The Czech Senate approved a proposal to pay CZK 370 a day to those who are ordered to quarantine. The payments are designed to motivate people to stay in quarantine after coming into contact with those infected with COVID-19. The government contribution will be paid for the first 14 calendar days of the period of quarantine. Photo Credit: Freepik / Illustrative Photo.
Czech Rep, March 5 (BD) – Yesterday, the Czech Senate approved a proposal to pay CZK 370 a day to those who are ordered to quarantine. This payment is designed as a sickness allowance, to motivate people to stay in quarantine after coming into contact with those infected with COVID-19, and is valid until the end of April. The decision was approved unanimously by all Senators present. The allowance should encourage people to report their contacts, protecting themselves and others, as well as preventing a reduction in income. The contribution will be paid directly to employees by their employer, who will then subtract the costs from social security contributions. The bonus will not be subject to income tax and will not be included as income for the calculation of social benefits. It will apply not only to quarantine related to COVID-19, but also to other infectious diseases.
The government will fund the contribution for the first 14 calendar days of the period of quarantine, and covers anyone with health insurance working on contract, while those returning from abroad and entering quarantine for five days will be excluded, unless they were travelling for business purposes. This point was the subject of debate in the Senate, as some Senators argued that those travelling to visit family should also be included in the scheme. They argued that this would also help people who become infected soon after returning to the Czech Republic. The Senators called for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to amend the proposal with better wording. The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Jana Maláčová (CSSD), disagreed, saying: “We do not forbid travel, but we say that when travelling, there will be no entitlement to a contribution from state funds.”
