Special Measures prior to Declaration of the State of Emergency
The Government in its decision announcing the state of emergency explicitly declared that all valid and effective special measures issued by the Ministry of Healthcare shall not be affected by the state of emergency. Accordingly, all such special measures must be complied with.
List of measure as of 14 March 2020
no direct flights from regions in Italy
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Protective Measure of 2 March 2020
Takes effect on: 5 March 2020
Expires on: 18 March 2020
Summary: All air carriers operating direct flights from all airports in the territory of Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto in the Republic of Italy with passengers on board to all airports in the territory of the Czech Republic are prohibited.
no direct flights from the territory of the Republic of Korea
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Protective Measure of 2 March 2020
Takes effect on: 5 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
Summary: All air carriers operating direct flights from all airports in the territory of the Republic of Korea with passengers on board to all airports in the territory of the Czech Republic are prohibited.
Prohibition to export all personal hygiene products intended for hand disinfection
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Special Measure of 5 March 2020
Takes effect on: 6 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
Summary: All parties, save for the manufacturers, are prohibited from exporting all personal hygiene products intended for hand disinfection (as specified in the special measure) from the territory of the Czech Republic; this does not apply to a reasonable amount for personal use.
No sale of all class FFP3 personal protective equipment (respirators)
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Special Measure of 6 March 2020
Takes effect on: 6 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
Summary: All parties are prohibited from selling all marketed class FFP3 personal protective equipment to parties other than: (i) the Czech Republic and its authorities, agencies and organizational units; (ii) parties that are engaged in the distribution thereof, if they have their registered office in the Czech Republic who may only resell or transfer said personal protective equipment to the parties listed above in line with the special emergency measure.
Commentary: The Finance Ministry’s price decision No. 03/2020 dated 4 March 2020, File No. MF-6197/2020/1601-2 sets a cap on the price of class FFP3 protective equipment in the amount of CZK 175 (exclusive of VAT) per piece if the equipment is manufactured by an EU-based manufacturer and CZK 350 (exclusive of VAT) per piece if the equipment is manufactured manufacturers that have their registered office outside the EU.
Mandatory identification of individuals who return from the Republic of Italy and determination of the mandatory quarantine for these individuals
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Special Measure of 7 March 2020
Takes effect on: 7 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
Summary: All individuals with permanent or temporary (for over 90 days) residence in the Czech Republic or employed in the Czech Republic who return from their journey to Republic of Italy to the Czech Republic on and after 7 March 2020 are required to report such fact immediately upon their arrival to the Czech Republic by telephone or other remote access to their general practitioner or to another general practitioner.
All general practitioners for adults or general practitioners for children and adolescents are required to decide whether to quarantine individuals (who have permanent and temporary (90-day) residence in the Czech Republic or who are employed in the Czech Republic) who, as of 7 March 2020, return from their trip to Italy to the Czech Republic or not for 14 days. This measures do not apply to: (i) freight drivers who transit through Italy or transport, load and unload freight on the territory of Italy, (ii) drivers and crews of the health transport service who carry patients in the territory of Italy (iii) freight plane pilots who do not leave the aircraft with the exception of pre-flight or pre-flight preparation, during transit or return flights
Mandatory quarantine for all individuals who have met an individual infected by the coronavirus
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Special Measure of 8 March 2020
Takes effect on: 8 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
Summary: All general practitioners for adults or general practitioners for children and adolescents are required to decide whether to quarantine individuals who have been in contact with a patient diagnosed with coronavirus based on a laboratory test.
Ban on visiting patients in health facilities and persons in social care facilities
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Special Measure of 9 March 2020
Takes effect on: 10 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
Summary: All providers of bed care health services and all social care facilities are, pursuant to the Social Services Act, prohibited from letting visitors visit patients and residents of the facility (except as provided in the emergency measure).
Mandatory examination after returning from high-risk coronavirus areas
Underlying document: Health Ministry’s Special Measure of 10 March 2020
Takes effect on: 10 March 2020
Expires on: until further notice
All individuals who are not subject to the Health Ministry’s emergency measure of 7 March 2020 (compulsory quarantine after returning from Italy) who have resided in a country with a high risk of coronavirus disease in the last 14 days before arriving in the Czech Republic after crossing the state border of the Czech Republic are required to undergo an examination for symptoms of infectious diseases.