A tram manufactured to transport beer enthusiasts around the Czech Republic’s second city has significantly changed its purpose. Instead of being a pub on the rails, it has become a mobile COVID-19 testing center
While many countries, including neighboring Germany, have decided to ease up on restrictions, Czechia has currently ruled out the most strict lockdown in its history.
One of the measures that should protect citizens from possible infection is that all factories and businesses now have to provide mandatory antigen tests to their employees.
A unique way to test their workers for COVID-19 has emerged in the second largest city of the Czech Republic. From now on, the staff of Brno’s public transportation company can get tested in a tram used to be a local beer serving pub.
Trams and pubs have always been a symbol of the mostly student city of Brno. But since the pandemics hit the fan and the Czech Republic has become “best in covid” with the highest number of positive cases in the world – right after the tiny nations of Gibraltar and Andorra – pubs have been banned to all citizens.
This measure, as well as the unprecedented ban on public alcohol consumption, has left a particular tram that the local Brewery used as a mobile pub serving their beer while riding around the historic city center unusable for its original purpose.
But instead of letting the dust fall upon the vehicle, the brewery decided to give it a different role. From now on, it serves as a mobile COVID-19 testing center that travels between various sites.
“We were looking for fitting places to conduct the test in particular sites. The idea of a beer tram was amusing at first, but after some time, we became enthusiastic about it. It’s mobile, clearly visible, and it allows us the transportation of the team with all their equipment,” said the director of Bron’s public transportation company, Miloš Havránek, according to Události Brno’s Facebook profile.
The Czech Republic is currently “best in covid”
The current numbers of COVID-19 positive cases in the Czech Republic are the most alarming from all countries around the world. To this day, more than 1,250,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease, out of the 10 million population.
More than 21 thousand people have died in relation to the disease.
For this reason, since 1st March, the country has fallen under the most strict lockdown since the beginning of the pandemics.
People are prohibited from travelling between regions, respirators are mandatory in public transportation as well in in shops and other enclosed spaces.
Restaurants, services, and schools have been shut down and the option of reopening remains unclear.
This situation has emerged in the contrast to the speech the country’s Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, made in the summer. After a rather successful spring of 2020 when the country managed to avoid the worst, the PM said that the Czech Republic has been the “best in covid”.
However, in September, the second wave of the pandemics spreaded around the country and since then, Czechia has been the very worst-hit state in the world.
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