coronavirus czech republic Archives – Page 6 of 8

The Czech Republic will move forward plans to ease its coronavirus lockdown by two weeks to get most businesses and restaurants operating again by May 25.

Industry Minister Karel Havlicek said on Thursday the slowing of new infections since the Easter holiday weekend this month had been good enough for the government to move faster.

“We evaluated Easter, the results are very promising,” Havlicek told a televised news briefing. “There will be 14-day intervals (in the re-opening), at the moment (the schedule) roughly copies what is done in Germany or Austria.”

From Monday, the government will allow shops with floor space of up to 2,500 square metres to re-open, along with fitness centres, libraries, small church services and outdoor zoo exhibits.

“Establishments up to 2,500 m2 and with their own entrance can reopen from Monday, April 27, as well as driving schools, gyms and fitness centers, libraries, zoos and botanical gardens without indoor pavilions,” said Havlíček.

Shopping centres, larger shops, hair and beauty salons, restaurants and cafes with a dispensing window, barbershop, massages, galleries, and exteriors areas of castles and chateaux are slated to open again from May 11 under the adjusted plan, which then sees restaurants, hotels, theatres and most other services open by May 25.

The government did not announce any plans to lift compulsory wearing of face masks in public and said it would decide on allowing public gatherings later.

On Thursday, the cabinet was scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting to extend the state of emergency, but it was suspended due to a Prague court decision that canceled some measures by the Ministry of Health.

These are mainly related to the closure of shops and restriction of movement.

April 27
– Stores up to 2,500 square meters (except those in shopping centers)
– Driving schools
– Gyms and fitness centres but the showers and dressing rooms within them will be off-limits.

May 11
– Restaurants, bars, and cafes, with service from windows or in gardens.
– Hairdressers
– Beauty salons
– Tanning salons
– Museums, galleries, exhibition halls
– Zoological gardens (outdoor parts only)

May 25
– Shopping center
– Restaurants, cafes, and bars
– Hotels, hostels, (including their restaurants)
– Theaters
– Castles and palaces
– Bookstores
– Cinemas and theaters
– It will be possible to hold events for up to 50 people
– Tattoo and piercing salons

A Prague court has canceled some restrictive measures approved by the Czech government to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Prague’s Municipal Court has ruled that the government’s restrictions limiting movement and shutting down retail businesses are illegal. Thursday’s verdict is final.

The court ruled after a complaint by medical expert Ondrej Dostal, who questioned the legality of those measures.

The restrictions were imposed by the Health Ministry. The court said the government should have approved the restrictions as part of its crisis measures under the state of emergency rules.

It said a single ministry cannot have such right.

Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said the government will try to comply with the ruling while maintaining restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the new coronavirus.

The government has until Monday to adopt the measures again and in line with law.

Václav Havel Prague Airport remains open for all arrivals and departures. Thanks to this fact, a total of 44 special cargo flights with medical supplies were able to land there since 20 March 2020 when the first aircraft with medical supplies on board landed in Prague.

More than 1,200 tons of medical aid in total has already reached the Czech Republic. The total volume of cargo handled at Prague Airport, including regular cargo routes, has increased by 26.5% year-on-year during this period.

Since 18 March 2020, Prague Airport has also handled a total of 33 arrivals and departures of repatriation flights with passengers on board. More than 3,600 passengers, mostly Czech citizens returning home to their families and loved ones from abroad, have arrived in the Czech Republic aboard those flights.

Moreover, approximately 900 foreign nationals have been able to travel back home from the Czech Republic this way.

“Since the second half of March, important medical supplies have been brought to the Czech Republic via Václav Havel Airport Prague almost daily, confirming the strategic importance of our airport within the transport infrastructure of the country. The flights with medical supplies on board are primarily handled by employees of Prague Airport and its subsidiaries, alongside other handling companies and additional partner organizations, such as the Czech Fire Rescue Service, the Czech Police, the Army of the Czech Republic and the Administration of the State Material Reserves,” Vaclav Rehor, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors, said.

For several months, due to the spread of COVID-19, stringent sanitary measures have been applied to both passengers and airport staff who continue to perform their irreplaceable roles in the airport with limited traffic.

The measures have gradually been introduced since the end of January. For example, in places where queues usually form, stickers are placed advising people to keep a safe distance. Check-in counters and information desks continue to use protective screens, which form an effective barrier between the passenger and the employee.

Every passenger on arrival receives a face mask if they are lacking one, together with an information leaflet on mandatory procedures upon arrival from abroad to the Czech Republic. The arrival gates and other passenger check-in areas are regularly disinfected thoroughly.

“Prague Airport has managed to secure a sufficient amount of protective gear and disinfectant on time. Thus, every employee has access to respirators, face masks, gloves and other protective equipment. There are also more than 250 hand sanitizers located throughout the airport. Employees are consistently and regularly trained in the prevention, as well as their family members, for whom we have created and distributed family-friendly leaflets on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19,” Vaclav Rehor stated.

However, regular traffic at Václav Havel Airport Prague continues to decline. Last March, the airport handled approximately 6,015 arrivals and departures, which is a year-on-year decrease of 47.3%.

Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) is under police protection. The exact reason for this measure was not given by the municipality.

The Mayor’s spokesperson Martina Vacková informed the Czech media this afternoon. In the second half of March, police detained a man who threatened Hřib because of anti-coronavirus measures.

“The reasons and specific protection methods cannot be commented, following the decision of the police. For security reasons, the Mayor is currently unable to use public transport,” said Vacková.

Hřib recently filed a criminal complaint against an unknown offender. “Someone was following and watching outside his house,” added Vacková. It is not clear whether the current police protection and the case are related.

Hřib is married and has three children.

On March 19, Prague police detained a man who had threatened the Mayor over the phone due to the measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The man was charged with extortion.

Zdeněk Hřib is a member of the Czech Pirate party and was inaugurated as mayor of Prague in November 2018.

Born in a family of architects on 21 May 1981, he decides to go for a medical career, and after completing his studies at the Medical Faculty in Prague, devotes himself to scientific research on the quality and efficiency of public services.

He is the author of a number of articles in both domestic and foreign media.

He is a member of several working groups on IT and quality of service at ministerial level, the World Health Organization, and the European Union. He is also a Director of the Society of Applied Research, Education, and Management in Health and occasionally lectures students inside and outside the faculty.

Since the beginning of April, Czechs are spending on average CZK 360,000 on beer and food vouchers every day to be consumed “in better times”.

Following the success of Zachraň pivo! (Save the Beer!) website, the new Zachraň svou hospodu! (Save Your Pub!) site enables concerned drinkers to buy vouchers for use when cash-strapped Czech pubs re-open.

The initiative partners include a dozen of the Czech Republic’s biggest breweries, alcohol, and soft drinks producers. Among them is Plzeňský Prazdroj, the makers of Pilsner Urquell.

“The brewers who work in the pubs all their lives are inherently connected with the pub. We need to support each other,” says Plzeňský Prazdroj’s chief brewmaster emeritus Václav Berka, who has personally bought several vouchers.

Berka called on his colleagues in the industry to support their pubs as well. “I was pleasantly surprised by the interest in this initiative, but on the other hand, I was surprised at how many pubs are not involved, yet. I don’t want to use any strong words, but beer is our destiny. Our lives have been associated with it for decades.”

“More than 90 percent of establishments are now closed. Czech pubs are part of our culture, an important part of communities. They are in fact a social network,” said Budvar’s brewmaster, Aleš Dvořák.

The “Save your pub!” project was launched by the Czech Association of Breweries and Malthouses, and so far about 2,500 pubs have registered, more than an eighth of the total establishments in the country.

The Save the Pub! website lets customers select establishments by region, district or neighborhood. As of Tuesday morning, almost 4,000 people had bought vouchers through the system – for anywhere from 100 crowns (good for two, maybe three pints) to 1,000 crowns (enough to have a proper night out for two).

Martina Ferencová, head of the Czech Beer and Malt Association, considers the Save Your Pub! the initiative really successful.

“Customers already spent 7 million CZK on vouchers. It’s a big success considering we started this project at the beginning of April,” she says to iRozhlas.

Approximately 50,000 pubs in the Czech Republic were forced to close as a result of government measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.

Airbnb is working with hosts from across the Czech Republic to provide first responders, doctors and emergency responders in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with secure accommodation while they carry out their vital work.

Through this global initiative, hosts have already offered up nearly 200,000 places to stay in over 160 countries and regions. Frontline staff can book eligible and available stays in their area.

Airbnb will waive all fees on the first 100,000 stays booked through this program.

“In tough times like these, it is our priority to stand with the Airbnb community to do what we can to help so that frontline medical staff can carry out their vital work in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well and as safely as possible. Hosts on Airbnb are ensuring that frontline workers can find free, affordable and convenient places to stay. We would like to thank all frontline workers throughout the Czech Republic and the many hosts who are already offering them a place to stay,” said Kathrin Anselm, General Manager DACH, CEE & RUS at Airbnb.

In the UK, Airbnb is working closely with hosts to provide National Health Service (NHS) staff and other frontline workers combating the COVID-19 pandemic with accommodation close to newly built emergency hospitals.

In Italy, Airbnb is helping hosts to provide free accommodation for emergency responders who need to move to one of the crisis centres in northern Italy. This way, hosts are helping to protect frontline workers and their families by accommodating them on-site to reduce the risk of infection of others.

In France, hosts have already accommodated 1,000 medical professionals for free in the last two weeks. In partnership with the French government, hosts all over France have offered over 8,000 free places to stay throughout France since the launch of the program three weeks ago.

Frontline staff can request an accommodation under the program directly through the Airbnb Frontline stays platform where they can book eligible and available stays.

Frontline staff can select accommodation based on their needs, e.g. in terms of location. Once a responder has booked, Airbnb will review the professional information to confirm the booking.

To participate, hosts can offer entire homes free of charge or at a reasonable price.

The respective listings will be available exclusively for use by medical staff within the framework of the program.

You’re a host and want to offer your listing? Read more here

You’re a Frontline worker looking for accommodation? Read more here

You’re a representative of an organization or hospital and are looking to provide housing for your employees?Read more here

Czech PM Andrej Babiš sees no reason to extend the State of Emergency, which expires on April 30.

The government will discuss it further on Thursday. According to Babiš, the whole ANO party will vote unanimously against the extension.

However, ČSSD chairman and the head of the country’s Central Crisis Staff, has repeatedly stated that an “extension of the State of Emergency would be necessary.”

“If the Prime Minister does not want to extend the State of Emergency, then it makes no sense to ask the government. I will order the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare the documents to stop the centralized distribution of protective equipment by April 30,” wrote Hamáček on Twitter.

“>Můj dopis panu premiérovi, v němž vysvětluji důvody pro pokračování nouzového stavu: pic.twitter.com/jCNvzj1Fkl

— Jan Hamáček (@jhamacek) April 21, 2020

Hamáček warned that it would no longer be possible, for instance, to purchase protective equipment centrally or to control the regime at the country’s borders.

Minister of Labor Jana Maláčová (ČSSD) is also skeptical about the consequences of the end of the State of Emergency on April 30. “If this happens, I want to know how to protect the elderly after the emergency, how we will help Czech companies, families and individuals to overcome this crisis. The emergency can be “canceled”, but it will not eliminate the real need of people,” she said to Novinky.cz

In the morning, the members of TOP 09 confirmed that they would not support further emergency extension.

The termination of the State of Emergency mode does not mean the automatic cancellation of restrictive measures.

The main point is that the Czech government will no longer be able to quickly and easily introduce new restrictions and adopt laws in a simplified manner.

The state of emergency was declared by the government effective 12 March 14:00 and was due to expire on Saturday 11 April; the government requested deputies to extend it until the end of the month.

As all schools, kindergartens and other school facilities (such as forest kindergartens, children’s groups, etc.) have been closed in the Czech Republic, government measures have been extended to self-employed persons who are forced to stay with their children at home. Šárka Pelikánová, owner of the accountancy and tax office of Connect Economic Group s.r.o.

Who is eligible for the nursing allowance?

Self-employed persons have never been entitled to a nursing allowance. Now all entrepreneurs who undertake self-employment as their main activity and who are not employed anywhere have the possibility to apply for a nursing allowance. However, self-employed persons who undertake self-employment as their secondary activity due to disability pension, maternity leave, etc., and the reason for their secondary activity is not related to employment, are also entitled to apply. If at the same time, the entrepreneur, whether for the main or secondary activity, has a signed contract on the performance of the office of the company executive, this person is not entitled to receive the nursing care allowance.

Other conditions for receiving the nursing allowance

It should be taken into account that self-employed persons must be registered for income tax at the tax office. At the same time, it must not have any debts and arrears to state institutions and providers of support from projects co-financed from the EU budget. The last condition is that the applicant for the nursing allowance must meet the definition of an SME

How old must my child be in order to receive the nursing allowance?

Normally, the nursing allowance is paid only to parents whose children are under 10 years of age. Now, given the current situation, you can also receive a nursing allowance for children under 13 years of age.

How many people can receive nursing allowance per child?

Only one parent or a person who lives in the same household with the child can receive the nursing allowance. It can also be a grandmother or grandfather of a child. The condition is that no one else is receiving any other child care benefits.

What do I need to get a nursing allowance?

The applicant will need to complete a simple form in the Czech language for the application for a subsidy. Use this link

In addition, the self-employed person has to submit another application and affidavit Confirmation of the closure of school or children’s facility (school) or facility providing social services – original or simple copy (scan, photo)

Where to apply for a nursing allowance for a self-employed person?

Therefore, if you meet all the conditions and want to apply for a nursing allowance, go to your trade licensing office and file an application together with the affidavit that is part of the application. You can also do so via e-mail with your electronic signature or your data box. The Trade Licensing Office will forward your application to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and will reimburse you after the nursing allowance has been approved.

How much is the amount of the nursing allowance?

For each day you are entitled to the nursing allowance, you will receive 424Kč. This amount is tax-exempt and you do not have to pay social and health insurance from it.

When will I receive my nursing allowance?

The nursing allowance is always paid retroactively. You now have the option of applying for nursing allowance for the days when you had to be at home with your children during the month of March. However, if you are at home with your child only since April, you will not be able to apply for this allowance until May. At this moment, you have the option to claim a post only for the month of March.

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The Czech cabinet on Monday approved an amendment to increase the state budget deficit to 300 billion CZK (11.92 billion U.S. dollars), the Ministry of Finance said in a press release.

It’s the second time the Czech government plans to readjust its state budget this year. In March, President Milos Zeman signed into law a budget expansion up to 200 billion CZK (7.95 billion U.S. dollars).

“The crisis situation persists and there is a further fall in income, which is why this amendment is absolutely necessary to save our economy. We have come up with a number of measures to help both employees, entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Finance Minister Alena Schillerova.

The latest amendment to the Act on the State of Budget for 2020 is based on the updated macroeconomic forecast published by the Ministry of Finance, the ministry said.

The newly proposed budget will contain a total of 1.4282 trillion CZK (56.76 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue and 1.7282 trillion in spending (68.68 billion U.S. dollars), leaving a state budget deficit of 300 billion.

The state now predicts further losses of tax revenue and plans to increase benefits and provide debt relief, the ministry said.

Festka realized an impactful video appeal for cyclists to respect the Coronavirus restrictions

The recent warm and sunny weather lures cyclists out and the breaking curves representing the numbers of infected in the Czech Republic and several other countries breed optimism. The temptation to take off face-masks and organize a group ride gets stronger every day.

Festka, the Prague based manufacturer of top-end bicycle frames, decided to contribute to the debate about the easing of restrictions and the personal responsibility of the individual.

The company asked a team of its long term collaborators in the area of film and photography to make a short video in which it wants to appeal to cyclists to keep on respecting the restrictions, ride alone and not gather in popular spots.

“Noticing the growing number of groups of cyclists, runners, and walkers, I was disappointed to see people flaunt the rules on social distancing. I approached our filmmaking friends and we made a video which appeals to cyclists to respect the restrictions in order for us all to be able to ride together again soon,” says Michael Moureček, the Festka co-founder and a former pro cyclist, adding:

“As lovers of cycling we completely understand the temptation but we also realize how much is at stake and so we thought we should ask our community to hold out and behave responsibly.”

The principal creators of the video – the director Jan Krofta, DOP Jiří Švorc and Michael Moureček in the role of the lonesome rider – used to the full the unique opportunity provided by the current situation. Locations normally teeming with hundreds, even thousands of tourists and Prague dwellers are shown completely deserted except for the solitary cyclist.

The visual impact of these images is strong and it carries a huge significance. The current restrictions were observed during the shoot which took place in the early mornings of the first April weekend.

The other main contributors were the editor Petr Mrkous, the sound-engineer Mishan Pajdiak. The picture post-production was done by PFX and the video was produced by Unit/Sofa.

About Festka

Festka has been making top-quality custom bicycles in Prague since 2010. It counts many interesting people among its clients – Hollywood celebrities, people from big business, as well as those who discovered cycling later in life as their preferred form or exercise and want (and can afford) to ride an exceptional bike.

Festka is renowned for its cooperation with top-notch institutions such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Czech Technical University.

The firm was founded by the former pro cyclist Michael Moureček and his entrepreneurial friend Ondřej Novotný. From the very beginning, the creative side of things has been the work of Tomáš Hnida.

Up to 90% of the company’s production is exported, with 80% of the exports heading outside the EU to Asia (China, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines), USA and Australia.

The world is under no illusion that air travel could look a whole lot different in the coming months post-COVID-19. But just how different will it get?

Middle plane seats empty

The chief executive of easyJet said when flying restarts after the coronavirus crisis recedes planes are likely to operate with the middle seat empty due to social distancing regulations.

“I’m talking about this as an initial phase. Nobody knows for how long that phase will be,” said EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren.

Commenting on how social distancing on its planes would work, Mr. Lundgren said passengers would sit next to the window or the aisle in a three-seat configuration.

As Reuters reports, the low-cost Hungarian airline Wizz Air has made plans to fly jets only two-thirds full to allow more space between passengers (the airline is also looking into protective gear for passengers, so masks may become the in-flight norm).

Blood tests

Yesterday, we reported that Emirates had changed its health screening process to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The Middle Eastern airline has begun taking blood tests before passengers board aircraft to ensure that they are COVID-free. The airline is the only one in the world to be carrying out this procedure, but others may be tempted. Will this be a new norm?

As far as thinking about pre-flight blood tests go, it all sounds a bit extreme. However, the process is relatively simple. It’s also a relatively quick way to ascertain whether or not a passenger is infectious. For these reasons, pre-flight blood tests look attractive to airlines, and they do a lot to reassure passengers.

The CoronaPass

Another idea floated is that of an immunity passport. These documents would certify that the holder has been infected with coronavirus and has overcome it, having now developed the relevant antibodies to make them immune. It’s an interesting concept that does have legs, but how would airlines use it?

As a long-term strategy for regular service, it’s unclear how the immunity passport would work. However, the certificate, also dubbed the ‘CoronaPass,’ would allow those who have overcome COVID-19 to be some of the first to travel. In the not-too-distant future, therefore, the immunity passport could grant the passage of travel for some citizens.

Will boarding change?

Airlines like GoAir have been asking their passengers to board according to rows. It means that passengers are entering the plane from the back and are seated one row at a time from the front. This practice does require a little bit of effort. However, it’s similar enough to standard boarding practices.

Typically, airlines segregate passengers for boarding, but just not to this extent. If airlines still see the value in practicing social distancing, then seating passengers by rows is an easy enough procedure to perform. As a result, we could see our pattern of boarding change in the future.

The smart quarantine project will be extended to the whole country from Monday.

The project involves tracing past contacts of people who test positive for the virus five days back by creating “maps of their movements” with the help of banks and mobile phone operators.

The solution offered by the Covid19cz group of computer experts. “It generates a memory map showing… for instance that a man spent half an hour at the corner of two streets,” sais Covid19cz spokeswoman Irena Zatloukalova.

“The public health officer can ask if the person visited or met someone to identify other people who may be infected. People won´t have to merely rely on their memory when they recall what they were doing over the last two weeks.”

All those who they came into contact with are tested and quarantined until cleared. The plan is being implemented with the help of the army in order to speed up testing.

The smart quarantine will contribute to the acceleration of activities ensuring population testing and identify new coronavirus cases.

Those who test positive will then describe who they met and where to the Regional Hygiene Authority, and a map will be drawn from this information.

Within three days, everyone who was in contact with the infected person will be contacted. “They will be ordered into a short-term quarantine and the army will arrive within a few hours,” explained Prymula.

“During the first stage of the fight against Coronavirus, across-the-board measures were adopted to stop the virus from spreading unchecked. Fortunately, we did this quickly. It looks as though we have high a chance of levelling out the growth and the curve. We have now moved on to the second stage, which entails replacing the across-the-board measures with the smart-quarantine concept that has been used with success in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and other countries,” said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš noted.

On the orders of the government, all data must be permanently deleted after the research has been completed, according to Ondřej Tomáš, one of the system developers. Only epidemiologists will be allowed to access the data.

Middle plane seats empty

Blood tests

The CoronaPass

Will boarding change?

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