Czech Republic cancels compulsory vaccination for senior citizens

The Czech Republic is reversing its decision to make vaccination compulsory for senior citizens and certain occupational groups.
There will be no compulsory vaccination under his government, the new Prime Minister Petr Fiala assured after a Cabinet meeting in Prague on Wednesday. The liberal-conservative politician explained that he did not want to deepen the rifts in society.
The previous government under Andrej Babis had passed the limited compulsory vaccination in December as one of its last acts. The regulation was actually supposed to come into force in March.
The compulsory vaccination was to apply, among others, to people over 60 years of age, police officers, firefighters, soldiers and employees in health care and nursing homes.
In the Czech Republic, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 62.9 per cent of the population have received basic immunization against Covid-19 so far.
Just under a third of the population has also received a booster vaccination. This is less than in Germany and other Western European countries.
Meanwhile, the Omicron variant wave is causing a record number of new coronavirus infections. On Wednesday, health authorities reported 28,469 new cases within 24 hours.
At its meeting, the Cabinet also approved a new version of the pandemic law. The law, which would otherwise expire at the end of February, gives the health authorities far-reaching powers. For example, shops can be closed.