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The Czech Republic, which has the highest coronavirus infection rate in Europe, will wait at least two weeks before deciding whether to order a total lockdown to halt its epidemic, Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek said on Sunday.
Italy, the first country in Europe to be highly affected by Covid-19, is also experiencing a sharp increase in cases and is preparing new measures to combat the spread of the virus.
In the Czech Republic, bars and restaurants were ordered to close last week in the country of 10.7 million people, except for take-out orders, and schools have moved to distance learning. Sports and fitness clubs, theaters and cinemas had already closed, but stores remained open.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said the Czech Republic had recorded 828 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past two weeks, more than 10 times the rate of neighboring Germany.
Since the schools reopened in September, the cumulative number of cases has multiplied by almost seven. Officials have warned that hospital admissions will rise sharply until the restrictions show an impact.
“We will not decide this week on a lockdown,” Havlicek said on Czech television. “We have clearly said that we will wait [until November 2nd] to get results. “
Field hospitals
Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on CNN Prima’s Sunday show that the new measures should reduce the R number, which measures the average spread of an infected person, by 30-40 percent. A number above 1.0 indicates an exponential increase and the current rate is estimated to be around 1.4.
If the latest restrictions are not effective enough, he said there were few options other than blocking.
The growth of Covid-19 cases, with more than 100,000 this month, bringing the total to 171,487 as of Saturday night, and 1,402 deaths overall, is forcing authorities to make plans for field hospitals and seek help. foreign.
The Fire Service of the Czech Republic said it had sent a formal request for ventilators through the channels of the European Union.
In Prague, more than 2,000 sports fans according to city hall estimates, including militant football fan groups known as ultras, protested against coronavirus measures, defying restrictions on gatherings.
Police used water cannons and tear gas amid clashes. The emergency services reported that nine people were injured.
Italy recorded 11,705 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the Health Ministry said, up from a previous record of 10,925 posted the day before, as the government prepares new measures to combat a second wave of the disease.
Italy has the second highest death toll from coronavirus in Europe after Britain, with 36,543 deaths since the outbreak broke out in February, according to official figures.
Mandatory masks
Authorities had largely brought contagion under control by the summer thanks to a rigid two-month national lockdown, but, as a second wave emerged, they ordered new measures, including mandatory wearing of masks in public and restrictions on public gatherings. and restaurants.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was to announce new measures late on Sunday.
Covid-19-related deaths on Sunday rose to 69, up from 47 the day before, the ministry said, far less than at the height of the pandemic in Italy in March and April, when daily deaths peaked. of more than 900.
The number of intensive care cases reached 750 on Sunday from 705 on Saturday after hitting a low of about 40 in the second half of July.
Ministers have ruled out a repeat of the blockade imposed at the beginning of the crisis, but officials have examined a number of alternative measures to reduce social contact.
Transport Minister Paola de Micheli said on Sunday the government was not considering a French-style curfew, but said schools and businesses would be asked to adopt staggered hours to avoid congestion on public transport.
Tighter measures have already been imposed in some of the worst-hit regions, including Campania around Naples, which has closed schools for two weeks.
As part of a new € 40 billion stimulus package that the government approved in its 2021 budget, Rome will establish a € 4 billion fund to compensate companies that have been hardest hit by coronavirus restrictions. – Reuters
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