Czech Republic further loosens Covid-19 restrictions as of this weekend

Additional anti-epidemic restrictions have been lifted in the Czech Republic under a government relaxation plan that took effect as of Saturday. Cultural and other mass events, retail shops, and services are now allowed to accommodate more people than before.

The government originally planned to introduce these relaxation measures as of July 1, but it rescheduled their introduction due to an updated plan for Covid-19 testing in advance of children's summer camps that might start before the end of the school year, which officially falls on June 30.

Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said the new measures should remain in place for some time. Should the epidemic situation worsen in some regions, he said that he wants to tackle potential clusters with locally-targeted measures.

The incidence rate, which indicates the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days, has largely been on the decrease over the past two months according to data from the Health Ministry. However, the situation varies in particular regions.

Prague currently has the highest incidence rate with over 16 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, while other Czech regions report numbers below ten. The infection is spreading slowest in the Hradec Králové and Karlovy Vary Regions, where the incidence rate is under one.

As of this weekend, these new regulations are in effect: