Last Monday, experts at the World Health Organization warned about the rising number of coronavirus cases around the world. It further stated that even after three months of lockdown, the pandemic is far from coming to an end.
After hearing the news, countries around the world called meetings to discuss progress over the ongoing health crisis. For example, the US Senate hearing for the coronavirus urged around seventeen states to delay reopening plans.
With the widespread number of infections reported in Beijing, China has imposed a second lockdown in many of its states. More countries are likely to follow and re-impose lockdowns with even stricter restrictions. However, coronavirus in the Czech Republic, it is a whole different story.
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While the world fears a second and possibly deadlier wave of coronavirus, Czechs arranged a celebration for the coronavirus. On Tuesday, over a thousand people participated in a ‘farewell’ party near the Charles Bridge in Prague.
The guests who took part in the celebration were seen to be seated on a five hundred meters long table while sharing drinks and food. Most of the beverages were home-cooked. People were asked to share and invite people who could not bring any beverage.
Unlike most of the gatherings around the world, the farewell party did not require social distancing or wearing a mask. Nearly all people in the world cannot even imagine joining such a celebration at a moment.
In the Czech Republic, the total number of cases is less than twelve thousand with three hundred and fifty deaths. Both the number of infections and death are very low in comparison with other countries, such as Brazil or the US.
The US, on the other hand, has reported over forty-five thousand infections in a single day. This is, by far, the single biggest increase in a twenty-four hours time span. The Czech Republic, with a population of only ten million people, has been far more successful.
The recent party was held specifically for the country’s ability to have fewer infections even though the first case was diagnosed during the early days of the pandemic.
The organizer of the party, Ondrej Kobza, is also a local cafe owner in Prague. Kobza told the local AFP news agency that “We want to celebrate the end of the coronavirus crisis by letting people meet and show they are not afraid to meet, that they are not afraid to take a piece of a sandwich from their neighbor.”
According to local authorities, the event was possible because of the current travel restrictions for coronavirus in the Czech Republic. Usually, the country, specifically Prague is filled with tourists.
Therefore, the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic actually allowed the Czechs to have a celebration of their own. Perhaps this is why the reservations for the party were fully booked as soon as they opened.
The Czech Republic was among the first countries to impose a lockdown. Due to the following restrictions during the early days, it reportedly prevented a big number of infections.
Since the past month, the Czech government has allowed a gathering of up to a thousand people. Restaurants, museums, parks, and bars are now open across the country.
