Anti-vax singer Hana Horka dies after deliberately catching Covid to get health pass

Czech folk artist Hana Horka (57), who sings for the band Asonance, died on Sunday after deliberately catching the virus in order to obtain a health pass that would allow her to visit a sauna.

The Czech Republic current requires proof of vaccination or a recent recovery from Covid-19 within 6 months to enter restaurants, hotels, gyms, sporting and cultural events, and hairdressers.

Hana’s son Jan Rek confirmed that she contracted the Delta variant after he and his father, who are both vaccinated, caught Covid before Christmas.

“She should have isolated for a week because we tested positive. But she was with us the whole time. She decided to continue to live normally with us and preferred to catch the disease than to get vaccinated,” he told iRozhlas.cz public radio.

On Sunday, Ms Horka decided to get dressed and go for walk but her back started to hurt so she lay down in bed.

“In about 10 minutes it was all over,” Jan Rek said. “She choked to death.”

Although she was not vaccinated, Jan Rek stressed that his mother did not believe in bizarre conspiracy theories about Covid vaccines.

“Her philosophy was that she was more OK with the idea of catching Covid than getting vaccinated. Not that we would get microchipped or anything like that,” he said.

Two days before her death, Hana told her followers on social media that she was recovering from the virus.

She said: “I survived, it was intense. So now there will be the theatre, sauna, a concert... and an urgent trip to the sea.”