From Monday, only vaccinated people or those recently recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in restaurants, cultural events, and other public spaces. The new measures are based on the so-called Bavarian model, and follow a record number of confirmed cases on Tuesday of 22,479. Credit: KK / BD
Brno, Nov. 17 (BD) – From Monday, entry to pubs, restaurants, sporting and cultural events, and hairdressers, will be restricted to those who have been vaccinated or have recently recovered from Covid-19, as reported by Seznam Zpravy. Negative tests will no longer be accepted as sufficient protection. The announcement follows a record daily high in confirmed cases on Tuesday, of 22,479, around 50% more than the preceding Tuesday.
From Monday onwards, “only the vaccinated and those who have overcome Covid will be admitted to services, and mass events,” said Prime Minister Andrej Babis. “Self-testing is cancelled completely, and we are not going to a model with PCR tests.” Antigen tests will only be recognised for healthcare workers. The measures are expected to be approved by parliament on Thursday morning.
The measures reflect the model announced already in the German State of Bavaria. Even more stringent measures are in place in Austria, where unvaccinated citizens are not permitted to leave the house unless for essential reasons. Similar measures are under consideration in several other European countries.
The rationale for the measures is the far greater risk of severe illness among those who are not vaccinated. According to Babis, the unvaccinated are nine times more likely to have a more severe course of the disease or die. Given that only 58% of Czech adults are fully vaccinated, this means that the new wave has the potential for renewed severe pressure on the healthcare system.
At a press conference later on Wednesday, Health Minister Adam Vojtech reiterated this message. “When someone who is vaccinated comes to the hospital, they usually recover within a few days and do not need much support. It is similar in the case of mortality. It is primarily people who are unvaccinated who are dying today, and they are on average ten years younger. It’s not just a question of what we hear: ‘let’s just vaccinate the elderly.’ Unfortunately, there are also younger people in the intensive care units who are unvaccinated.”
The minister continued by repeating calls for the public to get vaccinated: “Please get the first dose quickly. Even the first dose provides at least some protection. If you have any symptoms, please stay at home. If you are not well, consult your doctor. It is necessary for everyone who tests positive to fill in the self-reporting form. We need help from all of you who have tested positive in this regard. And what is essential: please observe isolation and quarantine rules.”
At the same press conference, Chief Hygienist Pavla Svrčinová said that children under-18 will still be able to provide a PCR test no older than 72 hours as a Covid certificate. Other exceptions include people with contraindications (certified by a doctor), and people vaccinated with the 1st dose and within 14 days of the 2nd dose.
This article was updated at 17:00 on 17/11/21 to include comments from Adam Vojtech at the press conference.
