Sunday, 29 March 2020
Business | Reuters
Czech breweries roll back the barrels, turn to bottles and cans

Czech breweries — including Pilsner Urquell and Budejovicky Budvar — have stopped refilling kegs and started storing their beer in cooled cellars as they seek to limit damage from pub closures caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Business | Expats.cz
Czech food shops must provide sanitary gloves at entrance

As part of a number of new measures introduced by Czech officials at a press conference on Thursday, the Czech Ministry of Health has ordered all grocery stores and food shops in the Czech Republic to provide gloves for customers at the shop entrance.
Finance | Expats.cz
Self-employed affected by coronavirus to be eligible for CZK 15,000 per month

As part of the latest efforts to support individuals and businesses affected by the measures taken by the Czech Republic to slow the spread of coronavirus, Czech Finance Minister Alena Schillerová has announced that self-employed persons would be eligible for additional benefits.
National | Business | Expats.cz
Smoking effectively banned in public, as masks cannot be removed for that purpose

There is no exception for smoking to the rule for wearing a mask covering the mouth and nose anywhere outside the home in the Czech Republic. People smoking without a mask in place face a fine of up to CZK 10,000, and in exceptional cases CZK 20,000.
Finance | Reuters
Finance minister to discuss expanding central bank's scope in bond market

Czech Finance Minister Alena Schillerova will discuss a compromise with parliamentary parties for expanding central bank's powers to act on the bond market, she said on Thursday.
Business | NimbleFins
Covid study: Czech Republic ranks 4th in hospital beds per person vs. rest of Europe

When it comes to caring for ill patients during the current pandemic, the Czech Republic has arguably one of the better hospital bed infrastructures in Europe, according to a study by UK insurer NimbleFins.
Business | Expats.cz
CR to suspend minimum social and health payments for self-employed persons

As part of ongoing efforts to curb the economic impacts of the restrictions over the coronavirus epidemic, Czech MPs have approved a bill suspending minimum health and social tax payments for self-employed persons over the next six months.
Business | Radio Prague
Why Chinese masks destined for Italy were seized (not 'stolen') by Czech authorities

In the midst of the battle to contain the coronavirus, Czech authorities last Tuesday mistakenly seized 101,600 facemasks gifted by a branch of the Red Cross in the eastern China to a Chinese community in Italy during a customs raid. Although Czech officials apologized for the mix-up, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday published a bogus article claiming the Czech state had "stolen" that shipment – and much more.
Finance | Radio Prague
State to raise money via bonds, give central bank freer hand

The Czech government plans to obtain finance in the wake of the coronavirus crisis through loans and the sale of bonds, the minister of finance, Alena Schillerová, said on Tuesday, adding that she had agreed on this course with Czech National Bank governor Jiří Rusnok.
Business | Hindustan Times/AFP
Czech company Nanospace is sewing face masks to counter coronavirus pandemic

Just a week ago, the small Czech company Nanospace was producing bed linen using nanomembrane to protect allergic sleepers from mites. But as the deadly novel coronavirus started reaping its grim toll in Europe, Nanospace workshops began churning out 10,000 nanomembrane face masks per day for two hospitals in the southern Czech Republic.
Finance | Prague Daily Monitor
House passes additional measures to support residents during current crisis

The house passed a slew of additional measures to help the population of the Czech Republic manage during this time of crises. In addition the increase estimated deficit for 2020 to CZK 200 billion was also agreed upon. The bill needs to pass the senate and be signed by the President, which is expected to be completed in a few days.
Business | Radio Prague
Union chief welcomes short-time work scheme

Among the many coronavirus measures introduced by the Czech government is a "kurzarbeit", or short-time working, programme. Under the scheme the state will make up some of the income lost by employees whose work is reduced by factory outages, helping firms avoid redundancies.

Business | UniMedia
A team of scientists from CERGE-EI takes aim at negative economic impact of coronavirus

A team of scientists from the Institute for Democracy & Economic Analysis (IDEA), a think-tank of the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences which is part of CERGE-EI has offered its expertise to try and curb the negative economic impact of coronavirus pandemic.

Politics | Business | Romea
Czech chair of ultra-right party now leads the "Clean Region" movement in Ústecký Region

The chair of the ultra-right Workers Social Justice Party (DSSS) in the Czech Republic, Tomáš Vandas, has become the leader of the "Clean Region" (Čistý kraj) movement in the Ústecký Region ahead of regional elections this autumn.
National | Business | Brno Daily
Czech Republic is generating more household waste, but also recycling more

The Czech Republic was the third lowest per capita generator of household waste in the European Union (EU) in 2018, but this still represented a record high for the country since data started being collected in 1995. However, the proportion of waste recycled has also increased significantly over the past decade, from 10% in 2008 to 34% in 2018.