Polish airline to resume domestic flights, Czech Republic to begin easing border restrictions

Polish national air carrier LOT announced on Monday that it will resume some of its domestic flights on June 1, as COVID-19 situation was easing in the country. The Czech Republic will begin relaxing border restrictions starting on May 26, senior government officials confirmed on Monday.

LOT will resume flights from Warsaw to other major Polish cities, as well as a flight between Krakow and Gdansk. The schedule allows for 30 flights a day.

The airline said in a statement that the resumed flights will constitute the first phase of its planned reopening.

“Our plan includes several stages for the coming months, which will be dependent on the epidemiological situation in Poland and across the world,” it said.

The airline has ceased all passenger flights since March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen further to 18,885 cases, according to the Polish Health Ministry. The number of the deaths rose to 936 as of Monday evening.

Czech Republic to begin easing border restrictions on May 26

“The government has agreed today that the border regime will be relaxed from May 26. It will be possible to cross it at several border crossings and checks will only be random,”

said Interior Minister Jan Hamacek on Twitter, adding that a negative COVID-19 test must still be produced when entering the country.

The need to produce a negative test result for COVID-19 will be waived beginning on June 8 when entering the country from a risk-free area, Health Minister Adam Vojtech told reporters after the government’s meeting.

“In other countries, where the epidemiological situation is without major problems, a negative test for COVID-19 would no longer be necessary,” said Vojtech.

Monday was the first day after the ending of the 2-month-long state of emergency in the Czech Republic. Some restrictions are still in place such as mandatory face masks in shops and closed public spaces.

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Source: Xinhua