Czech Republic coronavirus updates, September 3: record 680 cases, new measures in Prague expected

There were 680 new COVID-19 cases reported in the Czech Republic yesterday, according to data published by the Czech Health Ministry this morning.

The daily number of tests being conducted is also reaching new highs this week; around 11,000 COVID-19 tests were performed on both Tuesday and Wednesday, while the number of tests performed on Thursday will be revealed later today.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic in March, there have been nearly 26,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic, with 18,800 recoveries and 426 COVID-19-related deaths.

Currently, there are 7,196 known active COVID-19 cases in the country, which is also a record high.

A total of 177 of those COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized, with 40 of them in serious condition. Those numbers have roughly doubled over the past month.

The percentage of COVID-19 that require hospitalization has remained stable at 2.6%, however, after hitting highs of around 10% during the previous height of the epidemic in April and May. Most of the new reported cases have shown only mild symptoms of the disease, or no symptoms at all.

Today, the Czech Health Ministry will release an updated regional risk assessment map, which could dictate areas within the country where additional restrictive measures will be taken.

On Wednesday, Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said that new measures would likely be taken, especially in the Prague; the situation has only worsened since then.

A total of four localities in the Czech Republic have now reported more than 50 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, including Hodonín (64 new cases per 100,000 residents), Třebíč (57 new cases), and Svitavy (56 new cases).

In Prague, there have been 53 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week. Prague has also reported the highest total number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the epidemic, at 6,100.

Expect restrictive measures to be introduced later today in Prague, along with Hodonín, Třebíč, and Svitavy, when the Health Ministry unveils its new map. These measures will likely include additional locations where face masks must be worn.

The number of new COVID-19 cases per capita is now higher in the Czech Republic than any of its neighboring countries.

In addition to new measures being taken within the country, the Czech Republic is also likely to be placed on lists of risk areas by additional European countries this week, restricting travel in some regard. The United Kingdom and Ireland currently require a mandatory two-week quarantine for travelers coming from the Czech Republic, for example.