Tragic accident on Czech Republic’s main road
The D1, arguably the most important highway in the Czech Republic, has come to a total standstill today. The connection between Prague and Brno (and soon even Ostrava) was halted by an accident involving 2 lorries, bus and a car. The driver of one of the lorries was fatally wounded, 4 others were transported to a hospital. Accidents are nothing new on this road, especially since it is famous among Czechs for its poor condition. However a fatal accident of this magnitude does not happen very often. Official police investigation is still underway, but many already blame the construction right after the site of the accident for what happened. Constructions are a distraction to drivers and cause delays, but if we want to have a better road in the future, we will have to put up with them.
Prices of flats are still rising
Although many know that living in Prague is getting more expensive every year, it is nice to see some statistics to back this claim up. According to the Deloitte Develop Index, In March and April the average price of flats in Prague has risen by 1.6% all the way to 125,400 crowns per m2. While flats in Prague 1 actually lost some value, they still remain the most expensive in Prague at almost 200,000 crowns per m2. Over March and April, the price of flats in Prague 7 has risen the most. It grew by 13.6%. Despite the fact that the average price of all flats in big cities in Czech Republic is 77 800 crowns per m2, over 66% of flats sold in Q1 of 2021 were sold in Prague. It seems like the trend of the prices of Prague flats skyrocketing is anything but over.
Covid-19 tests will not stay free forever
According to Czech Minister of Health Vojtěch, free covid-19 tests are not something Czech citizens should count on long term. According to him, once we are in a situation where anyone can get vaccinated fast if they need to, we will no longer need to have free tests in place. Ever since the pandemic has started, many countries have chosen to divert their money towards what is necessary. To many its seems that free tests are not necessary, especially when the majority of their users are rumoured to be using them for tourism and other past-time activities. The money might have better uses, especially if we will need to deal with future waves of the virus.
Dangerous swimming
On Sunday, a man has drowned near Beroun. He decided to go swim in an abandoned quarry in the southern part of the town. Swimming there, as well as any sort of entry, is strictly prohibited. Despite this, there were bystanders at the site to perform first aid and CPR. Once the ambulance has arrived, they have done all that they could to help the swimmer, who lived locally and used the quarry as his swimming pool despite all restrictions. In the end he has succumbed to the lack of oxygen from prolonged drowning, and was pronounced dead on the site. With many Czechs trying to cool down in water in the summer months, some unfortunately pay the ultimate price for picking an unsuitable spot.
