Czech Vaccine Booking Site Crashes

All people aged 40 and over in the Czech Republic were able to register for a Coronavirus vaccination appointment from Monday.

The online booking system crashed due to the heavy demand, but the technical issues were resolved and the website was functioning by late Monday morning.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis fueled the appointment surge with a tweet shortly before midnight in which he wrote: “You are a strong age group and I hope that you will take the registration by storm.’’

But even as eligibility expanded, more than 100,000 senior citizens were still waiting for a vaccination appointment with their family doctor.

Large vaccination centres were exclusively in large cities, leaving those in small communities to rely on general practitioners.

More than 4.1 million single doses had already been administered in the Czech Republic.

More than a million of almost 11 million residents were fully protected by having had a second shot.

With almost 30,000 Coronavirus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, the Czech Republic was one of the most severely affected countries in Europe.

The number of infections had fallen sharply in recent months, resulting in outdoor dining re-opening on Monday for those who have been tested, vaccinated or recovered from the Coronavirus.

The police and health authorities are in charge of making sure the rules are adhered to.