The COVID-19 – Drnovice u Vyškova

Fact of the Czech figure „Pandemics in Czech lands”

Part of the „Pandemics” topic

In 2022, a new memorial was erected in Drnovice, South Moravia, to commemorate the recent pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as COVID-19, which began to spread in 2019 from the Chinese city of Wu-Chan. It was not initially perceived as a threat in the Czech Republic, which changed with the presence of the first infected person in March 2020. The same year saw the shutdown of schools, the declaration of state of emergency and the introduction of protective equipment.

The severity of the measures varied according to the number of infected people, culminating in the so-called lockdown of March 2021. Social life and access to public institutions were influenced by the adoption of vaccination or regular testing. From early 2022, however, the numbers of infected declined and the measures were eased until they were lifted altogether.

The epidemic was accompanied not only by a wave of solidarity (e.g. in the form of home-made respirator production) but also by commemorative events. People took part in minutes of silence or candle lighting in Old Town Square in Prague to commemorate the victims of the pandemic, and the awareness-raising initiative “Sníh” (meaning Snow) created an online memorial to the dead. The residents of Drnovice were inspired by the tradition of plague columns to build their own memorial. Through that, people thank God for protecting them from the infection and remember their loved ones who succumbed to it.