A state of emergency was declared by the Czech government on Wednesday afternoon, which announced that it was closing its borders. Foreigners will be allowed to leave the country, but Czechs are not being allowed to travel to high-risk countries. Czechs or foreigners with permanent residency will be allowed to return to the Czech Republic via a limited number of border crossings, but will be ordered to maintain a 14-day quarantine. Police and social service officers will be inspecting those ordered to self-isolate to ensure obedience and fines of up to CZK 3m can be imposed for violations. The state of emergency includes a series of drastic measures, including a ban on all public, sporting and cultural events involving more than 30 people. Restaurants will not be allowed to operate between 8pm and 6 a.m. Restaurants in shopping centers larger than 5,000 sqm will be forced to remain closed. Within minutes of the announcement, long lines were forming at grocery store registers and cash-dispensing bank machines as a new wave of panic buying caused the collapse of credit card networks.
