Poland, Hungary, and Slovenia upgraded in new Czech Covid-19 travel map

Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and San Mario will all be upgraded in the Czech Covid-19 travel map, valid from Monday, moving to high risk (red) from very high risk (dark red), the Czech Health Ministry reported on Friday.

Additionally, Norway and the Azores will move from red to medium-risk orange.

The higher the risk rating of a foreign country, the more difficult the conditions for return travel for Czech residents.

Currently, only those returning from very high risk (dark red) countries are required to undergo a Covid-19 test before departure. This category includes a minority of EU states and most countries outside the EU, including the UK.

Those returning from dark red countries must also take a Covid-19 test after the fifth of their arrival at the earliest, and stay in quarantine until then.

Those returning from red countries must take a PCR test within five days of their arrival at the latest.

Those who return from the dark red, red, and orange countries must wear a respirator anytime they they go out, including outdoors, for two weeks following their arrival.

As of Monday, the red group will include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the Canary Islands.

Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, the Azores and the Balearic Islands will be in the orange group.

Travelers returning from low risk (green) countries may do so without restriction. Among European states, only the Vatican is currently green. Outside the EU, this group also includes Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

For the past 1.5 months, Czech residents have been banned from traveling to countries with an extreme risk of the spread of new variants of coronavirus.

These countries include Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since Tuesday, travel to India has also been prohibited. This travel ban is in effect until the end of May.