Czech Rep: More restrictions needed to curb virus

The Czech Republic’s health minister on Tuesday said more restrictions may be needed after the current measures failed to slow a surge in coronavirus infections.

Health Minister Roman Prymula told the lower house of Parliament the number of people in hospital could reach 11-thousand by November 11, almost full capacity, and some 1-and-a-half to 3-thousand patients may need intensive care.

He said the government had been acquiring ventilators for the hospitals.

Prymula said nearly 30 percent of all tests are positive.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in the Czech Republic has risen over the past two weeks from 26.26 cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 5 to 80.76 on Monday.

The country has 180,000 confirmed cases, with 110,000 recorded during the first three weeks of October.