Member Article

The set of several emergency measures of the Ministry of Health dated 23 March 2020 banned the retail sale of goods and services. It also banned the public presence at selected premises or selected times, prohibited the operation of certain premises, prohibited the free movement of persons or restricted the activities of public authorities and administrative bodies.

On 26 March 2020 the Ministry of Health amended these measures. Below we set forth the updated list of these prohibitions and the respective exceptions thereto. The situation has now improved for car washes, locksmiths, machinery servicing, household equipment and funeral services. Sale and provision of accommodation services to persons for the purpose of pursuing a profession, business or other similar activity is now also possible.

An emergency measure of the Ministry of Health dated 26 March 2020 with effect from 27 March 2020 from 6:00 am to 1 April 2020 6:00 am:

Prohibits retail and sale of services in premises, excluding the following outlets

1. food

• the sale of unwrapped bread shall be prohibited unless it is ensured that there is no crowding at the place of collection and that the point of sale is equipped with personal hygiene aids (such as microplastic bags);
• Self-service retail food retailers are required to provide disposable gloves free of charge to customers at each entrance to such a shop;
  
  

2. petrol,

3. fuels;

4. sanitary goods, cosmetics and other dry goods,

5. pharmacies, dispensaries and stores of medical devices,

6. small pets,

7. animal feed and other supplies,

8. glasses, contact lenses and related goods;

9. newspapers and magazines,

10. tobacco products,

11. laundry and dry cleaning services (however, the operation of laundries and dry cleaners is prohibited),

12. repair of road vehicles where there are not more than 30 persons in the establishment at the same time,

13. towing and troubleshooting of vehicles in road traffic,

14. sale of spare parts for means of transport and production technologies,

15. establishments allowing the collection of goods and consignments from a third party;

16. sale of gardening supplies including seeds and seedlings,

17. ticket sales,

18. spa facilities provided that only spa services covered at least in part by public health insurance are provided ( however the prohibition to accept new patients for the purpose of spa rehabilitation care supplied by the emergency measure of the Ministry of Health dated 25.3.2020 still applies)

19. funeral services,

20. florist,

21. construction and its removal, design activities in construction, geological work, surveying, testing, measurement and analysis in construction,

22. sale of textile material and haberdashery,

23. service of computer and telecommunications equipment, audio and video receivers, consumer electronics, appliances and other household products,

24. real estate mediation and activities of accounting advisors, bookkeeping, tax records,

25. locksmith services and servicing of other household products,

26. repair, maintenance and installation of household machinery and equipment,

27. operation of cemeteries, carrying out embalming and preservation, cremation of human remains or remains, including the placement of human remains in urns,

28. car washes,

where the sale of those goods or services represents a major part of the business of that establishment; this prohibition does not apply to activities that are not trades under the Trade Licensing Act.

prohibits operation of these operations:

1. gambling and casino operation,

2. driving school operations,

3. operation of a taxi service, with the exception of taxis delivering foodstuffs or persons authorized by a taxi driver,

4. operation of self-service laundries and dry cleaners,

5. sale at catering establishments located within shopping centers with a sales area exceeding 5 000 m2,

6. sale of accommodation services, with the exception of persons providing accommodation in hostels, spa and school accommodation; this prohibition does not apply to the sale and provision of accommodation services to persons for the purpose of pursuing a profession, business or other similar activity and foreigners until they leave the Czech Republic and to foreigners with a work permit in the Czech Republic.

prohibits public presence in the following premises:

1. catering services, with the exception of establishments not serving the public (eg staff catering, catering for health and social services providers, prison catering); this prohibition does not apply to off-premises sales that may take place without time limit, eg.

• a. fast - food outlets with a dispensing window; or
• b. takeaway sale without entering the establishment,
  
  

2. sale of building materials, construction products and hobby markets;

3. service providers - indoor and outdoor sports grounds.

An emergency measure of the Ministry of Health dated 23 March 2020with effect from 24 March 2020 from 6:00 am to 1 April 2020 6:00 am

I. prohibits the free movement of persons within the territory of the Czech Republic with the exception of:

• a. travel to work and business or other similar activity;
• b. necessary trips to family or close relatives,
• c. travel essential to the provision of essential necessities of life (e.g. purchase of food, medicines and medical devices, sanitary goods, cosmetics and other dry goods, animal feed and other supplies), including the needs of relatives and loved ones; provision of animal care, use of necessary financial and postal services, refueling,
• d. travel necessary to meet the needs and services referred to in point (c) for another person (e.g. volunteering, neighborhood assistance);
• e. travel to health and social care facilities, including the provision of necessary escorts for relatives and relatives, and veterinary care facilities;
• f. journeys to deal with urgent tasks, including ensuring the necessary escort of relatives and loved ones,
• g. pursuit of a profession or activity to provide:
  
  

i. security, internal order and crisis management,

ii. health protection, health or social care provision, including volunteering,

iii. individual spiritual care and services,

iv. public transport and other infrastructures,

v. services to the population, including supply and distribution services;

vi. veterinary care,

h. stay in nature or parks,

i. travel back and to his / her place of residence;

j. funerals.

II. directs:

a. persons residing in the territory of the Czech Republic to restrict movement in publicly accessible places to the necessary time and to stay in their place of residence, except in the cases specified in point I. a) to j),

b. limit contacts with other persons to the extent necessary;

c. persons to gather in public places in no greater than a group of 2 persons, except for household members, occupation, profession, business or other similar activity, attendance at a funeral, and maintain a distance of at least 2 meters when in proximity to other persons, if this is possible.

The emergency measure of the Ministry of Health of 23 March 2020, with effect from 25 March 2020:

I. prohibits presence in retail outlets of foodstuffs, hygiene goods, cosmetics and other dry goods,with a sales area of more than 5 000 m2, between 8:00 am and 10:00 am, with the exception of:

• a. persons over 65 years of age, including the provision of necessary escorts;
• b. persons holding a ZTP / P card older than 50 years, including necessary escorts;
• c. employees or persons in similar function in respect of nursing home facilities; and
• d. the owners and employees of the store operator or persons in similar proportions.
  
  

II. instructs all business persons operating a retail store for food, hygiene, cosmetics or other dry goods, with a sales area not exceeding 5,000 m2, to give priority in such stores to persons over 65 years of age and persons holding a ZTP / P, over 50 flight.

sales area not exceeding 5,000 m2, togive priorityto persons over 65 years of age and persons holding a severe disability with accompaniment card who are over the age of 50.

An emergency measure of the Ministry of Health of 23 March 2020, with effect from 24 March 2020 from 6:00 am to 1 April 2020 6:00 am, orders all public authorities and administrations to their workplaces maintained limited traffic consisting of:

1.Restriction of work, public services, especially in respect of those agendas whose performance must be unconditionally continually ensured, in particular to ensure the running of public administration and public administration services to the necessary extent and to fulfill the tasks of the Government of the Czech Republic aimed at achieving emergency objectives; other work agendas shall be carried out to the extent that they do not jeopardize the measures necessary below to protect the health of civil servants, employees and other officials (hereinafter referred to as 'employees');

2.limiting personal contact of employeeswith addressees of public administration (applicants, other parties to administrative proceedings) and other external persons (hereinafter referred to as “clients / public”) to the necessary level; contacts shall be restricted in particular as follows:

• a. limiting or suspending the relevant agendas not falling under the definition referred to in point 1, if their performance would endanger workers' health protection measures;
• b. replacing personal contact by written, electronic or telephone contact wherever possible, including contact with other employees;
• c. receiving all documents from clients / the public only through the mail room, if they are established; wherever possible, electronic communication shall be preferred;
• d. where contacts are made with employees of other institutions and bodies, by taking measures to prevent direct contact; negotiations are carried out under increased hygiene measures;
• e. the above measures shall apply mutatis mutandis to internal staff contacts within the institution.
  
  

3.limiting the scope of official administration office hoursto Monday and Wednesday with a maximum of 3 hours on a given day; the authorities shall inform the authorities of changes in office hours in an appropriate manner and publish them on their official boards,

4.ensuring the operation of individual departmentsof the institution is always with the lowest possible number of employees present at the workplace, which must be maintained for the activity of the administrative authority,

5.ensuring the functioning of the institutionin such a way that any quarantine measure against a part of its staff does not jeopardize the institution’s departments ability to act (e.g. rotation of separate groups of departmental organ staff, teleworking/working from a distance).

 

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