Czech MPs approve extending state of emergency to end-April

Czech lawmakers on Tuesday approved extending a state of emergency until April 30. This is a shorter period than the government had wanted for using the extraordinary legal framework to further tackle the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters said.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ government had sought a one-month extension to May 11 for the state of emergency, which allows the cabinet to curb some rights of citizens, including freedom of movement or enterprise, and gives it more flexibility in areas such as public procurement.

The Czech Republic took some of the swiftest action to all but lock down the country in March. The government declared a state of emergency on March 12 and it was set to expire in the coming days unless the lower house of parliament backed the extension.

The country has reported far fewer cases than its western neighbors, with 4,828 confirmed infections as of Tuesday morning, a rise of five percent over the previous day. The Health Ministry said 127 people have recovered and 80 have died from the virus.