Czech Post limits opening hours. As of tomorrow, all its post offices will close down at 4 pm.
Between 10 am and 12 pm (midday), they will be open for the elderly over 65 years of age only. Post offices also cancel their weekend working hours.
At the same time, the Czech Post is asking the public to visit its offices only in the most urgent cases.
Česká pošta runs 3,200 branches, with 124 closed to Prague city center. On Tuesday, the management announced that one employee at Prague’s headquarters in Politických vězňů Street had been affected by the coronavirus.
Moreover, as of Thursday, March 19, 2020, Czech Post suspend the shipments to China, Israel, Iran, South Korea, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, and Georgia.
Today the Czech government has approved a ban on going out anywhere in public while not wearing a surgical mask or covering one’s nose and mouth with a scarf.
The measure is due to come into effect from midnight on Wednesday. There is a fine of up to 20,000 Kc for violations.
As of Wednesday at 2 pm there were 464 registered cases of Covid-19 in the Czech Republic. Three people are in a serious condition and three have recovered.
Over 1,300 tests have been conducted to date.
In order to fight the spread of a new type of coronavirus, the Czech Post will offer the state its capacities to deliver food and other vital supplies.
Operations at the post office continue to run as normal.
The company plans to outfit its offices and staff with necessary disinfectants. The current state of precautions has been described as “catastrophic” by Evžen Dvorský, the head of the postal service’s trade union, with one office in Prague apparently even lacking soap and no floor cleaning taking place.
Czech Post will not distribute additional products, such as leaflets. “Delivery works without restrictions, except for the advertising leaflets. We will distribute only the most necessary products,” said Roman Knap, CEO of Czech Post.
Czech Post has prepared a non-contact delivery method for people in quarantine. The consignments intended for the addressee’s hands will be stored in the mailbox or left at the post office where they will be able to pick them up within a month.
Approximately 9200 disinfectant sprays were distributed to the postmen who most often come into contact with the costumers.
In the following week, Czech Post will provide other 40,000 sprays to the offices.
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Czech Republic has now reached 189. Over 5,000 people have been quarantined.