Czechia took quick action to stifle the coronavirus and protect the elderly
Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Unlike the horrendous coronavirus (Covid-19) death toll that engulfed Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom this didn’t happen to Czechia (Czech Republic). This is based on stifling infections by taking immediate action. Hence, the current death toll from coronavirus in Czechia is 223.
Indeed, while nations from America to the United Kingdom seemed to just watch and wait until the coronavirus crisis entered both nations, the opposite happened in Czechia. Thus, before a single death from coronavirus occurred, this nation introduced a state of emergency.
Measures take by political elites in Prague included obligatory facemasks, closing all stores not deemed essential, the closure of schools, closing border crossings, and other important measures. The result of this is a low death toll, unlike more prosperous European nations that have suffered horrendously.
Not only was wider society protected but also the elderly haven’t faced the ravages of nursing home deaths. This is a far-cry from countless nursing home deaths in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Nursing homes (home for seniors – Domov pro seniory) and more specialist nursing homes for people suffering from dementia and special needs (Domov se zvláštním režimem) have been protected to a much higher level. Therefore, the horrendous death toll of elderly citizens was avoided in Czechia.
By the middle of April, the government began a plan to ease itself out of the coronavirus crisis. The Guardian reports, “On 15 April the government unveiled a detailed five-step plan to reopen the broader economy, with the deputy prime minister, Karel Havlíček, dividing businesses and activities into five main groups which would reopen their doors in stages over the following eight weeks.”
Yet, with the infection rate falling and the death toll being remarkably low, the government decided to speed up its coronavirus exit plan. Hence, nations including the United Kingdom are watching events in Czechia.
Overall, the actions of France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – and a few other European nations – will not be remembered for protecting the elderly in nursing homes nor wider society in general. However, countries including Czechia and Denmark will be analyzed and praised for the quick measures they took.
Of course, Czechia isn’t taking anything for granted because of the unpredictability of the coronavirus. Despite this, the response of the government is one of envy based on escaping the ravages of several European nations.
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