Prague Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch (for YES) commented on the current situation around coronavirus in the Czech Republic in an interview for Lidovky.cz.
Even those who have already undergone coronavirus must be quarantined. We do not plan any changes yet, the ministry said |
Lidovky.cz: The daily increase in the number of infected people has exceeded several thousand in recent days. Records are falling, what do you think it is
There are several reasons. The holiday season is primarily to blame, Czechs are returning from vacation, there is generally greater interaction of people in society and the like. As a result, the disease spreads more easily. It certainly plays a role in this, as there was a significant loosening of measures in the summer. We have released them so that the economy can recover and people’s lives return to normal. Unfortunately, the virus has not subsided and is still spreading very intensively.
Lidovky.cz: So was it not a mistake to loosen anti-coronavirus measures in the summer?
Looking back on May or June, on the other hand, we have been criticized for slowing down the measures slowly, given the small number of cases. The truth is that at that time in most regions there were practically zero increases, or units of new daily cases, so we could afford to relax. That is why we approached it. It is difficult to evaluate retrospectively now, the situation is constantly evolving and we must respond to it.
Lidovky.cz: You originally ordered that the veils be worn indoors from 1 September. Then, after meeting with the Prime Minister, you reconsidered the decision.
It is true that I had a proposal that was not supported in the end. At that time, he was not even supported by experts, there was no general agreement. It is now, so we are responding to the situation. I probably wouldn’t go back to that anymore.
Prymula is authorized to manufacture for healthcare. The opposition accuses him of a conflict of interest |
Lidovky.cz: But can you tell me if you regret abandoning your original plan?
Maybe I should have insisted more. But as I say, even the experts within the ministry did not agree 100%. That is why we have made a certain adjustment and, since 1 September, we have been obligatorily ordering masks in places where there is a high risk of infection, ie in health and social care facilities, in public transport and the like. We are now expanding the regulation. My opinion was not supported by everyone, now the situation has changed.
Lidovky.cz: People complain that they wait a few days for coronavirus tests and cannot call hygienists, much like in the spring, when the virus first hit. How do you handle the situation?
We deal with it actively and every day. Following the development of the situation, we launched a free information line 1221, where we have about fifty volunteers, not employees of hygiene or the Ministry of Health. This line is for citizens to obtain the necessary information and not burden the sanitation stations. It is not necessary to call hygienists every time. If a person has symptoms, they should primarily call their general practitioner. We are also increasing the number of hygienic stations and the medics and the army are heading there. We are currently training eighty new people to join the tracing. As for the collection points, we definitely recommend using the ordering system there. Precisely because of a number of unordered applicants, queues are formed on the spots.
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