Update: correcting previously released information, Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček has withdrawn a previous statement that the United States, Greece, and Japan were added to the list of at-risk countries from which tourists are barred from entering the Czech Republic, and returning residents must go into mandatory quarantine.
The number of countries stands at 15.
OPRAVA: Vloudil se šotek, platí 15 “původně” rizikových zemí ‼️ Čína, Írán, Itálie, J. Korea, Francie, Španělsko, Německo, Švýcarsko, Norsko, Dánsko, Nizozemsko, Švédsko, Velká Británie, Belgie a Rakousko. https://t.co/yx0Y2jtbvD
— Tomáš Petříček (@TPetricek) March 13, 2020
The list of at-risk countries includes China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Austria.
Foreign travellers attempting to enter the Czech Republic from these countries will be barred from entry.
Residents of the Czech Republic, including Czech citizens and foreigners with temporary or permanent residence, will be allowed to return to the Czech Republic from these at-risk countries, but are required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Anyone who does not obey the quarantine may face a fine of up to 3 million crowns.
Czech police are now assisting hygienists in monitoring the status of residents under mandatory quarantine.
In addition to these measures, all gatherings more than 30 people with the exception of funerals are now forbidden in the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic has also suspended all international travel by bus and train, leaving car as the only way to travel internationally by land. Air travel is also expected to be restricted from Saturday.
As of this morning, there were 119 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Czech Republic. The Health Ministry will update that number at 2 p.m. Friday.
Additional measures are expected to be announced at a government press conference later this morning.