Czechs, Slovaks target unvaccinated with new restrictions

PRAGUE — The Czech and Slovak governments connected Thursday approved caller coronavirus restrictions that volition travel into effect adjacent week and specifically people unvaccinated radical amid a grounds surge of infections successful some neighboring countries.

Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech said astir unvaccinated radical volition nary longer beryllium allowed to amusement antagonistic coronavirus tests successful bid to be nationalist events, spell to bars and restaurants, sojourn hairdressers, museums and akin facilities oregon usage hotels.

Only radical who are vaccinated oregon person recovered from COVID-19 volition stay eligible. There are exceptions for teenagers aged 12 to 18, radical whose aesculapian information doesn’t let vaccination and radical who person been partially vaccinated.

Vojtech said the extremity of the measures that volition travel into unit connected Monday is to motivate radical to get vaccinated. The measures volition beryllium successful unit until the extremity of February.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said his authorities was inspired by akin measures imposed successful the German authorities of Bavaria.

“The concern is superior and we again impulse everyone to get vaccinated,” Babis said.

A antagonistic trial volition beryllium capable for visitors to hospitals and nursing homes.

Additionally, the authorities is imposing mandatory investigating for non-vaccinated employees of each companies erstwhile a week. Those who are implicit 60 and person been vaccinated volition besides person to beryllium tested.

At the aforesaid time, the investigating astatine simple and precocious schools that was expected to extremity connected Nov 29 volition continue.

The announcement came aft the Czech regular number soared to 22,511 caller cases connected Tuesday, eclipsing the erstwhile grounds acceptable Jan. 7 by astir 5,000 and astir 8,000 much than conscionable a week earlier. The country’s corruption complaint has risen to 819 caller cases per 100,000 residents implicit the past 7 days, up from 558 a week earlier.

In Slovakia, those who person not been vaccinated volition beryllium banned from each non-essential stores and buying malls, starting connected Monday.

They’ll not beryllium allowed to be immoderate nationalist events and gatherings and volition beryllium required to trial doubly a week to spell to work.

Only successful the hardest deed parts of the country, fittingness and wellness centers, restaurants and hotels volition beryllium closed for all.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger called the measures “a lockdown for the unvaccinated.” They should beryllium successful spot for 3 weeks but “we volition respond promptly if we tin spot the restrictions are not effective,” Heger said.

Slovakia, a federation of 5.5 million, reported 8,342 caller microorganism cases connected Tuesday, surpassing the erstwhile grounds of 7,244 acceptable Friday.

Heger said Thursday immoderate of the country’s hospitals person been already overwhelmed.

Both, the Czech Republic and Slovakia person vaccination rates beneath the mean of the European Union’s 27 nations.