Radovan Hořín, the owner of the U Ervina restaurant in Olomouc who decided to open up his business last weekend, has since been fined CZK 9,000 by the police for breaking the anti-COVID-19 regulations.
According to city authorities in Olomouc, Hořín is endangering people by being open, and is also misleading them in saying that he isn’t breaking any laws; When he first opened a week ago, he said he had consulted with a lawyer who asserted there was in fact, no law requiring restaurants to close.
The city said it could end up fining Hořín CZK 20,000, but for now didn’t feel like being “draconian.”
“Although the accused’s actions were repeated and with a considerable amount of arrogance toward’s both the state and human lives, our administration is aware that draconian punishments are not appropriate.”
Hořín had previously said that his bank account had been decimated by the lockdowns, had about CZK 60,000 in expenses each month, and the government was only giving CZK 15,000 in compensation.
“Last year we complied with all the regulations and hoped that the government would help us, but the compensation is very low… What about our heating and electricity costs? Not to mention I also have to pay rent for our apartment plus food for the family. We need about CZK 60,000 a month.”
According to Novinky, there are other pubs in Olomouc that have remained open in protest as well. In Prague, Daruma Coffee & Tea has also never closed or enforced any sort of social distancing or mask rules.
