The country's Heath Minister Roman Prymula announced Monday that masks will now be compulsory in all urban areas and in cars. Previously, they were only mandatory indoors and on public transport, including at outdoor stations.
There are few exceptions to the rules, with face coverings not mandatory when a person is exercising, or when they can keep a two-meter distance from people who are not from the same household. If someone is in a car on their own or with other members of their household, they don't have to wear a mask. Children under the age of two are also exempt.
The Czechs were among the first in the world to adopt strict mask rules during the first wave of the pandemic and, coupled with the country's decision to impose a strict lockdown relatively early, it was effective in sparing the country the worst ravages of Covid-19.
But the Czech Republic appears to have become a victim of its own success. After easing restrictions over the summer, it is currently reporting more new Covid-19 cases per million people than any major country in the world.
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