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Another Czech satellite will be sent into orbit this year, launched from a Falcon 9 rocket by the US company SpaceX of Elon Musk, the daily Mladá fronta Dnes reports.

The satellite, built at the Research and Testing Aviation Institute, will take detailed images of the earth’s surface and test a system for accurately determining its position in the sky.

It will provide farmers, foresters and water management experts, as well as those researching climate change, with detailed overviews.

The greatest threat to Czech owners of Android mobile devices in March was Agent.BPO, a type of “trojan horse” that installs malicious code displaying unsolicited advertising, the antivirus company Eset said.

Apart from Agent.BPO, which accounted for almost three percent of all attacks, there was a rise in incidences of programs that modify text messages and can circumvent online banking protections.

The Pedagogical Chamber considers the Ministry of Education’s procedure to gradually open schools chaotic, and lacking in clearly defined and binding procedures.

The Ministry has also relieved itself of responsibility to ensure adequate conditions by issuing only recommendations to schools rather than enshrining them in laws and decrees, the Chamber said, and put the onus on school directors.

In response, the Ministry said it had already announced it would issue comprehensive guidelines and methodologies at the start of May.

Some ninth graders are expected to return to school on May 11. Secondary schools are preparing for the return of high school graduates in various ways, in some cases in small groups at school, elsewhere mainly online.

Healthcare professionals performed 4,192 tests for the new coronavirus on Friday, far less than in recent days, due to the national holiday. No deaths were reported that day.

Friday’s tests showed 55 new Covid-19 cases, i.e. in 1.31 percent of samples. Since March, the coronavirus has been confirmed in 7,740 cases. To date, 3,378 people have recovered from Covid-19, while 241 patients have died.

Saturday will be partly cloudy to overcast with rain in places and day temperatures between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius.

The Association of Hotels and Restaurants has criticized the government for the manner in which it is handling the coronavirus crisis, saying that the easing of restrictions imposed is chaotic and the help given entrepreneurs is inadequate.

The government released fresh details of the reopening process on Friday, specifying the conditions which would have to be met for enterprises which can reopen on May 11.

Pubs and restaurants can reopen their outdoor spaces on condition that tables are placed at least 1.5 metres apart, and chairs and tables are disinfected after every client.

Similar conditions will have to be met by hairdressers who will be required to have plastic face shields as well as facemasks.

Political parties are marking May Day online this year in place of the traditional public events and gatherings that take place on May 1, a public holiday in the Czech Republic.

Both the ruling and opposition parties have used the occasion to post videos thanking the public and those on the front lines for the discipline and solidarity shown in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

The Social Democrats say it is the common people who are the heroes of the present day.

While the Communist Party and the Freedom and Direct Democracy party have focussed on employment and support for workers on International Workers’ Day, the centre right Civic Democrats, TOP 09 and the Mayors and Independents highlight the fact that May 1, is the 16th anniversary of the country’s membership in the EU.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen for three days in a row following a period of gradual decrease from April 20 to April 27.

April 27 saw an increase of just 41 cases, but the past three days have brought a daily increase, with 103 new cases registered on Thursday. The daily increase in Covid-19 cases had been below 100 in the previous eight days.

The number of people fighting the disease is 4,138 of which 344 are hospitalized. 237 people have died. Over 249,000 people have been tested altogether.

A change in VAT rates on beer which takes effect on May 1, will reduce value-added tax on draught beer consumed on the pub premises, which has been moved from the 21-percent to the 10-percent VAT band. According to the amendment, bottled beer or draft beer sold to-go remains in the 22-percent VAT band.

The change, which was criticized for being irrational and confusing, is further complicated by the coronavirus restrictions according to which pubs and food stands can sell beer from take-out windows to be consumed at some distance and will be able to open outdoor premises as of May 11th.

The smart quarantine project is to be applied actively nationwide as of May 1st after undergoing a testing period in several regions. It should replace the broad government imposed restrictions which are being gradually eased.

The plan involves tracing past contacts of people who test positive for the virus five days back by creating “maps of their movements” with the help of banks and mobile phone operators.

All those who they came into contact with will be tested and quarantined until cleared. The plan is being implemented with the help of the army in order to speed up testing.