 Here are news stories, pressreports and events to watch which may affect Czech financialmarkets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT Czech Republic: GMT 2 hours ECONOMIC DATA Real-time economic data releases... Previous stories on Czech data... For a schedule of corporate and economic events: NEWSEVENTS CORONAVIRUS CASES: The Czech Republic had 7,132 confirmedcases of coronavirus infection by the end of Wednesday. So far1,989 people have recovered from the Covid-19 illness and 208people have died. GOVERNMENT: The government will discusses a possible fasteropening of shops and easing of some travel restrictions but isunlikely to allow a return to leisure travel yet. It may also decide not to seek extension of a state ofemergency beyond April 30, but various restrictions adoptedunder other legislation may stay in place. TESTING STARTS IN WIDE STUDY: Testing starts in a study of27,000 people that the authoritiies hope will help findprevalence of the virus antibodies in the population. STATE GUARANTEES: The Czech parliaments lower houseapproved on Wednesday a bill to provide state guarantees oncommercial bank loans to small and mid-sized companies hit bythe coronavirus outbreak amid criticism it is giving too littlesupport too slowly to cash-bleeding businesses. The guarantee scheme worth up to 150 billion crowns 5.92billion is designed to generate up to 500 billion crowns inlending and is a large part of the governments response to thecrisis. BUDGET GAP RAISED: The Czech parliament approved raising theplanned 2020 state budget deficit by a half to 300 billioncrowns 11.88 billion as the government aims to help aneconomy grounded by the coronavirus outbreak. BONDS IN DEMAND: Demand for Czech 5-year bonds hit anear-record at an auction on Wednesday, as appetite stayedstrong for state debt amid a borrowing frenzy to finance thegovernments response to the coronavirus outbreak. GOVERNMENT ON AID: Czech government support for businessesand workers hit by the economic fallout of the novel coronaviruswill rise to 1.19 trillion crowns 47.01 billion, financeminister Alena Schillerova said. The sum is up from earlier pledges of 1 trillion crowns. CEE MARKETS: Central European stock markets steadied onWednesday after two days of losses, helped by news of furthereconomic stimulus packages and plans for reopening businessactivity in some countries. EUROPE POWER: European prompt power prices for day-aheaddelivery soared in wholesale trade on Wednesday on a forecastslump in wind power generation and French nuclear availability. PRESS DIGEST CYBER ATTACKS: The country must be ready for morecyber-attacks in the coming weeks, Foreign Minister TomasPetricek said. He said the source of attacks has not beendetermined. Some city councils have been targetted, he said. CZECHS MAY ASK EU TO SKIP FINES FOR CAR MAKERS: PrimeMinister Andrej Babis may ask the European Commission to dropfines carmakers may face this year for not meeting targets oncarbon dioxide emissions in new cars. Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch fortheir accuracy. Prague Newsroom: 420 234 721 617 E-mail: Reporting by Prague Newsroom 