CZECHIA

19,693

Total Cases

394

Total Deaths

13,731

Total Recovered

5,568

Total Active Cases

+3

New Deaths

+292

New Cases

via reuters08/14/2020

CEE MARKETS-Currencies shrug off dismal second-quarter GDP data - Reuters

Most Central European currencies held steady on Friday as countries in the region reported GDP data for the second quarter showing the hefty, but expected, impact on their economies of lockdowns to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Economic output plunged 8%-13% in the region, mostly in line with analyst forecasts and priced in by markets. Hungary's GDP shrank the most, dropping by an annual 13.6%, faster than analyst forecasts. "The number did not cause any surprise, even though it is somewhat worse than expected, so I do not expect a big effect" an FX trader in Budapest said. "Looking at rising coronavirus cases in Hungary and neighbouring countries, my worry is that there could be need for restrictive measures again, though not complete lockdowns." The forint slid 0.25% to 346.00 to the euro, but stayed within the range it has been stuck in for a third week. Romania's economy contracted 10.5% in the second quarter year-on-year. Poland's GDP fell 8.2% year-on-year in the second quarter compared with a 2.0% rise in the previous quarter. "The fall of Q2 GDP growth was not as big as expected," said Katarzyna Rzentarzewska at Erste Group. The zloty edged up 0.08% to 4.394 versus the common currency. Elsewhere, the Romanian leu slid 0.08% to 4.8350 to the euro. The Czech crown was stable, gaining 0.04% and trading at 26.120 per euro. The Czech Republic was the first in the region to publish Q2 GDP data two weeks ago, with a smaller-than-expected contraction of 10.7% year-on-year. Stocks in the CEE region weakened, in line with global markets as investors were unnerved by a delay in U.S. fiscal stimulus and dismal economic data from China. Budapest's assets led losses, dropping 0.83%. Warsaw's equities were down 0.73% while Prague's blue chip index was down 0.45%. Bucharest's stocks edged down 0.18%. CEE SNAPSHO AT MARKETS T 1050 CET CURRENC IES Latest Previous Daily Change bid close change in 2020 EURCZK= Czech % EURHUF= Hungary 0 EURPLN= Polish % EURRON= Romanian EURHRK= Croatian EURRSD= Serbian 0 % % Note: calculated from 1800 daily CET change Latest Previous Daily Change close change in 2020 .PX Prague 912.62 916.7700 -0.45% -18.20 % .BUX Budapest 36450.1 36756.82 -0.83% -20.90 2 % .WIG20 Warsaw 1844.58 1858.35 -0.74% -14.21 % .BETI Bucharest 8748.70 8764.47 -0.18% -12.31 % .SBITOP Ljubljana <.SBITOP 859.09 858.49 +0.07 -7.21% > % .CRBEX Zagreb 1599.71 1604.40 -0.29% -20.71 % .BELEX1 Belgrade <.BELEX1 668.18 667.94 +0.04 -16.65 5 5> % % .SOFIX Sofia 435.05 435.61 -0.13% -23.43 % Yield Yield Spread Daily (bid) change vs change Bund in Czech spread Republic CZ2YT=R 2-year ps CZ5YT=R 5-year ps CZ10YT= 10-year ps Poland PL2YT=R 2-year ps PL5YT=R 5-year ps PL10YT= 10-year ps FORWARD 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interb ank Czech Rep 0.33 0.33 0.42 0.34 Hungary 0.76 0.72 0.83 0.60 Poland 0.20 0.20 0.22 0.23 Note: FRA are for ask quotes prices ********************************************** **************** (Additional reporting by Alan Charlish in Warsaw and Radu-Sorin Marinas in Bucharest; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

via schengenvisainfo08/13/2020

Norway Removes All "Green Countries" from Coronavirus Travel List - SchengenVisaInfo.com

The Norway Government announced that all countries that were previously marked green on the travel advisory have now been marked yellow. The decision came after an increase of COVID-19 infections in several of the “green countries”. “All trips abroad are associated with a risk of infection, even trips to countries where Norway does not require […]

via metro.us08/12/2020

Economic clout makes China tougher challenge for U.S. than Soviet Union was – Pompeo - Metro US

<div class="at-above-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.metro.us/economic-clout-makes-china/"></div>PRAGUE (Reuters) – China’s global economic power makes the communist country in some ways a more difficult foe to counter than the Soviet Union during the Cold War, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on a visit to the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Pompeo called on countries around Europe to rally against the Chinese […]<div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.metro.us/economic-clout-makes-china/"></div><div class="at-below-post-recommended addthis_tool" ></div>

via voanews08/11/2020

Top Diplomat Visits Central Europe as US Looks to Confront Russian, Chinese Influence - Voice of America

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a weeklong trip to central Europe with a stop Tuesday in the Czech Republic where he is scheduled to give a speech and have a dinner meeting with Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek. Pompeo is also set to visit a museum commemorating the U.S. role in liberating the region during World War II. The top U.S.

via schengenvisainfo08/11/2020

Norway Imposes Quarantine for Citizens of Some 'High Risk' Countries - SchengenVisaInfo.com

Norwegian citizens who travel to France, Switzerland, Monaco, the Czech Republic and some regions in Sweden for non-essential purposes must undergo ten days of mandatory quarantine upon return, Norwegian’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced. The decision came after the National Institute of Public Health estimated that the Coronavirus situation is not exactly under control […]

via news.bloombergtax08/06/2020

INSIGHT: Impact of Covid-19 on Permanent Establishments in Nigeria - Bloomberg Tax

Olatoyosi Lawal and Tozaye Balogun of KPMG Advisory Services, Nigeria look at the Covid-19 measures in Nigeria and their implication for permanent establishment. They consider some of the unintended tax consequences and resulting tax obligations for foreign companies in Nigeria.

via schengenvisainfo08/05/2020

Estonian MIA: Ukrainian Migrant Workers & Their Employers Must Be Held Accountable for Quarantine Breaches - SchengenVisaInfo.com

Estonia’s Minister of Interior Mart Helme estimates that migrant workers from Ukraine have to be kept accountable for violating their self-isolation requirements, together with Estonian employers. Helme’s comments came after a joint inspection by the country’s Police, Health Board and Border Guard Board that Ukrainians who arrived in Estonia on July 21, by a charter […]

via advisory08/13/2020

4 theories on why so many coronavirus cases are asymptomatic - The Daily Briefing

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists have been puzzled about why many people who contract the virus develop symptoms of Covid-19 while others don't experience any symptoms at all. Now, recent research has produced a handful of theories, Ariana Eunjung Cha reports for the Washington Post.

via voanews08/13/2020

US, Slovenia to Sign 5G Joint Declaration - Voice of America

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is meeting Thursday with leaders in Slovenia, where they are set to sign a joint declaration on 5G technology. Over the past year, European countries including Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic have signed agreements with the United States pledging that 5G suppliers would not be subject to control by a foreign government without independent judicial review, which effectively excludes Chinese firms. Pompeo’s visit to Slovenia is the first by a U.S.

via ekathimerini08/11/2020

Restrictions introduced as Covid-19 infections rise | News - www.ekathimerini.com

With the number of confirmed coronavirus cases showing an alarming upward trend, the government has announced a fresh batch of measures to curb the spread of infections, including the decision to call off the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair that was scheduled for September 13-15.

via voanews08/11/2020

US Top Diplomat Heads to Central Europe as US Looks to Confront Russian, Chinese Influence - Voice of America

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is launching a weeklong trip to central Europe with a stop Tuesday in the Czech Republic where he is scheduled to give a speech and have a dinner meeting with Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek. Pompeo is also set to visit a museum commemorating the U.S. role in liberating the region during World War 2. The top U.S.

via independent.co.uk08/08/2020

Coronavirus news – live: Up to 750,000 testing kits recalled over safety concerns, as NHS workers across UK march over pay - The Independent

Up to 750,000 coronavirus testing kits have been recalled due to safety concerns. The UK’s medicine regulator asked Randox to recall the kits from the NHS Test and Trace Programme over concerns they may not meet safety standards, adding that the risk to safety was low and that the test results were not affected. Meanwhile, thousands of NHS workers are marching in towns and

via michigansthumb08/05/2020

World responds to Lebanon's plight, France's Macron to visit - Huron Daily Tribune

PARIS (AP) - As Lebanese rescuers counted the dead and combed rubble for signs of life a day after a huge explosion shattered swaths of Beirut, nations near and far pledged Wednesday that the country, already trapped in a deep economic crisis, would not be left alone. The explosion at the capital's port that killed at least 135 and injured thousands, with shock waves smashing deep into the city, stunned the world. From Australia to Indonesia to Europe and the United States, countries readied to send in aid and search teams. Reflecting both the gravity of the disaster and France's special relationship with its former protectorate, French President Emmanuel Macron was to visit Lebanon Thursday. Paris wasted no time in dispatching two planeloads of specialists, rescue workers and supplies to Beirut on Wednesday. The blast appeared to have been triggered by a fire that touched off a giant quantity of ammonium nitrate fertilizer stored for years in the port, which exploded with the force of a moderately strong earthquake. The disaster comes atop the worst economic crisis in Lebanon's modern history, and hesitancy among some backers, including France, to keep propping up a country in dire need of reform. The European Union was activating its civil protection system to round up emergency workers and equipment from across the 27-nation bloc. The EU commission said the plan was to urgently dispatch over 100 firefighters with vehicles, sniffer dogs and equipment designed to find people trapped in urban areas. The Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Poland and the Netherlands were taking part in the effort, with other countries expected to join. The EU's satellite mapping system will be used to help Lebanese authorities establish the extent of damage. Cyprus, where Tuesday's...

via healthcareitnews08/05/2020

Why a data security sting lurks in COVID-19's long tail - Healthcare IT News

Hospital executive minds have understandably been distracted since the start of 2020, but the impact of the emergence of SarsCoV2 has not been limited to its physical toll. It has also torn into data security defences and exposed patient privacy, as explored in the latest issue of HIMSS Insights.

via voanews08/12/2020

US Top Diplomat Warns of China’s Global Threat - Voice of America

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that China’s economic power is in some ways a greater global threat than the Soviet Union was during the Cold War.    "Today an even greater threat is the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) campaigns of coercion and control," Pompeo said in a speech to the senate in the Czech Republic. "The CCP is already enmeshed in our economies, in our politics, in our societies in ways the Soviet Union never was."   The top U.S.

via schengenvisainfo08/12/2020

Majority of Schengen Countries Urge Their Citizens to Avoid Travel to Spain - SchengenVisaInfo.com

Spain’s Coronavirus situation is not being considered stable by a large share of EU countries, with many of them advising their citizens not to travel to Spain for non-essential purposes. Health authorities in Spain have reported 8,618 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, leading Schengen countries to tighten their preventive measures, with some of them even […]

via forbes08/11/2020

France, Switzerland, Sweden: Norway Curbs Travel For 13 On Covid Red List Europe - Forbes

Norway is the latest European country to crack down on travel from a host of neighbors where Covid is making a startling comeback. France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Monaco and several Swedish regions have been added to its high-risk “red” list, as quarantine measures bring tourism to a halt.

via schengenvisainfo08/11/2020

EU Council Recommends to Member States to Reintroduce Entry Ban for Moroccans - SchengenVisaInfo.com

A week after publishing its second review of the list of epidemiologically safe third countries, the EU Council has decided to update the list again, though it had previously noted the list would be updated every two weeks. On August 7, the EU Council issued a reviewed recommendation to the EU and Schengen Area Member […]

via worldpoliticsreview08/06/2020

Why the EU’s Coronavirus Rescue Package Might Save the European Project - World Politics Review

Last month, the leaders of the European Union managed to craft a muscular economic rescue package to deal with the economic toll from COVID-19. By making disbursements of aid contingent on adherence to fundamental democratic principles, the continent&rsquo;s democracies may just save the European project.

via msn08/05/2020

Pompeo to head to Eastern Europe to discuss troop moves - MSN Money

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday he will visit Poland and three other European nations next week as Washington looks to reposition troops out of Germany. Pompeo will also visit the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Austria on a weeklong trip starting August 11 that is expected to focus heavily on limiting Chinese influence. "It'll be a very important and productive trip, I expect," Pompeo told reporters in a brief announcement. Polish...