Czech weekend news in brief: top stories for May 23, 2021

Rate of new Covid-19 cases in the Czech Republic continues to decline

Tests confirmed 334 new Covid-19 cases in the Czech Republic on Saturday, the lowest Saturday total since late August and about 260 fewer than a week ago, according to the data released by the Health Ministry this morning. The rate of Covid incidence continues to decrease, falling to 47 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, down from 50 the previous day.

Among Czech regions, the situation is now the worst in Zlín with 69 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, and best in Karlovy Vary with 15 infections per 100,000 people. As the epidemic recedes, the Czech government continues to gradually relax lockdown restrictions.

Czech dissident Jiřina Šiklová passes away at age 85

Czech dissident, sociologist and gender studies pioneer Jiřina Šiklová, a signatory of the Charter 77 dissident manifesto, has passed away at 85. Aktualne.cz first reported the news, adding that the death was confirmed by her son. During the 1970s and 1980s, Šiklová helped smuggle Czechoslovak samizdat literature abroad. Due to this, she spent one year in jail in 1981.

After the Communist regime was ousted in 1989, she founded the social care department at Charles University. Šiklová wrote a number of books and published her studies in dozens of journals. In 1995, she received the Woman of Europe prize, given to women who have contributed to European integration.

Austria ends Covid-19 border checks with the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Austria has ended checks at its borders with the Czech Republic and Slovakia introduced over the coronavirus, Austrian news agency APA has reported, referring to information from the Austrian Interior Ministry. Travelers are still obliged to have the necessary documents proving their Covid-19 status, in the form of a certificate of Covid-19 vaccination, a negative test, or proof of recovery from the disease.

In January, Austria resumed border checks due to the high number of infections in neighboring countries. It also closed dozens of minor border crossings with the Czech Republic. The Czech Foreign Ministry has tweeted that along with the end of the border checks, the closed border crossings will reopen.

European Commission warns Poland in dispute over Turow coal mining

The European Commission has called on Poland to obey the decision of the EU's top court ordering an immediate halt to mining in the Turow lignite mine near the Czech border, which is opposed by the Czech Republic. On Friday, the EU court complied with a Czech request to halt mining until a final verdict is handed out.

The German news agency DPA wrote that the government of Poland has made it clear that it does not intend to obey the order. On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said 4-7 percent of energy production in the country was thanks to the Turow mine.

Non-state-owned Czech heritage sites form new association

A new association has been founded to bring together Czech heritage sites that are open to the public but are not state-owned, planning to boost their accessibility and their business activities that contribute to the national economy, its executive council head Kateřina Šrámková has told media.

For the time being, about 20 sites have joined the ANOPA association, which has prepared a program of discounts for loyal visitors to motivate people to go sightseeing in the Czech Republic. The program involves sites from all over the country and with all forms of ownership, including church-, and town-owned sites, privately-owned sites, and some operated by NGOs. Information about the sites is available on Objevuj pamatky (Discover Monuments).