ZAGREB, May 19, 2020 - The Czech Republic is planning to ease travel between the central European country and other countries, including Croatia, deemed safe from risks of coronavirus from June 8, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said on Monday.
The Reuters news agency recalls that "the Czech Republic was among the first countries in Europe to ban entry by foreigners and even banned most Czechs from travelling abroad to keep the spread of the infection under control in March."
Some restrictions have been eased but the country is still not open for foreign tourism and Czechs are required to present a negative coronavirus test upon return or go into quarantine.
Discussions have been underway to open borders with neighbours such as Austria and Slovakia, which have also taken steps to relax their border regimes.
Vojtech was quoted by Reuters as saying "he had proposed that as of June 8, travel to and from a list of risky countries - to be determined but currently likely to include Spain, Italy or France - would be subject to the current requirements while others deemed safe - such as Austria, Slovakia or Croatia - would be exempt."
Vojtech said the list of risky countries would be updated continuously.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis said last week that borders with Slovakia and Austria could be fully opened from June 8.
In mid-April, Babis and his Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic held a telephone conversation on the arrival of Czech tourists in Croatia this summer.
Plenkovic said on Twitter then that they agreed the two countries' tourism ministers should propose models for the arrival of Czech tourists in Croatia this year.
The initiative on special corridors for tourists wishing to travel in circumstances marked by the corona crisis was launched by an association of Czech travel agencies which had proposed the opening of corridors, including towards Croatia, to make it possible for Czech travellers with a certificate confirming that they are healthy, to go on holiday.
