Following on from Tuesday’s restrictions on large gatherings and certain types of public businesses, the Czech government has today extended the measures to cover all non-essential shops and services, including pubs, bars and restaurants. The so-called “social distancing” measures were taken on the basis of advice from public health authorities, and are supported by the World Health Organisation and most epidemiologists. Photo: CG / Brno Daily.
Brno / Czech Rep., Mar 14 (BD) – The new rules, which came into force at 6am this morning and will last for 10 days, will apply to all pubs and restaurants, and all non-essential shops and services. However, the government made several exceptions for services deemed to be essential, including:
- Food shops, including supermarkets and grocery stores
- Shops selling computer and telecommunications equipment, audio and video receivers, consumer electronics, and electrical household appliances
- Petrol stations (and other fuels)
- Drugstores (selling hygiene products and cosmetics)
- Pharmacies
- Pet shops and stores selling animal supplies
- Shops selling glasses and contact lenses
- Newsagents and tobacco shops
- Laundry and dry cleaning services
- Shops and services which make most of their sales via internet or over the phone
The new measures apply in particular to catering facilities (restaurants, pubs, bars etc.) From today all such places will be closed. However, there are also some exceptions to these rules:
- Catering facilities that are restricted, and not open to the general public, may remain open. This includes staff canteens, hospital canteens, and catering facilities in prison.
- The prohibition does not apply to off-premises sales, such as “hungry windows”, fast-food outlets with a pick-up window, or takeaway services which deliver food without coming into contact with the customer. These can continue operation without restrictions, including time restrictions.
The new rules will also shut casinos and gambling facilities indefinitely.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health, there are currently 150 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Czech Republic, from 3,094 tests. The first positive case was recorded on March 1st. Almost 7,000 people are in quarantine.
The list of previous measures was published in our previous articles: State of Emergency: How Will It Affect You? and Czech Government Closes Borders and Makes The Intentional Spread Of Covid-19 a Criminal Offence.
