The Czech government has moved to bring back tougher restrictions by shutting restaurants and hotels as of Friday. The decision follows several days of deteriorating statistics surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of daily infections now climbing again following two weeks of improvement. A decision last week to force restaurants to close at 8 pm rather than 10 pm wasn’t being respected by owners who were desperate to make some last minute cash before year’s end. Ski slopes will be allowed to open for business, but visitors who haven’t purchase a mountain chalet will be forced to return home at the end of the day since local accommodations won’t be available. However, stores and shopping mall owners have won their fight to remain open, arguing that they have the ability to limit the number of shoppers in their facilities to the prescribed 1 person per 15 sqm. The government is expected to unveil a compensation package for restaurants and hotels to compensate for lost revenues, but industry leaders warn that speed is of far greater importance than empty promises.
