From Monday 1 November, the measures will be tightened further. It will apply to tests and certificates of infection-free status. Here is a list of the changes at a glance.
What will change:
- Health insurance companies will no longer cover preventive coronavirus tests. But there will be exceptions; for example, children under 18 will have it. In addition, insurance companies will also cover tests for those who have symptoms of coronavirus and are referred for a test by a doctor or by a hygienist. Those who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons and people who have been fully vaccinated or de-vaccinated will also have them free of charge. The price of the tests is capped at CZK 814 for the PCR test and CZK 201 for the antigen test.
- The tests will also have a shorter validity. PCR tests three days instead of the current week and the antigen test one day instead of the recent three days.
- Children under 12 years of age will not need proof of infection-free status. They will not require a test or proof of illness to attend clubs or, for example, a restaurant or theatre. Until now, this rule applied to children under six years of age.
- Restaurant or bar operators will check for proof of infection-free status. This includes proof of a test, vaccination, or passing a coronavirus test. If the certificate is not valid, the restaurant should not provide the service. The guests do not need to be checked at the entrance, just when they are seated. The infection-free status will not need to be checked at a takeaway or in restaurants in shopping centers.
- Unvaccinated pupils will be tested in the eight regions where the epidemic situation is worst, namely the districts of České Budějovice, Ostrava-město, Prostějov, Prachatice, Brno-Venkov, Přerov, Opava and Karviná. Unvaccinated teachers will have to wear respirators when teaching. Exceptions are teachers in kindergartens and staff in playgroups.