Czechia eases COVID restrictions and approves National Recovery Plan draft

Students will return to classes and hotels will resume working at full capacity from 24 May

In a meeting on Monday 17 May, the Czech government approved a draft of the country’s National Recovery Plan and agreed to lift certain anti-epidemic measures from next week. More specifically, it announced that COVID restrictions concerning students and hotels will be further dismantled from Monday 24 May.

What measures will be lifted?

According to a press release by the government, university and secondary school students will be able to resume attending classes in person full-time. Taking this further, the rotation model of learning will no longer need to be used.

Hotels and other accommodation establishments will also be able to resume operating at full capacity. However, they will have to comply with strict hygiene measures to ensure the safety of staff and guests. What is more, guests will have to provide proof of vaccination, immunity, or a negative COVID test before their stay.

What will the National Recovery Plan entail?

As previously mentioned, the government also approved a National Recovery Plan draft worth nearly CZK 200 billion (EUR 7.8 billion) at its meeting on 17 May. This plan has been designed to help the country recover from the negative effects of the pandemic by restarting its economy.

Therefore, it was agreed that the funds from the National Recovery Plan will be used in the form of various investments which will modernise the Czech economy. According to the government’s aforementioned press release, the country will invest in greener modes of transport, healthcare, high-speed internet networks, and the construction of new pre-school care facilities, among others.

The National Recovery Plan has also been made public so that all Czech citizens can view how the government is planning to revive the economy by visiting the planobnovycr.cz website.