Dear HST members and friends,
due to current situation with COVID-19 disease, we are publishing the latest information about Switzerland and Czech Republic.
Updated 30th October 2020
Situation in Czech Republic
Overview of the measures in effect until the end of the state of emergency min. to 20th November 2020:
1. Prohibitions
Prohibition of free movement between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. with the exception of:
- travel to work
- urgent trips that are necessary at night.
Prohibition of free movement between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. with the exception of:
- travel to work and for the purpose of carrying out business
- travel necessary to visit family or close persons
- essential travel to procure basic essentials
- travel to healthcare facilities
- travel to arrange urgent official matters
- travel for the purpose of staying in the countryside or parks and staying there
- travel outside the Czech Republic
- attendance of weddings and funerals, with no more than 10 persons attending, and visits to cemeteries
- travel back to his/her home
2. Orders
- that persons present in the Czech Republic limit their presence in publicly accessibly places
- limiting of contact with other persons to the necessary period of time
- employers to make use of remote work, if employees can perform it at their place of residence with regard to the character of work and operating conditions
3. Recommendations
- that employers a) support holiday and paid leave of absence for employees and similar means stipulated in a collective agreement; b) the restriction of the execution of any work that is not essential to maintaining the employer’s operations;
- the maintenance of a distance of at least 2 meters when in contact with other persons (e.g., while shopping);
- using cashless methods of payment as the preferred means for hygienic reasons;
For more information and the full text of the rules visit the website of the Czech Government
4. Travel restrictions
Restriction on the entry of foreigners to the Czech Republic
On 21 October 2020, the Government of the Czech Republic decided on the ban to the free movement of all persons in the territory of the Czech Republic.
As a result of the crisis measures issued by the Government of the Czech Republic, it is not possible to travel to CZE for the purpose of tourism or visiting friends.
For more information and the full text of the rules visit the website of the Ministry of Interior
For general information regarding Covid-19 in the Czech republic visit the website of the Ministry of Health
Situation in Switzerland
Overview of the measures in effect (measures are the responsibility of the cantons, please check their instructions)
General
Wearing of face masks
- in all public spaces, indoor and outdoor
- in public transports (including stations and waiting areas)
Public establishments, businesses and events:
- Restaurants, closed from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- guests must be seated
- max. 4 guests at the table
- Discotheques and clubs remain closed
- Public events for max. 50 persons
- Private events (family parties) for max. 10 persons
- Trade fairs are prohibited
For more information and the full text of the rules visit the website of the Federal Council.
Travel restrictions
People arriving in Switzerland from the Czech Republic and other countries are required to go into quarantine. A negative test result does not exempt you from the mandatory quarantine requirement or shorten the quarantine period. However, various people are exempt from the quarantine requirement in Switzerland. For example:
- Business travellers who are travelling for an important reason that cannot be postponed.
- Individuals travelling for an important medical reason that cannot be postponed.
- Transit passengers who have spent less than 24 hours in a country or area with an increased risk of infection.
More information and also the instructions what to do after you enter Switzerland can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Public Health.
Other links that we recommend:
State Secretary for Migration SEM
Swissinfo.chSRF News (in German)
Guidelines for companies and entrepreneurs:
The ministry of Industry and trade put together all useful contacts here (available only in Czech)
Answers to frequent questions can be found on the official pages BusinessInfo.cz
Please notice: the information on these page may not be complete. For the latest information always consult the official sites of the Czech government!
What are the effects of the crisis on the Swiss economy?
On the homepage of SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) you can find the latest update of the economic forecasts. The experts expect the GDP to fall very sharply in 2020 and it will be recovering only very slowly in 2021. Also Swiss Global Enterprise (S-GE) publishes useful information in relation to business activities during Covid-19.