… will be set up in such a way as to ensure there is no possibility that they could infect the workers in the vicinity,
Prague (ANTARA) – The Czech government will allow medical and social service workers to go on duty even if they have COVID-19 — as long as they do not develop symptoms, the Health Ministry said Friday (14/1).
The new rules are less ambitious than previously planned by the Government.
People who can still go to work are required to only leave to go to work, and go home immediately after finishing work.
They are required to wear masks and eat in separate rooms, said Health Minister Vlastimil Valek.
The Minister of Health estimates that only a few hundred workers will qualify under the new regulation, which will be applied only when necessary.
“The measures will be laid out in such a way as to ensure there is no possibility that they could infect the workers in the vicinity,” Valek said.
Earlier, the Czech government said it had made a list containing more essential fields, whose workers would be covered by the scheme.
The groups identified at the time included emergency services, police and energy industry officials.
The step taken by the Czech Republic is the latest policy regarding the easing of restrictions imposed in Europe.
In the region, countries are struggling to keep services running amid an increase in COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious variant of Omicron.
Minister of Health Valek told reporters that the government hopes to control the wave of transmission of Omicron.
The variant has led to an increase in daily new infections in recent days, to over 10,000 cases.
Meanwhile, the Czech government has ordered that COVID-19 testing be carried out in schools. And starting Monday (17/1), all workers must undergo two COVID-19 tests a week.
Valek estimates that the daily number of cases will rise to 20,000 at the start of next week and possibly 50,000 by the weekend.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals has decreased, as of Thursday (13/1) to 1,912 people.
Valek reiterated that the government has a strategy to slow down the transmission of the Omicron variant among the population and to avoid hospitals being overrun with patients.
Source: Reuters
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Translator: Tia Mutiasari
Editor: Atman Ahdiat
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