The Government officially decided to extend the restriction of free movement of persons at least until April 1st alongside with all other previously declared regulations and instructions including, for example, the closure of schools and the majority of shops, mandatory face covering, and also changed the reserved shopping hours for seniors about 65 years of age. Elder people can now shop from 8 am to 10 am and the regulation is applied to all shops selling food and drugstore products which exceed 500 m2.
Additionally, the government decided to increase state budget deficit to 200 billion of Czech crowns in order to fund necessary support for business, self-employed persons, and fight the disease. At the same time the model of kurzarbeit was introduced, which helps companies affected by the coronavirus epidemic. The government will, among other financial aid, cover 50-80% of employees’ salary depending on the reason for limitation of production and services, for example, in the situation when the company has to stop its production because at least 30% of employees are in a quarantine, have to stay at home with children, or in other cases such as shortage of material and the decrease for demand.
There are also new regulations for pendlers, meaning people regularly crossing the borderline for work abroad, who had an exception from the restriction of movement until recently. From March 23rd evening all people who still want to work abroad have to either stay in destination countries or come back and stay in a compulsory quarantine for 14 days.