Wednesday news summary

Extension of a state of emergency?

The government will ask the Chamber of Deputies to extend the state of emergency by another 30 days, the Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said on Wednesday. He also said he was not satisfied with the development of the epidemic. On Tuesday, 5,176 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Czech Republic, about 700 less than the previous Tuesday but more than on Monday. The PES risk score has remained at 57 points for ten days in a row.

Shops and services will open with some limits on Thursday. According to experts, this easing of anti-epidemic measures will mean more human contacts and thus again a greater risk of transmitting the disease. According to the chief hygienist, the regional stations are ready for a larger number of infected people. More information on the new measures can be found HERE.

Unknown chemicals in the Bečva River again

An unknown substance again leaked into the Bečva River in Valašské Meziříčí-Juřinka. The death of fish is reported, but only in units of pieces, spokeswoman of the Czech Environmental Inspectorate (CEI) Radka Nastoupilová told ČTK today. According to her, CEI inspectors are heading for the place. The leakage of an unknown substance was also confirmed by firefighters. All pictures are courtesy of a Twitter account @UdalostiBrno.

Foam also appeared in the river last Tuesday and at the end of October at the same place. However, a serious ecological accident occured on the 20th of September, when an unknown perpetrator released cyanide to the Bečva River. According to experts, cyanide has damaged the entire aquatic habitat and conditions for all water-bound organisms on about 40 kilometers of flow. Fishermen took more than 40 tons of fish to the rendering plant.

One of the last veteran women has died

One of the last veterans of the Second World War, Jarmila Halbrštátová, died tonight. She was 96 years old. At the age of 17, she was arrested and taken to internment in Rostov, Moscow, Novgorod and Oranky. The last place of her arrest was a gulag in Aktobe. A year later, she was released and on June 16, 1942, she joined Czechoslovak military units in Buzuluk. She underwent a medical course and in 1943 took part in the battles for Sokolovo with the 1st Czechoslovak Field Battalion. She also took part in the fighting near Kiev or at Dukla. Last year, President Miloš Zeman awarded her the Medal for Heroism medal.