Operators of pubs, theatres and swimming pools are waiting anxiously for the government’s decision on further tightening. For example, only a minimum number of unvaccinated people now go to restaurants.
“Since the beginning of the month, when people had to prove they were free of infection and the tests were no longer free, sales have fallen by 20 to 30 percent. If even the test is not enough to get in, it will get even worse, because many regulars are not vaccinated and are just proving themselves with the test,” worried a pub owner in Prague’s Vinohrady district.
Pools reported a drop
The Real Estate Administration of the Hradec Králové Region, which operates the town’s swimming pool and aquacentre, is also looking with concern at further tightening.
“When the public comes, about a third of them bring a negative test certificate, so we expect a one-third drop in adult visitors. 70 percent for children, ” estimated director Jaroslava Bernhardová of the impact of a possible vaccination requirement on visitors.
At present, half as many people come to the aquacentre as in the days before the COVID. The pool has returned to 85 percent of its pre-covid condition.Also, around 200 visitors, including schools, now arrive at the Rokycany pool on a weekday, up from half that number in the past.”And on Saturdays and Sundays, we are at a third of what we used to be,” said Jaroslav Moravec, the head of the complex.
Even so, according to him, the vast majority of visitors now carry vaccination certificates. However, Moravec said the tightening may discourage people who were planning to visit the pool as part of a weekend trip.
Few people go to the theatre with a test
“Those who come with a test are the minimum, about 10 percent, but maybe even less. It won’t be a problem for us,” the director said, adding that those who want to come to the theater have already been vaccinated.
People who attend performances at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava are vaccinated in 80 to 90 percent of cases.
An absolute minimum of spectators show proof of having had the disease, and quite a few come with a test or take the test with us,” said theatre spokeswoman Šárka Swiderová.
“I want to stress that we have not had a single case of hygiene shaking our spectators since the beginning of the measure. We have not had any cases of reported infection after visiting all our theatres,” the spokeswoman added.