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Virus Spike Topples Health Minister as Czechs Become EU Hotspot

Virus Spike Topples Health Minister as Czechs Become EU Hotspot

The Czech health minister quit on Monday, saying the government needs a different strategy to tackle a spike in new coronavirus cases that has made the country an epicenter of the disease in Europe.

After being one of the most successful European Union nations in clamping down during the spring outbreak via early and strict quarantine measures, the Czech Republic is now one of the hardest-hit by Covid-19. Following restriction easing in June, the cabinet has again tightened social-distancing rules, while still pledging to avoid renewing a full lockdown to minimize damage to the economy.

Virus Spike Topples Health Minister as Czechs Become EU Hotspot

“I want to create room for a new way of solving the coronavirus epidemic, which will certainly stay with us for some time,” Adam Vojtech said said on television.

The opposition has long called for Vojtech’s dismissal, blaming him for government inconsistency in managing the crisis. In August, he ordered the mandatory wearing of face masks, just to see his decision overruled by Prime Minister Andrej Babis. The premier has since said the move may have been a mistake.

Virus Spike Topples Health Minister as Czechs Become EU Hotspot

Babis praised Vojtech’s achievements during the first months of the pandemic, saying he understood the outgoing minister had grown frustrated with politics and media. He picked the former chief epidemiologist Roman Prymula to replace him.

The daily record in new cases was 3,129 on Thursday, before dropping to just below 1,000 on Sunday, a day that fewer tests are usually conducted. The number of infections per capita was the EU’s second highest for the past two weeks, after Spain, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The number of deaths and serious cases has stayed relatively low, but officials have warned the situation will worsen if the number of new cases remains high.

Aside from reinstating the mask rule for indoor public spaces, the state has ordered restaurants and bars to close at midnight. Universities in Prague have also switched to online learning while attendance at indoor events has been reduced.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.