With the rapid increase in coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic, travel regulations have changed. Find out where you can travel and what preparations you should make before you go. Photo credit: Freepik / For illustrative purposes.
Czech Rep., Sep 14 (BD) [updated Sep 17] – Several countries have issued new guidance against travelling to the Czech Republic following several days of consecutive increases in the number of coronavirus cases in the country. Wednesday saw 2,139 new cases, the highest number since the pandemic began.
The countries which now classify the Czech Republic as a high-risk country include China, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Ireland, Hungary, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the UK.
Hungary re-closed its borders for all international tourism as early as September 1.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in China issued a travel warning for the Czech Republic last Friday. In 2019, about 620,000 Chinese tourists visited the Czech Republic, making up about 6% of the total number of foreign tourists in Czech accommodation facilities, according to Prague Morning.
Last week, Switzerland also included the Czech Republic on their list of high-risk countries. Tourists travelling from the Czech Republic will have to quarantine for ten days starting from today. The quarantine is mandatory and cannot be substituted by a negative COVID-19 test result.
Germany and Belgium also added the Czech Republic to their red zone lists last week. According to the German travel restrictions, travellers coming from Prague must present a negative COVID-19 test not older than 48 hours. The test can be carried out in the Czech Republic but the result must be presented either in English or German. In the absence of a negative test result, the traveller must go into quarantine or undergo testing on arrival in Germany. Other parts of the Czech Republic are still on the yellow list, meaning it is recommended but not mandatory for travellers to present a negative test result.
The Danish government also reclassified the Czech Republic to orange, meaning that only those who can justify the purpose of their trip will be allowed entry into Denmark. Travel to Denmark for the purpose of work, study and delivery of goods is still permitted.
New restrictions which come into force on Friday September 18th, mean anyone entering Slovakia from the Czech Republic will need to either present a negative test or quarantine for five days. (Read more details in our previous article: “Slovakia Adds Czech Republic To List of High-Risk Countries“).
The Netherlands identified Prague as a high-risk region and implemented immediate restrictions on travel. Restrictions apply to certain travellers from Prague, refer to the embassy website before making any plans to travel.
The Ministry of Health in Cyprus has updated the epidemiological status of various countries, downgrading the Czech Republic to category “C” from Friday, September 18th.
🇨🇿🇨🇾Kypr zařadil ČR do kategorie C, což znamená, že ostrov je s platností od pátku 18. 9. uzavřen pro české turisty. Rozhodující není občanství, ale to, zda cestovatel v posledních 14 dnech pobýval v ČR nebo přes ni jen tranzitoval. Více info na → https://t.co/ijBaWZR4J9
— MZV ČR (@mzvcr) September 15, 2020
On Wednesday, 17,249 tests were performed, of which 2,139 came back positive. The number of coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic has increased dramatically compared to a week earlier. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 41,032 as of this morning. 17,619 of those cases are active, while 22,931 have recovered. 388 people are hospitalised and 482 people have died.
The situation is changing rapidly and travel restrictions are being continuously updated. As of Wednesday, September 16th, several European countries have responded to the situation in the Czech Republic by tightening travel restrictions. Referring to the embassy website of the country you intend to travel to will give you the most up-to-date information.
