option of delaying loan payments for people and small businesses affected by the coronavirus 12 march 2020 gun sales registration period waived. 16 march 2020 from 16 march until end of the curfew same as other retail, gun shops could continue distance sales finalised through makeshift takeaway window or by direct delivery to customer. purchased firearms must normally be physically presented to the police for registration within 10 days from the sale (see gun laws in the czech republic). firearm registrations deemed non-essential by the ministry of interior explanatory note, as part of the general suspension of non-essential visits to government offices. gun licence holders instructed to merely inform police about a purchase by post or electronic communication and visit station for registration after the end of curfew. also, exams required for new firearm licences suspended. new permits to purchase b-category firearms issued only remotely (by post or electronic communication). ministry of interior explanatory note no. mv- 49249-2/obp-2020 forestry short-term hiring march 2020 2020 forestry season public company lesy české republiky which manages public forests started massive short-term hiring of people from professions affected by quarantine measures. temporary workers take part in restoration of spruce forests that suffered large scale damage by bark beetle and drought in previous years. wage of czk 120 per hour (ca €5 per hour), contracts for maximum of 300 hours per person. criminal sanctions covid-19 added to list of diseases the wilful spreading of which constitutes a felony. 13 march 2020 up to 10 years imprisonment in case of criminal negligence. government resolution no. 210/2020 coll. healthcare provision support measures drive-through testing 14 march 2020 "drive-through" tents set up in front of designated hospitals around the country. patients don't need to leave their cars to be tested. testing is free for people with prescriptions by the health authorities. prescriptions are granted remotely (phone and email) based on symptoms and travel history. people lacking prescriptions may pay for their own tests. prices vary depending on the hospital from czk 1,300–3,000 (€50–120). some drive-through locations do not offer paid testing due to capacity limitations (i.e. they test only those with a prescription). covid-19-only hospitals 15 march 2020 two hospitals, na homolce hospital in the capital and largest city of prague, st. anna university hospital in the second-largest city of brno, were designated to deal with covid-19 only. both cities have several other hospitals to take up the caseload of other conditions. military bsl-4 reserve hospital at biological defense center in těchonín put into a state of readiness. 28 march 2020 after covid-19 infection spread in at least seven retirement homes, several hundred beds were set aside for quarantine and treatment of elderly with mild symptoms at: na bulovce hospital in prague na františku hospital in prague health resort at lázně toušeň non-emergency section of military bsl-4 reserve hospital at biological defense center in těchonín ministry of health decision medicine students' work duty 15 march 2020 from 16 march until the end of state of emergency revoked from 11 may onwards. 5th- and 6th-year students of general medicine compelled to work duty, actual work subject to later call-up. last-year students of nursing, paramedics, and several other related fields compelled to work duty, actual work subject to later call-up. government resolution no. 220 published as no. 90/2020 coll. government resolution no. 404 published as no. 158/2020 coll. government resolution no. 512 published as no. 227/2020 coll. (revocation) healthcare workers' holiday ban 23 march 2020 from 24 march until the end of state of emergency revoked on 10 april 2020. healthcare workers banned from taking a holiday (time off). government resolution no. 278 published as 125/2020 coll. government resolution no. 403 published as no. 157/2020 coll. (revocation) remdesivir provisional approval 17 march 2020 from 17 march for a period of 9 months remdesivir, originally developed by gilead sciences for ebola treatment, was approved for experimental use for covid-19 patients in serious condition. ministry of health decision no. mzdr 12059/2020-3/olzp plaquenil prescription restrictions 23 march 2020 from 23 march 8 pm onwards (indefinitely) hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name plaquenil among others, is a medication used for the prevention and treatment of certain types of malaria. plaquenil showed promise in some covid-19 trials. only doctors with selected specialisations can prescribe it under the measure. ministry of health protection measure no. mzdr 12756/2020-2/min/kan (until 3 april) ministry of health protection measure no. mzdr 12756/2020-3/min/kan (after 3 april) hydroxychloroquine-sulfaat teva provisional approval 7 april 2020 from 7 april for period of 8 months provisional approval for covid-19 treatment due to plaquenil shortage. ministry of health protection measure no. mzdr 13360/2020-3/olzp ministry of health protection measure no. mzdr 12756/2020-3/min/kan (after 3 april) hydroxychloroquine sulfate sandoz provisional approval 30 april 2020 from 30 april for period of 8 months provisional approval of new jersey, usa made hydroxochloroquine tablets in original english language package for covid-19 treatment due to plaquenil shortage. ministry of health decision no. mzdr 18092/2020-2/olzp avigan (favipiravir) provisional approval 16 april 2020 japanese medicine that showed promise in initial trials for covid-19 treatment. provisional approval of 10,000 tablets. ministry of health protection measure no. mzdr 16312/2020-1/olzp hospitalised patients' information database 24 march 2020 from 24 march onwards (indefinitely) central database about covid-19 hospitalised patients. hospital providers ordered to: insert data about the state of hospitalised covid-19 patients daily insert data about every new patient that gets either to serious condition, requires ventilator or ecmo within one hour insert data about every patient whose state changes as regards serious condition, use of ventilator or ecmo within one hour ministry of health protection measure no. mzdr 12996/2020-1/min/kan interpersonal solidarity the covid-19 pandemic in the czech republic has created a wave of solidarity in a variety of areas, including: due to the lack of protective face masks, volunteers sewed masks for other people and also shared instruction videos online. programmes were launched to help the most vulnerable groups and seniors, on a non-commercial basis, by buying food and medicines. on monday, 23 march, czech national television launched a temporary new television channel čt3, which is to bring practical advice, news and a selection of čt's classic programmes from the archive for older people. throughout the nation, people made so-called 'mask-trees' to share face coverings. the vietnamese community in the ústí nad labem region raised czk 140,000 for a donation of a ventilator to a hospital in ústí nad labem due to the closure of czech schools, czech national television launched an educational programme for home education. the "učítelka" programme is focusing on teaching first-grade pupils. the programmes "odpoledka" on teaching second-grade pupils and programme "škola doma" for ninth-grade pupils preparing them for entrance exams to secondary schools. czech manufacturer of 3d printers prusa research contributed to the "free use project" of shared bicycles company rekola to enable access to transport with a lower risk of virus transmission than public transport. prusa research also designed, produced and distributed protective face shields for medical professionals. the žufánek family distillery from boršice will produce and distribute for free disinfectant gels without the necessary permit from the health and agriculture department. gallery empty shelves of canned meat and other food in tesco, prague, on 27 february 2020 information flyer from the ministry of health sent to every house address government resolution on declaration of emergency sms notification of the closure of shops prague, celetná ulice, without tourists(march 2020) prague, astronomical clock, without spectators (march 2020) prague, wenceslas square, without tourists (march 2020) prague, flora shopping centre (march 2020) brno, forbidden to enter front section of local bus (march 2020) empty shopping mall in prague during the pandemic interior of a prague bus during the pandemic (14 march 2020) drive thru testing centre at the university hospital hradec králové