Four months is a long time in coronaland. On July 1 in Prague, locals gathered on the iconic Charles Bridge to throw a farewell party for COVID-19. Now, they’re in lockdown: not only can they no longer revel on the riverside, they can’t leave their homes except to work, visit family or buy essentials.

The Czech Republic was the poster child of the first wave: a so-called "first mover" country, its government cracked down hard and early, and got the virus under control. But then, like the rest of Europe, the Czechs eased off over the northern summer – and they're counting the cost: record infection rates, overwhelmed hospitals, and a request to the European Union and NATO to send in military medics.