Coronavirus: New facemask rules take effect at midnight

Health Minister Adam Vojtěch has announced new restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus. As of midnight on Friday, facemasks must be worn at indoor events with over 100 people and as of Monday public gatherings will be restricted to 500 people.

Masks will not be compulsory on trams, trains or in shopping centres, though as of Monday they will be required in pharmacies and medical facilities in the Czech capital.

Minister Vojtech said officials will issue a traffic light map identifying risk and infection levels nationwide.

The decision came following a sudden surge in cases in recent days.

Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček has appealed to Czechs to wear masks on public transport and enclosed spaces for their own protection regardless of whether they were ordered to do so. He said the rise in coronavirus figures in recent days was “alarming”.