeted over the weekend.

The German region has abolished an exemption for Czech travelers that had previously allowing them to enter Bavaria without a negative COVID-19 test.

Starting today, new rules go into effect for foreigners entering the Czech Republic and Czech residents returning home from abroad. On the Czech Foreign Ministry's new travel map, the majority of Europe will be high-risk red, requiring travelers from most European states to provide a negative COVID-19 test when entering the Czech Republic.

The change is due to the Czech Foreign Ministry's adoption of a new EU-wide travel risk map, which aims to clear up confusing travel requirements across Europe.

The new map system, based on recommendations by the Council for Europe, has already been adopted by France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovenia, Denmark and Finland. There may be some differences in how the map is depicted among these countries, as well as each state's requirements for entry from risk areas. Read more about the map here.