(Bloomberg) --
The Czech Republic will significantly ease its lockdown restrictions on Thursday after the spread of the coronavirus slowed in the past two weeks.
The decision, approved at an extraordinary government meeting on Sunday, will allow shops and restaurants to reopen, although limits on the number of customers and opening hours will remain. The cabinet also agreed to scrap the nighttime curfew on Dec. 3, according to Health Minister Jan Blatny.
“We are really happy that after a discussion, this was a unanimous decision,” he said. “Even if there are little hiccups or changes and the trend doesn't decelerate as fast as expected, the decision will remain valid.”
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The country endured one of the worst pandemic outbreaks in Europe in October, forcing it to reinstate tight lockdown measures including shutting down most retail outlets and the hospitality industry as well as curbing movement of people.
The number of new infections started to decline in about the middle of this month, but the Health Ministry has warned that risks remain high in several regions. The death toll, adjusted for population, is still the fourth-highest in the European Union, according the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control
The government reopened primary schools for the first two grades two weeks ago, and the rest of the pupils will resume in-class learning on Monday.
Blatny said he doesn't expect the situation to worsen again to require shutting shops, but he also considers further easing “extremely unlikely” by the end of the year. Several social-distancing measures remain in place, including limits on public gatherings, and theaters and cinemas will stay closed.
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