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The Czech Republic faced the prospect of a lockdown as the growth of Covid-19 cases in the EU member reached a fourth consecutive daily record, according to data released today.
The Health Ministry said there were 8,618 new cases yesterday, beating Thursday’s record of 5,394 and bringing the total count to 109,374 cases with 905 deaths.
By comparison, neighboring Poland said it had recorded 5,300 new cases in the last 24 hours, which was also a record.
Yesterday’s data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control showed that the Czech Republic recorded the fastest two-week growth per 100,000 inhabitants in the EU.
The Czech Republic had 398 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, leading the statistics ahead of Spain with 307 and the Netherlands with 304.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the government may re-impose a lockdown if growth continues, calling on Czechs to behave responsibly.
“The situation is very serious,” he added.
“Either we will all comply with the security measures, or we will have to adopt more restrictions quickly and we cannot rule out a closure,” he added.
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After weathering much of the first Covid-19 wave in the spring with timely measures including a lockdown, the Czech Republic has seen an increase in infections since August, as it had lifted most restrictions during the summer.
Since then, the government has reintroduced the mandatory use of masks in indoor venues, reduced the number of people at both indoor and outdoor events, and closed swimming pools, zoos and gyms.
Starting Monday, it will suspend sporting events and close cinemas, theaters, museums and galleries, while Czech universities and secondary schools will move to distance education.
Johnson Prepares to Announce a Three-Level Lockout System
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to outline a new three-tier lockdown system next week as coronavirus infection rates rise, particularly in northern England.
Under criticism after media leaks detailed the government’s plan without consulting local leaders, Johnson will deliver a statement to parliament on Monday after intensifying contacts with affected regions.
The three-tier system is meant to clarify the mosaic of rules for England that has evolved since infection rates began to climb again in September, according to reports.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own delegated governments and separate health systems.
Pubs in central Scotland have closed for just over two weeks to try to cut off close contact transmission.
The new highest level for England, level three, is expected to go beyond existing restrictions, such as a curfew for pubs and indoor hospitality venues.
No social contact would be allowed outside of a person’s home, even outdoors.
Following contacts with 10 Downing Street, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson told the BBC that he expected the northern city to enter a level three lockdown from Tuesday.
He said the government had at least given them some kind of notice this time.
An estimated 224,400 people, or 1 in 240, in England had Covid-19 during the week of September 25 to October 1, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Although young adults are the main drivers of the increase, there has also been an eight-fold increase in infections among people over 65 since last month, according to Britain’s largest study, conducted by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI. .
Covd-19 Cases in the US Peaking in Two Months
New Covid-19 cases in the United States hit a two-month high yesterday with more than 58,000 reported new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in the Midwest at record levels for the fifth day in a row, according to a Reuters analysis.
Ten of the 50 states reported record increases in cases in one day, including the Midwestern states of Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio. Wisconsin and Illinois recorded more than 3,000 new cases for the second day in a row, a two-day trend that had not been seen even during the peak of the previous outbreak in the spring, according to Reuters data.
The western states of Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming also reported their largest jumps in a day in the cases, as did Oklahoma and West Virginia.
So far in October, nineteen states have seen record increases in new cases.
Amid the resurgence of cases across the country, President Donald Trump, who recently contracted Covid-19, is set to resume his re-election campaign today by addressing supporters from the White House balcony.
He is then scheduled to travel to central Florida on Monday for his first campaign rally since leaving the hospital.
In addition to the increase in cases, hospitals in several states are struggling to handle the influx of patients.
Seven states reported a record number of hospitalized patients for Covid-19: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
In the Midwest, hospitalizations rose to nearly 9,000, continuing a record streak that began Monday.
There are currently more than 34,000 hospitalized nationwide, 18% more in the last two weeks.
While deaths nationwide continue to trend downward, the United States is losing an average of 700 lives a day.
Three states reported a record surge in one-day deaths yesterday: Arkansas, Missouri and Montana.
Health experts warn that deaths are a lagging indicator and generally rise weeks after cases rise.
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