News: Saturday, November 5th, 2022

Lowest weekday increase in Covid cases recorded since June

Laboratories in Czechia registered 639 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, which the lowest weekday increase since the end of June. The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus, now at 634, has also been falling. The daily numbers of newly infected with Covid-19 have been gradually falling since the epidemic peaked in June.

Since the start of the epidemic in March 2020, over 4.16 million cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the country. Some 41,648 people who tested positive have died. There were 56 deaths in the past week, compared to 80 a week earlier.

Survey: More than quarter of Czech households can only afford cheapest food and clothing

The share of Czech households that can only afford to buy the cheapest food and clothing has increased from 18 percent last year to 26 percent this year, suggests a survey conducted by STEM/MARK for the debt relief company KRUK.

According to the survey, almost two-thirds of Czech households (63 percent) have enough money to cover basic needs and major expenses, and they are still able to save, compared to 75 percent last year.

The share of households that cannot afford to buy clothing has risen from five to eight percent, while the number of households whose income is not sufficient to buy the basic food has increased to three percent.

Record number of Czechs died abroad during summer holiday season

Some 139 Czech citizens died in foreign countries during this year's summer holiday season, which is the highest number to date, according to the newly released data by the Czech Foreign Ministry. Another 90 Czechs had to be hospitalised while on vacation abroad.

The data also suggest that Czech tourists resumed travelling abroad following a break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the statistics, over 870,000 Czechs visited Croatia in the first none months of this year, about a fifth more than in the previous year.

In addition to traditionally popular destinations such as Spain, Italy, Egypt, Turkey or Bulgaria, there has also been a growing interest in Poland, the ministry says.

Health minister considers re-introducing above-standard health care

The minister of health, Vlastimil Válek, considers re-introducing above-standard level of health care, even though it would lead to a division in the quality of care. Mr. Válek made the statement at the TOP09 party conference in Prague on Saturday.

The amendment to the law that allowed the division of health care into standard and above-standard care was introduced in 2012, but was overturned by the Constitutional Court the following year.

Among other priorities mentioned by the Health Minister is strengthening of prevention and improving access to GPs and specialists, namely paediatricians and dentist.

Some 270,000 people in Czechia used food banks this year

Some 270,000 people in Czechia used food banks at least once this year, which is around 70,000 more than in the previous year, according to the director of the Czech Federation of Food Banks, Veronika Láchová.

The next round of the nationwide food collection, in which people can donate food in supermarket chains and online shops, will take place next Saturday.

Organisers are calling on people to donate namely no-perishable foods, such as rice, pasta and canned food, but also baby food and drugstore items. The goods can be donated at brick-and-mortar stores and online supermarkets.

Weather forecast

Sunday will be mostly sunny with day temperatures ranging between 7 and 11 degrees Celsius.