Deputy PM: Shops will not reopen before Easter

Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček has said there is little likelihood of shops reopening before Easter, even if the epidemic gradually starts to subside. In an interview for TV PRIMA, Mr. Havlíček said the government did not want to raise false hopes that the lockdown would end after three weeks. Epidemiologists have warned that relaxing the measures too soon could lead to a new wave of infections. Health Minister Jan Blatný said earlier that if the epidemiological situation improved the government would consider a minor easing of restrictions, such as allowing outdoor sporting activities outside the given district.