The Czech government has agreed to extend restrictions on movement among districts beyond March 21 until further notice as the coronavirus pandemic ebbs slowly, Health Minister Jan Blatny said on Thursday.
The restrictions, introduced at the beginning of March on top of the closure of schools, shops, and most services and compulsory wearing of FFP2 masks, ban people from moving beyond district boundaries except for work commute and other serious reasons.
However, the government decided on Thursday to partially relax the pandemic measures. It will be possible to do sports anywhere in one’s district, not just in one’s municipality as at present.
People who have already been vaccinated can also now visit the hospital without undergoing a test.
The current restrictions have been in place since the beginning of March, when the government said they would be valid for three weeks.
The number of newly infected is slightly declining. The health ministry recorded 10,576 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, 6% below the level reported a week earlier.
On Monday afternoon, the government approved mandatory antigen testing in companies with 10 to 49 employees.
As for larger companies, the testing is mandatory once per week, with exemptions for employees who have been fully vaccinated or who have contracted coronavirus in the last 90 days.
The government will reimburse the cost of one test per week, which is 60 crowns, or 240 crowns per month.
Employees in micro-companies (nine employees or fewer) are not subject to mandatory testing but can apply for reimbursement of 60 crowns per week for self-testing through their health insurance companies.
