Czech Republic Seeks Israel’s Expertise in Vaccine Deployment
i24 News – The Czech Republic has approached Israel to seek its know-how on vaccine deployment, Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday.
In an interview for the Blesk tabloid, Zeman said he had asked Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin “for help with organizing the vaccination campaign because Israel is absolutely perfect at that.”
“I hope that Israeli experts will show up here, and that they will help us as the experienced people they are,” Zeman, one of Europe’s more Israel-friendly leaders, told the newspaper.
The interview came as some 3,000 people took to the streets of Prague on Sunday to protest against the vaccination efforts as well as the restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of the virus.
Banners reading “We’re not sheep” and “No to vaccination” were spotted at the rally, with few face masks to be seen in the crowd as protesters charged that the restrictions did nothing for public health while still affecting businesses.
Restaurants, bars, gyms, cinemas, theaters, and most schools have been closed on and off since March in the EU member of 10.7 million people, which stands at the top of global statistics of new cases per head.
Czech health authorities have so far registered more than 830,000 confirmed coronavirus infections and over 13,000 deaths, with daily rates topping a record 17,000 cases on two occasions this week.
The country started its inoculation campaign in late December, with Prime Minister Andrej Babis getting the first jab.