Daily infections in Czech Republic close to record levels

PRAGUE (AP) — Coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic have jumped significantly and are at levels close to record numbers seen during previous waves. The Health Ministry said the daily tally of new cases reached 14,539 on Tuesday, about 4,500 more than a week ago and the highest number since March 12. The record daily high of 17,776 was registered on Jan 7. The country’s infection rate rose to 558 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, more than double the figure recorded in neighboring Germany. Almost 6.2 million people in the nation of 10.7 million have been fully vaccinated. That’s below an average among the European Union nations. Prime Minister Andrej Babis has ruled out a new lockdown.