Coronavirus in Czechia: First Steps out of Lockdown on 12 April

The epidemiological situation in Czechia has been gradually improving. Therefore, the government has decided to no longer extend the state of emergency beyond 11 April. At the same time, we can expect some restriction relaxations from next Monday. This includes the relaxation of the limitation of movement, and the reopening of selected schools, shops, services, and businesses. What’s to open on 12 April? And what else is being relaxed?

The state of emergency ends on 11 April, which means that the limitation of movement between districts ends on 12 April. You will also be able to go out at night. Other restriction relaxations include gathering in groups of 10 inside and groups of 20 outside. EDIT: The Ministry of Health took back the relaxation of the gathering restriction on 10 April – the number of people who can meet inside or outside remains 2.

Some schools and classrooms will be reopening on 12 April.

Some schools and classrooms will be reopening on 12 April.

What’s to reopen?

Shops

On 12 April, selected shops will once again open to the public, including children’s clothes and children’s footwear shops, and stationeries.

Markets

It has also been announced that farmer’s markets will be allowed to take place.

Other businesses and services

Other services you can expect to open on 12 April include laundry services and dry-cleaning services, and shops selling spare car parts, and locksmiths.

APPLY FOR YOUR RESIDENCE PERMIT NOW

Zoos and botanical gardens

12 April will also see the reopening of the exteriors of zoos and botanical gardens with some limitations (20% capacity maximum).

Get our Survival guide for expats

Fill in your email address and get a series of useful tips during upcoming month.

What about schools?

The government has decided that the first phase of school reopening will also commence on 12 April. Specifically, 12 April will mark the reopening of:

  • Kindergarteners in their pre-school year
  • Grades 1–5 of primary schools (hybrid classes, rotating between homeschooling and at-school education)
  • Smaller schools (up to 75 pupils) will reopen in full (no hybrid classes) 
  • Classes in language schools and art schools can take place, but only 1 on 1
  • People will also be allowed to take their final driving exams in driving schools

All pupils will be tested every Monday and Thursday, using non-invasive nasal tests from the front part of the nose. Grades 6 and up, high schools, and universities will not be reopening for now. Some schools (including lower grades) may not open at all for now due to local epidemiological situations.

Prognosis

According to the Minister of the Interior, Jan Hamáček, if the situation keeps evolving well, the end of April could potentially see the reopening of other services, businesses, and beer gardens.

The government will also announce on 12 April what the next plan of action will be for schools. More schools and classrooms could potentially reopen on 19 April.

APPLY FOR YOUR RESIDENCE PERMIT NOW

Are you an expat in the Czech Republic with no residence permit? We are happy to help you obtain one!

Anxious to keep yourself informed about the current situation in Czechia? Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where we share all of the latest tips and news for expats in Czechia in English. You should also keep an eye on our blog in the upcoming days so you don’t miss any announcements of further restriction relaxations

Article sources: ct24, Dominik Feri’s instagram, insidescoop.cz
Photo source: pixabay.com

Tereza Walsbergerová

Hello! I'm Tereza and I'm a wordsmith and literature nerd from Brno. Although I was born and raised in the Czech Republic, I know all too well from my time living in Texas what it's like to be a "stranger in a strange land." I am excited to share all kinds of information with y'all!

16 thoughts on “Coronavirus in Czechia: First Steps out of Lockdown on 12 April

  1. Thank you for the articol. Just one think to add, the kindergarten will not open, only the preschools, who are going at school in septembrie will start now.

    1. Hi Jesseca,
      You can find detailed info about entering Czechia as a foreign national at https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/docDetail.aspx?docid=22239932&doctype=ART. Specifically also in this document: https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/file/protective-measure-of-the-ministry-of-healthcare-against-sars-cov-2.aspx.

      It all depends on which country you’re coming from. The MOI website has a detailed spreadsheet on this. Hope you can find your answer!

      Best,
      Tereza

  2. Hi Tereza,
    Hope you are staying safe and well.
    I just came across a YouTube that, if you read between the lines, seems to indicate a prevailing mindset among too many global governments. Not pointing the finger here, obviously, this YouTube is specifically about the US government but in reality parallels some other global governments. Again, not pointing fingers here, that exercise is an individual exercise per an individual’s personal experience with their respective authorities.

    Take care and stay safe,
    Dwight

  3. Hi Tereza,

    oops, forgot the YouTube link:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdRC5-O-aHM

    Dwight
    p.s. this brings to mind that this blog should give commenters the ability to edit their comment when they see a mistake has been made.
    Being able to edit a commenter’s own post is sometimes quite necessary!

    1. Hi Dwight!
      Thank you, I’m doing well. Hope you are too. Lovely to hear from you! As always, thank you for keeping us informed about the situation in the U.S.
      As for the comment-editing, I’m not sure why it’s not allowed. I can ask.

      Best,
      Tereza

  4. Hi Tereza,

    I have had recent Skype contact with a friend of mine from England. the conversation went something like this: (We were talking about all the hassles associated with the pandemic)
    ME:
    Talk about not worth the hassle, how about this: https://brnodaily.com/2021/04/09/news/new-version-of-pes-system-to-require-negative-covid-test-for-many-activities/
    The new PES system is likely to require a negative COVID-19 test to enter restaurants and hotels, and also to attend cultural and sporting events. It is likely that self-testing will probably not be sufficient, and only tests from accredited laboratories will be valid. Antigen tests presented to enter restaurants, hotels and other premises should be no older than three days, and PCR tests no older than five days.
    I suspect many people will not be going to restaurants if this becomes required.
    Him:
    True. It’s a load of crap. Same as the UK travel requirements. 3 tests required for a 1-way flight at a cost of £300 ($400) when a flight costs £25.
    The following is my last Skype entry:
    Maybe I am off base with this but I think if the global governments want thriving economies in their respective countries then they all should foot the bill for testing that they themselves have instituted as required for using any and all services. If the governing authorities want to pass on this cost as a tax that is shared across the global population then so be it. At least everyone shares this burden whether they use the service or not. Not a whole lot different than current taxation as not all the populace uses all the services for which they pay taxes to support.

    1. Thanks for bringing this up, Dwight! We will most likely do an article on the new PES system once it’s released officially.
      When it comes to testing, it is inconvenient that home-testing won’t be allowed, but at the same time it’s going to stop some people from faking the results. We’ll have to see what the exact conditions will be (like if you can show them a text message from the lab or if you need a paper certificate).

      Take care,
      Tereza

  5. Hi Tereza,
    Got a question, that perhaps you would know an answer to. My friends have dual citizenship both Czech and US. They generally spend half their time in Hawaii and the other half of the year in ČR, that is until Covid. Now they are in Hawaii and need to come to ČR, to deal ith issues here and take care of their family members. A 72hr PCR test will be outdated, by the time they arrive in Prague. Does anyone know how this PCR requirement is handled for long-haul flights?
    Much obliged for any feedback.
    VBR,Pat

    1. Hi Pat! I consulted your question with our immigration specialists as they have to solve these issues with our clients all the time, and this is what they said:

      -Technically, the test shouldn’t be older than 72 hours before they begin their travel (that’s what we have been told by the Ministry of the Interior) – that being said, it’s a tricky situation, because if they stop over in other countries, they might have some other rules. So personally, I’d make sure the test is still valid upon touching down.
      -There’s not much to be done aside from arranging their plane travel in such a way that they get tested on transit (for example if they are switching planes in the US, they could get tested again at the layover airport)
      -This can be tricky, however, because with a PCR test, you sometimes have to wait a long time for the result (although I will say that the labs have gotten much faster lately, so if they get tested in the US, they should have their result by the time they touch down in Prague)
      -One of our immigration specialists said that the best way to make sure they’ll be allowed to make this journey smoothly is to call all of the airlines they’re using for the trip and discuss it with them – especially the last one that they’ll use to land in Czechia (she said that Lufthansa for example told her that during transit it’s ok that her PCR test expired – but different companies might have different views on this)
      -You should also tell your friends that all passengers travelling to the Czech Republic from the countries that are not on the list of the countries with a low risk of COVID-19 contagion (so, USA as well), have to fill the Public Health Passenger Locator Form before their departure. Online form is available on the website http://www.prijezdovyformular.cz
      -you can find some additional info here: https://www.prg.aero/en/protective-measures#covid-test

      Hope this helps a little!

      Take care and all the best,
      Tereza

  6. Hi Tereza,
    Much obliged to you and your colleagues for your kind advice. I have forwarded the info to my friends and trust it will be of use for their travel plans. I really appreciate your work and knowhow as I got nowhere with the Czech Ministries when enquiring on this subject.
    Very best regards,
    Pat

    1. It’s our pleasure, Pat! Fingers crossed your friends make it to Czechia ok!

      Best,
      Tereza

  7. Hi Tereza, this is Pat one more time, with one more question, this time not regardng Covid travel. Like my friends from Hawaii, I am a dual citizen (US/ČR), living in Prague.
    My family emigrated to the US in 1982 and returned back to the Czech Rep. in 2002.

    I wanted to ask you about the Ecomonic Impact Payments that US citizens are currently receiving. My sister and I have received EIP checks from the US treasury. As far as I am aware there are only 2 Czech banks still willing to entertain US checks in the Czech Rep.
    I enquired regarding direct deposit with my tax lady in the US and she said that the US requires a bank RTN number for direct deposit, the Czech banks are clueless regaring this RTN. Hence, I needed to open a separate bank account in ČSOB in order to deposit the check, now checks and now have to pray that they do not cancel this service before all the EIPs go thru. It will be yet another bank we will need to report in the FBAR.

    I am wondering if perhaps you or your colleagues have not encountered this issue before and may have some advice for us.
    Many thanks for your feedback.
    VBR, Pat

    1. Hi Pat!
      I’m afraid this question is a bit too difficult for me and it would take too much time to ask our specialists when I don’t even understand it. Can you copy this comment into an email and send it to info@foreigners.cz? That way our experts can help you directly.

      From my own experience, I can tell you that cashing a US check in Czechia is a pain. I lived in Texas for a year and when I came back, I got a check in the mail with extra money from my accommodation balance. What I did was I deposited it on my American account (Wells Fargo) using my phone app (you basically just take a photo of the check) and then sent the money to my Czech bank account from my American bank account using transferwise.com. Is there any way you could do something similar?

      Best of luck with this situation!

      Tereza

Leave a Reply to Pat Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *