Czech Republic Adds Greece, Latvia and Andorra to the List of High-Risk COVID-19 Countries

The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Health has updated the list of countries according to their infection rate based on the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) data.

Starting from Monday, March 8, Greece, Latvia, and Andorra will be placed on the red list of countries where the Coronavirus pandemic is widely spread. Malta will be placed on the dark red list, and the Balearic Islands will be on the orange one, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

Prior to this, Czech Republic added Spain, Portugal, and Madeira to the list of countries with a high risk of COVID-19.

The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Health has revealed that upon returning from a country listed on the dark red category, such as Malta, it will be obligatory for travelers to fill in the Arrival Form and submit a negative COVID-19 test. The rapid test cannot be older than 24 hours, and the PCR test has a limit of 72 hours.

After entering the country, it is mandatory to undergo a second PCR test in Czechia, but only after the fifth day of isolation. Persons who follow these rules and present a second negative test can end the isolation earlier.  This category includes countries with a high-risk level of COVID-19.

Except for Greece, Latvia, and Andorra that have been newly added to the red list, the group already includes Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Madeira, Austria, Romania, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Canary Islands.

Similarly, people returning to Czechia from the countries mentioned above will have to undergo the PCR test or the antigen one and stay self-isolated.

Furthermore, the ministry informed that passengers returning from the orange group also have to show a negative test and fill the Arrival Form.

The orange group includes Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Azores, and the new Balearic Islands.

Employees and students are also obligated to present a negative test to the employer or the schools if they return from a dark red, red, or orange group of the country.

All persons entering Czechia should wear a medical mask for two weeks for preventative reasons.

Apart from the three mentioned groups, people returning from green countries do not have to apply any preventative rules. The group currently includes Iceland, the Vatican City State, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand.

The ministry also reported that due to the spread of the virus’s new variant, the countries with extreme risk of spreading this mutation would be banned from entering the country from February 26. The countries with the high risk include Botswana, Brazil, Swaziland, South Africa, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

At the moment, Czechia has a total of 1,325,291 active cases, 21,882 deaths, and 1,135,251 fully recovered citizens.