The pandemic law is to be extended until 2023, it could regulate trade and services

The pandemic law could be extended by a year and a half, ie until the end of August 2023. Extraordinary measures will now make it possible to limit the operation of all types of establishments, markets, sports grounds and school or educational facilities for children from the age of three. The measure could also be issued by the Ministry of Defense. This follows from the draft amendment to the pandemic law, which will be discussed by the government.

The Ministry of Health is trying to respond to the allegations of the Supreme Administrative Court, which has canceled many extraordinary measures in the past. The court stated, inter alia, that under the current standard it is not possible to regulate service establishments, including restaurants, accommodation or markets and markets. Thus, the ministry is proposing that the regulation apply to all establishments under the Trade Licensing Act, marketplaces and markets. For example, the authorities will be able to limit their operating hours. This should also apply to the services of hairdressers, pedicurists, taxi services or artistic activities, ie such services where the place of performance is not the establishment itself.

It will also be possible to regulate all types of sports grounds and sports; so far, the authorities have been able to limit part of sports activities only in accordance with the Public Health Protection Act, not in accordance with the Pandemic Act. It will now be possible to issue extraordinary measures for all types of school and educational facilities for children from the age of three, including, for example, children’s groups. Until now, regulation in the pandemic law has mainly concerned universities.

The law also lists other activities that may be affected by emergency measures. These include music and dance clubs, discos, casinos, zoos and botanical gardens, museums, galleries, castles, chateaux and similar historical or cultural sites, public libraries, observatories and planetariums. This will include festivities, theater and film performances, trade fairs, trade shows and recuperation events for children and suburban camps.

The authors added to the law the possibility to order testing and related obligations to schoolchildren and students of universities and colleges. The law should make it possible to determine the conditions under which employees or students may be present on the premises of the workplace and the school. The addition is intended to allow hygienists to respond better and set the conditions in case someone has a positive test for covid, without ordering the closure of the entire operation.

The Ministry of Health has warned that a substantial part of the pandemic law will expire on February 28 this year. As the coid epidemic is expected to continue, the ministry is proposing to extend the law until August 31 next year. It also calls on Parliament to discuss the standard in a state of legislative emergency. According to the ministry, the state will not have the tools to manage the epidemic if the legislators do not make it by the end of February.

The Ministry of Health originally proposed that, in addition to the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior should have the power to issue emergency measures. It could then issue measures for security forces, for example. However, the Interior rejected this possibility in the comment procedure. The Ministry of Defense will be able to re-impose certain restrictions in the armed forces, in the ministry or, for example, in its contributory organizations. However, unless otherwise stated, extraordinary measures of the Ministry of Health or the Regional Hygiene Station will apply.

The amendment also supplements the Crisis Nursing Act. By making it possible under the pandemic law to restrict the operation of all types of schools, the conditions under which parents can receive preferential nursing care will also be extended.