Prague celebrates end of COVID-lockdown with huge dinner party!

People in the Czech capital of Prague built a 1,600-foot table and held a massive public dinner party on Tuesday, to celebrate the end of the country's coronavirus lockdown.

Thousands of guest sat at the table set up on the famous Charles Bridge in Prague on Tuesday sharing food and drinks they had brought from home.

Guests were encouraged to share with their neighbours and there was no social distancing, something people in countries under lockdown will find hard to relate to.

On the 14th-century bridge, merrymakers munched on snacks and sipped drinks they brought from home, sharing their fare with others at the table.

"Everyone had to do something to be here, bring food or a flower. The idea was for everyone to get involved," Prague cafe owner and event organiser Ondrej Kobza was quoted as saying to AFP.

There have been fewer than 12,000 infections in the Czech Republic, a country of 10 million. About 350 people have died.

The event's organiser said the celebration was possible due to a lack of tourists in the famously charming city.

One attendee, Galina Khomchenko-Krejcikova, was quoted as saying that she found the event on Facebook and "thought it was inteesting".

"I just finished a night shift so I didn't have time to prepare anything," she said. "But we brought some wine and snacks we found at home."

Last week, the Czech government permitted public gatherings of up to 1,000 people. Swimming pools, museums, zoos and castles can now open without limits on the number of visitors.

Restaurants, bars and pubs have been allowed to serve people indoors for a month now. 

All photographs: David W Cerny/Reuters