The Czech Republic’s prime minister called on his health minister to resign or be fired after he broke strict government restrictions to slow a record surge of COVID-19 infections and visited a Prague restaurant.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis on Friday said he would meet with the country’s president later in the day to discuss a possible replacement of Czech Minister of Health Roman Prymula.
“There’s no other solution than his resignation from the post,” Babis said. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
“If we want the people to abide by the rules ... it is us who have to set an example,” Babis said. “We can’t preach water and drink wine.”
The Blesk tabloid said that Prymula in a Prague restaurant on Wednesday night met with Jaroslav Faltynek, deputy head of the senior government Ano, or Yes, movement led by Babis.
Photographs published in the paper showed that Prymula also did not wear a mandatory mask.
Restaurants are closed in the Czech Republic because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was not immediately clear if the establishment was open or if the owner only allowed Prymula and Faltynek in to dine there.
The revelation has shocked the country, which has been hard hit by the pandemic. At Prymula’s request, the government has approved tight restrictions to slow the surge that is threatening the entire health system.
The junior government coalition party, the Social Democrats, joined the opposition to demand Prymula’s resignation, calling his behavior “absolutely unacceptable.”
Prymula denied any wrongdoing and refused to step down, further escalating the crisis.
He said he was invited to participate in a meeting with a hospital director and only went through the restaurant to a private space where it took place.
“I haven’t broken anything,” he said.
Faltynek apologized for the meeting and said he asked Prymula to meet to discuss a special parliamentary session that is set to approve a plan for NATO military medical personnel to come to the Czech Republic to help their local colleagues.
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