Prague metro doors go touch-free from this weekend amid hepatitis outbreak

Prague’s metro system will begin automatically opening all train doors from Saturday morning, a measure aimed at reducing contact amid a rising number of hepatitis A cases. The change means passengers will no longer need to press buttons to exit trains.

The decision was confirmed by outgoing Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib. The move mirrors precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, when central door opening helped minimize contact with surfaces across public transport vehicles.

While many drivers already open doors automatically during peak hours to speed up boarding, the new rule will be most noticeable during evenings and weekends.

“All buttons and handrails in public transport are also regularly disinfected as part of routine cleaning,” Hřib wrote on social media. No additional public transport measures are planned at this time, and the Prague hygiene station has not requested any extraordinary actions.

The new automatic opening of doors will only affect Prague's metro, not buses and trams. Unlike metro trains, buses and trams cannot stop at every station automatically, as on-demand stops are necessary for maintaining schedules.

Still, passengers can take their own precautions to avoid directly touching buttons on trams and buses. “Buttons are available on poles, and passengers can press them using a sleeve or elbow,” Hřib noted.

Prague’s integrated transport organizer, Ropid, said it is not considering stricter measures for buses or trams due to potential delays. “Currently we are not planning changes, mainly because mandatory stops and door openings at every station would create operational complications,” spokesperson Filip Drápal told Zdopravy.cz.

All bus and trolleybus stops in Prague currently operate on a request basis. Drápal  noted that forcing vehicles to stop at every stop could slow services and cause unnecessary ventilation in colder weather, which might be uncomfortable for passengers.

Authorities are monitoring the epidemiological situation and have stressed that further adjustments will depend on recommendations from health authorities. For now, passengers should expect minimal contact with doors in the metro system and can continue using buses and trams as usual.

Czechia is currently facing a hepatitis A epidemic, with the nationwide outbreak reaching 2,141 infections as of late last month. The highly contagious liver virus has claimed 26 lives in the past year, including 10 in Prague.

The number of cases is the second-highest count in Czechia since 1989, and has prompted the Czech Medical Society of Jan Evangelista Purkyně to declare the surge an epidemic. Vaccination demand has spiked, with over 112,000 people receiving the hepatitis A vaccine this year, nearly double the number in 2024.