Czech PM asks health minister to resign

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis told media on Friday that he asked Health Minister Roman Prymula to resign, otherwise he will sack him, reported Xinhua.

He said Prymula made a gross mistake by attending a meeting in a restaurant which should be closed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Local newspaper Daily Blesk photographed Prymula and other people as they visited a Prague restaurant late on Wednesday.

Prymula's behavior under a situation where restaurants remain closed in line with a government anti-coronavirus directive is shocking, catastrophic and inexcusable, Babis said.

The numbers of COVID-19 cases have soared in the Czech Republic in the past few weeks. According to the Health Ministry data on Friday, the country registered 14,151 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, some 800 fewer than Wednesday's record high of 14,968. There are some 134,000 active cases in the country. Since March, about 223,000 people have tested positive.

The country has taken restriction measures to curb the spread of the virus, including closing all shops except pharmacies and some with daily necessities. Restaurants were also closed, except for take-away food.

Prymulu was appointed as Health Minister on Sept. 21 after the resignation of his predecessor Adam Vojtech.