Covid-positive Czech president appoints PM from inside big glass box

Czech President Milos Zeman formally appointed Petr Fiala as the country’s new prime minister on Sunday. The ceremony was adjusted to follow strict health protocols after Zeman tested positive for Covid-19.

During the ceremony at the Lany Chateau, the summer residence of Czech presidents, Zeman sat in a wheelchair inside an acrylic glass box. Both Zeman and Fiala were masked as the new PM was sworn in.

Zeman wished the PM “success” in his new position and promised to start meeting with candidates for ministerial posts on Monday.

The Czech president has been self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. Zeman had just been discharged from a hospital in Prague, where he spent more than six weeks fighting an unspecified illness.

The Prague Morning news website quoted the hospital as saying that the president’s health had improved significantly during his stay there. The outlet quoted doctors as saying that he had been treated for a liver condition.