Prague's Ruzyne Airport increased security on Monday, following a decision by the Central Crisis Committee last week to tighten security around the country's borders, water sources, reservoirs, and international airport. While police, armed with guns are already patrolling the airport area, up to forty soldiers are expected to be deployed this week. Thorough security checks have mainly been introduced to passengers flying to the USA, Canada, and Great Britain.
Up to 2500 soldiers should be available to assist the police if the Interior Ministry finds it necessary, the Czech cabinet decided during its session on Monday. With the threat of a war against Iraq increasing security risks around the world, the cabinet sees closer co-operation between the police and the army as an imperative part of preventive measures. According to Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik, the Czech army should be capable of deploying its soldiers to areas at risk of terrorist attack within a matter of hours. Such areas include chemical factories, water sources, Prague Castle and Army headquarters.
The Czech-German border area in the Decin district in North Bohemia is being guarded by a joint Czech-German police patrol group as of Monday. Since the signing of a bilateral agreement two and a half years ago, that aims at reducing illegal migration, it is the first joint group to guard the Czech-German border. The green border area on the Sluknov foothills becomes the first to be guarded as it is most widely crossed by illegal migrants. The remaining 500 kilometres of the Czech-German border will also be guarded by joint police forces within a few months.
Doctors in one of Prague's hospitals have become the first in the post-communist countries to use artificial skin to save a person suffering from extensive burns. The biosynthetic alternative is used to temporarily protect badly burnt areas of the body waiting for new skin transplants. Speaking to journalists on Monday, the head physician of the hospital, Zuzana Kapounova, said the artificial skin saved the life of a nine-year old boy who suffered burns on 80% of his body.
Tuesday has been forecast with partially cloudy skies and snow in the higher parts of the country. Temperatures will range from -4 to 0 degrees Celsius.
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