Thursday news summary

Covid update

Laboratories on Wednesday detected 10,813 new Covid-19 cases, almost 1,300 more than a week ago. The number of infected people who are in serious condition is now the highest since the beginning of the epidemic. The epidemic in the Czech Republic continues to grow, mainly due to the more contagious British mutation.

The government will decide on the proposal to open shops of the Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček (for ANO) on Friday. Babiš said that he himself had no opinion and would listen to the proposals of other ministers. However, according to him, relaxing the measures in the current situation is not a good idea.

Five deaths may be related to Covid-19 vaccine

The State Institute for Drug Control records five reports of deaths that may have been related to the Covid-19 vaccination. In a week, the number of these suspicions increased by four. The Institue stated this in a regular report on suspected side effects of vaccines against Covid-19. Cases of death will be investigated. In total, people reported 729 possible side effects on Tuesday, which is about 1.5 per mille of the total number of vaccinations given.

Czechs abroad could have their own day

The day a philosopher, theologian and bishop Jan Amos Komenský went into exile could be reminiscent of Czechs living abroad. February the 4th refers to the events of 1628, when Komenský decided to leave the Czech lands after the defeat of the Protestants on the White Mountain and the subsequent several-year hiding.

"Like him, other generations of Czechs who did not live in their homeland have done a lot for us. Czechs living all over the world, from Canada to New Zealand, are spreading the good name of our country abroad and bringing us valuable experience back to our homeland," said Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček (ČSSD) about the bill.