PokerStars Postpones EPT Prague Due to Rising COVID-19 Cases

It was back in October when PokerStars announced the return of the European Poker Tour (EPT) to Prague. The last time that the event was held was back in 2019. A prime reason for the missing event last year was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although EPT Prague was planned to start this December, the event had to be postponed.

EPT Prague Postponed, New Date Not Confirmed Yet

PokerStars planned to launch EPT Prague on December 8. The festival was expected to run through December 19 at King’s Resort within the Hilton Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic. However, poker fans are in for some bad news as the network announced that EPT Prague was postponed. The announcement came on Friday last week.

According to PokerStars, the unfortunate decision comes after the Czech Republic implemented restrictions, related to the ongoing pandemic. Recently, positive COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the country, which is why a decision was taken to implement those restrictions.

“Following the recent government restrictions put in place in the Czech Republic we have had to make the unfortunate decision to postpone EPT Prague,”

reads a statement released by PokerStars

PokerStars said in a statement that they need to abide by the government guidance, considering the situation. Acknowledging that postponing the event is disappointing for many poker fans, the network said that health and safety for its staff and players remains a top priority. PokerStars added that it is waiting for the return of EPT Prague, “at a later date.” In conclusion, the network said that the event will return when it is safe and allowed to.

Currently, the status of the EPT Prague festival at PokerStars’ official webpage is labeled as postponed. The network vowed to share more details as well as a possible schedule soon.

COVID-19 Cases on the Rise in the Czeck Republic

It was last week when the Czech Republic announced a 30-day state of emergency, amid the growing number of COVID-19 cases. The new measures introduced a 10 PM curfew for casinos, restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues. Moreover, a limit of 1,000 people for sports and cultural events was introduced.

According to Reuters COVID-19 tracker data, in the last 7 days, there were 1,197 positive COVID-19 infections recorded per 100,000 people. On the other hand, since the start of the pandemic last year, more than 2.1 million people have been infected, while COVID-related deaths have hit 32,837.