Czech Republic partially relaxes quarantine rules for arrivals from abroad

Czech residents 14 days past the second dose of the Covid vaccine will be able to return from abroad from the "orange" and "red" countries without coronavirus tests and quarantine from May 4, Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek has tweeted.

"Good news for the already vaccinated: From 4.5. it will be true that whoever has at least 14 days after the second dose can return from 'red' and 'orange' countries without tests or quarantine. It is the first step to resuming normal travel. Further steps will follow," Kulhanek wrote Monday afternoon.

At present, only those returning from a very high risk (dark red) country are still required to undergo a Covid test before departure. This category of states includes a small number of EU members and most third countries, including Britain.

On return from the high- (red) and moderate- (orange) risk states, a test prior to departure is required only from people who will use public transport in the Czech Republic.

Those returning from the red countries must undergo a PCR test on the fifth day at the following their arrival in the Czech Republic and those coming from orange countries must undergo a PCR or antigen test within the same five-day time frame.

These rules no longer apply for those who have been vaccinated.

Arrivals from the dark red, red, and orange category countries must wear a respirator anytime they go out, including outdoors, for two weeks.

As of Monday, the red group is comprised of 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 are classified in the orange group.

Czechs have been banned from travelling to the countries with an extreme risk of the spread of new variants of coronavirus. Those are Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since last Tuesday, trips to India have been prohibited, too. The ban is valid until the end of May.

None of the above requirements apply to people returning from the "green" countries with a low infection risk. Out of the European states, that is only the Vatican. This group also includes Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.