Record numbers of infected people make tracing difficult

The staff of hygiene stations from other regions will help hygienists in Prague who are facing a high number of people infected with covid-19. At this moment, capital city's hygienists can hardly manage tracing the origin of the infection.

Last weekend, the Czech Republic recorded the highest increase in positive people compared to all the weekends since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, the laboratories evaluated positive 411 tests. Prague accounted for about a quarter of the daily increase.

The increasing number of cases is linked to more frequent and targeted testing, according to hygiene stations. From Tuesday to Thursday, the daily number of tests was around 11,000, on Friday the laboratories processed more than 12,900 samples - this was the maximum so far, which also resulted in by far the most positive results recorded in the Czech Republic during the pandemic.

Prague hygienists in particular have problems with the number of infected people and their contacts, which they have to trace and send for tests. In less than a third of the cases, the origin of the disease cannot be traced, according to the head of hygiene station, Zdeňka Jágrová. Therefore, on Monday morning, Minister Vojtěch agreed to strengthen the Prague hygiene station - it will be assisted with tracing by hygiene workers from other regions.

Prague, as one of the epidemiologically worst regions, is preparing for new measures against the spread of covid-19. From Wednesday, masks will be obligatory in the shops and restaurants and bars will be closed for the night. New measures might appear in some other regions, the Minister of Health admitted.