Increasing coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic are likely to result in Norway applying travel restrictions to the country this week.

The move was signalled on Monday by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), which published similar notifications in July before restrictions were applied to travellers from Spain and Belgium.

Norway’s health authorities designated EEA and Schengen countries as ‘green’ or ‘red’ depending on current infection rates. To remain ‘green’, the figure must be under 20 infections per 100,000 residents in total over the past two weeks.

Once a country is ‘red’, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel that is not strictly necessary to that country, and self-quarantine is required for travellers returning or arriving from it. This also means people cannot travel from ‘red’ countries to Norway for tourism.

NIPH said on Monday that it would recommend travel advisories for the Czech Republic to be changed to ‘red’ at the next update scheduled for later this week, unless any change in the situation occurs in the meantime.

The final decision on travel advice is taken by the government based on NIPH assessments.

The Czech Republic has exceeded the 20 per 100,000 resident infections threshold, resulting in the Norwegian public health authority’s forthcoming recommendation.

“New figures show that the Czech Republic is at 26.8 new Covid-19 infections per 100,000 residents for the last 14 days, and the trend is increasing. We are therefore now notifying that, unless the situation changes, NIPH will recommend that the Czech Republic become ‘red’ country and thereby encompassed by quarantine rules,” NIPH head of department Line Vold said in the statement.

Updated quarantine rules and travel advice normally comes into effect at midnight on Friday.

 

 

• If you are looking for a job in Prague, check our new job section here
• Time to move to a new flat? Rents with no commission here!
• Want to advertise your business on Prague Morning? Contact us at [email protected]

 

Wearing face-masks in public transport could once more become mandatory after summer, Prague Hygiene Service chief Zdeňka Jágrová announced.

As iDNES reports, Prague Security Council held a special meeting in the morning (July 30), connected with the deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the city.

During the discussion, Prague authorities and epidemiologists discussed new measures to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Jágrová told reporters that wearing face masks in tram and buses will become mandatory again, probably from the beginning of September.

“Wearing face masks in tram and buses will become mandatory as soon as climatic conditions allow it. The only reason this measure was canceled is that only a small part of buses and trams are air-conditioned, and wearing masks at temperatures above 25° C causes serious discomfort for many people. In the metro, the air conditioning system works everywhere, so masks remain mandatory,” Jágrová said.

“The situation will certainly be more complicated in autumn than it is today”, added Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech (ANO).

Jágrová announced that the obligatory wearing of masks, which she said had contributed to better results in the past, will be reviewed every two weeks.

The government will continue monitoring the epidemiological situation in the Czech Republic as well as abroad and introduce additional measures on borders if this proves necessary, she added.

The Czech Republic was the first country in Europe to introduce compulsory face masks, on 19 March.

 

• If you are looking for a job in Prague, check our new job section here
• Time to move to a new flat? Rents with no commission here!
• Want to advertise your business on Prague Morning? Contact us at [email protected]