When the pandemic first hit, other countries turned to the Czech Republic for lessons in how to deal with Covid-19. But while the country coped relatively well back then, the second wave has been rather more brutal.
The Czech Republic now has the highest rate of Covid-19 infection in Europe and one of the highest in the world. A new daily record of 9,544 cases was set yesterday; just a few weeks ago, 500 new cases a day was cause for concern. The death toll has now risen above 1,000, over 2,500 people are in hospital with Covid-19, and almost a quarter of all tests performed come back positive. During the ‘first wave’ in the spring, the number of patients in a serious condition peaked at 100; now it is almost 500.
Adam Vojtěch, the country’s health minister – who guided the Czech Republic successfully through the first wave of the virus – has resigned abruptly. In
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