New lockdown in the Czech Republic?
Whereas the Czech Republic was widely perceived as a shining example in the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people infected has doubled to over 46,000 in the past three weeks. Uncertainty is rife: the government is considering a new lockdown and Health Minister Adam Vojtěch resigned on Monday. Commentators call for swift and uncompromising action to prevent the situation from escalating.
Do what must be done
Deník calls for statesmanlike action without fear of the elections:
“If the spread of the disease is not stopped quickly, autumn in the Czech Republic will look like spring did in Italy. The government must not listen to those who oppose tough measures. They don't know what they're talking about. They live in their own selfish world. The upcoming elections must not deter the government from taking vigorous action. Political failure at the ballot box cannot be compared to failure in fighting the virus. The first costs a few seats, the second thousands of lives.”
No time for bickering
Preventing hospitals from being stretched beyond capacity must take precedence over party-political considerations, Právo agrees:
“It is now the strategic task of the government and society as a whole to avert another lockdown of the state and the economy. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is no longer ruling out the possibility of declaring a state of emergency once more. The opposition sees no reason for such accelerated steps. Experts say otherwise: if we don't do the maximum now, we could find ourselves in a situation in which hospitals collapse under pressure from Covid - within just two months.”