Number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic rises to 91

Prague, March 11 (CTK) – There are 91 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus, an increase by 28 in one day, the Health Ministry said at its website tody.

Most of the patients are in Prague, Prague sanitary officials have said.

Two patients had to be hospitalised in an intensive care ward due to the infection, Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech (ANO) said.

“We have a newly reported patient from Brno, who is on an intensive care bed. A patient in the na Bulovce hospital in Prague was intubated,” he added.

Tests have confirmed the infection in two employees of the Prague 10 financial office. They did not have contact with the public.

The first coronavirus cases were confirmed in the Czech Republic on March 1.

The teaching at elementary and secondary schools as well as universities was also suspended.

Out of confirmed cases, none of the patients suffering from the COVID-19 disease has been fully healed.

“Although there are some patients who have no longer any clinical symptoms and are basically healthy, they are still infectious,” Vojtech said.

Last week, the ministry imposed a compulsory two-week quarantine on Czechs and foreign residents of Czechia returning from Italy.

On Monday, the police started random checks, including temperature measurements, of drivers and passengers entering the Czech Republic at ten selected border crossings.

Prague has also banned the export of disinfection and effective respirators.

Later today, the Health Ministry will release 100,000 face masks for the providers of social services for the protection against the novel coronavirus, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Jana Malacova (Social Democrats, CSSD) said today.

Roughly 65,000 people live in the homes for the elderly. Another 100,000 use terrain social services.

The Prague half-marathon, scheduled for March 28, was postponed due to the epidemic.

The preparations for the Prague Marathon, planned for May 3, continue, organisers have said.

The towns Karvina and Cesky Tesin, situated close to the Polish border in northern Moravia, recommended to their inhabitants that they limit the purchases and visits in neighbouring Poland.

This is due to the confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Polish border town Cieszyn.

No case of coronavirus has so far appeared in the Moravia-Silesia Region.