Travel from the Czech Republic without limits to most of EU as of mid-June
By Czech News Agency | June 2, 2020
Czechs may travel to most EU countries without limits as of June 15, but they will have to submit negative results of COVID-19 tests after return from Britain and Sweden under the system of safe countries for traveling that the government approved today, the health minister has said.
All neighboring countries, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, and Poland, are among the safe countries, along with the tourist destinations as Greece, Croatia and Bulgaria, Health Minister Adam Vojtech (for ANO) has tweeted.
The system divides the countries into three categories of low, medium and high risk of coronavirus infection, while Czechs will be able to travel without limits to the countries from the first two categories.
Foreigners entering in the Czech Republic will still have to submit COVID-19 test results even if they arrive from the medium-risk countries, such as Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal and Ireland.
The list of safe countries also includes Hungary, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Baltic countries, while the medium-risk ones are also Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands and Ireland.
If these countries have valid limits for entering their territory after June 15, the traveling rules of the other side will be followed, Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek (junior government Social Democrats, CSSD) said at a press conference after the government meeting.
He added that random border checks would continue.
The ministry made the lists on the basis of the data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Vojtech said. The system will be updated continuously according to the epidemiological development, he added.
Many people connect Italy with the coronavirus infection the most, but the situation is developing and now, it is considerably better in Italy than two months ago, Vojtech added.
As far as the countries outside the EU and the associated countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) are concerned, the solution is to be adopted on the EU level, the ministers said.
"We have repeatedly agreed with our colleagues that it must be coordinated within the European Union. It does not make much sense if one or two member states open the border with the third side. Then there is an immense problem to control this. The European Commission has recommended that the EU external border be kept closed until June 15 except for necessary trips for economic reasons and return of EU citizens," Petricek said.
At present, Czech citizens can travel without the duty to show negative COVID-19 tests to Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary if they return within 48 hours.
System denoting safe countries for traveling:
Safe countries: Medium-risk countries: High-risk countries:
Bulgaria Belgium Sweden
Estonia Denmark UK
Finland France
Croatia Ireland
Iceland Italy
Cyprus Luxembourg
Liechtenstein Malta
Lithuania Netherlands
Latvia Portugal
Hungary Spain
Source: Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek
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