Czech weekend news in brief: top stories for May 30, 2021

Czech Republic reports 222 Covid-19 cases on Saturday as numbers continue to decline

The Czech Republic reported 222 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, about one-third fewer than a week ago, according to data posted by the Czech Health Ministry this morning. Fewer than 200 new cases were reported last Sunday, but Sunday figures are usually lower than Saturday.

The number of new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days continues to decline. On Saturday, it fell to 31 cases per 100,000 people, one less than on Friday. The R number (reproduction number), indicating the number of people infected by one positive person, slightly increased from 0.68 to 0.71. Since mid-April, the R number has been below 1 in the Czech Republic, which indicates that the epidemic is receding.

Czech influencers to take part in campaign promoting Covid-19 vaccination

A PR campaign to promote Covid-19 vaccination in the Czech Republic will poick up steam in June. As the registration opens to young people, social media influencers and various organizations will get involved involved, the Cesta Ven (Way Out) initiative behind the campaign has told CTK.

Campaign organizers have struck a deal with popular personalities who will take part in the vaccination promotion without any compensation; TV hosts, singers, actors, and YouTubers are among them. Targeting young people, the campaign emphasizes the benefits of being vaccinated, such as the ease of traveling and no need for testing. Associations representing various nationalities and religious communities will be among the groups involved in the campaign. Czech Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, as well as the Czech Gamekeepers's Union, for example, will take part. 

Ministry finds no major flaws in hospital led by former Minister Arenberger

A Czech Health Ministry inspection has found no major shortcomings in the financial management and purchases by Prague's Vinohrady Teaching Hospital, Deník N reported on Saturday. The hospital was led by Petr Arenberger, who resigned as health minister after 49 days in office last week.

The inspection was ordered by health minister Jan Blatný, but completed under his successor Arenberger, who was also the director of the Vinohrady hospital. "In his position, he thus started inspecting the hospital that he himself was heading," Deník N writes. The ministry was checking documents that the hospital itself submitted to the inspection. Its results are to help decide whether Arenberger will remain in his position as hospital director.

Czech Communist Party will not elect new leadership before general election

The Czech Communist Party (KSČM) will not hold an extraordinary congress to elect new leadership before the October general election, their central committee decided today on the basis of a request by one-third of the party branches, KSČM chairman Vojtěch Filip has told reporters.

Filip said the party branches' request for an earlier congress was motivated by the effort to be prepared for the elections in the best possible way. "We have agreed that the preparation is sufficient and dynamic and that we will not organize a congress," he said. The party's election congress will take place in November, after elections to the Chamber of Deputies.

Czech football team to have UEFA Euro 2020 base in Czech Republic, not Scotland

The Czech national football team will have its base for the UEFA Euro 2020 European Football Championship in the Czech Republic, not UEFA venue Scotland, Czech Football Association spokesman Michal Jurman has told CTK. The main reason is the strict anti-epidemic measures of the local authorities, and the threat of quarantine for the entire team if one player tests positive for Covid-19.

The Czech team was originally going to have their base in Edinburgh during the Championship, where they would have traveled to on June 9. Their first two matches against Scotland and Croatia will be played in Glasgow, and a subsequent match against England in London. The national team will instead fly to the matches from Prague.