At 500-metre table, Prague citizens see coronavirus out with a dinner

Prague, July 1

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Seated around a 500-metre-long table covered with white cloth, Prague citizens gathered on the medieval Charles Bridge on Tuesday to say goodbye to the new coronavirus epidemic.

On the eve of the easing of yet more restrictions imposed since March to curb the spread of the COVID-19 illness, people filled the bridge, a landmark that runs between historic Prague quarters on the banks of the Vltava river.

“The bridge is a good metaphor, different people can gather,” said Ondrej Kobza, who organised the event.

The event “is a kind of celebration, to show that we are not afraid, that we go out and we won’t be stuck at home,” he said, noting that the dinner was only possible because there were hardly any tourists now.

The guests were invited to share among themselves the meals and drinks they brought.

The Czech Republic was among the first to implement tough restrictions designed to curb the coronavirus in mid-March. As of June 30, the country of 10.7 million reported 11,895 cases and 349 deaths connected to the illness, many fewer than many of its Western peers. — Reuters