Christmas, New Year's Eve news

If the government succeeds in extending the state of emergency, it will explicitly allow shops to stay open before noon on December 24.

The Minister of Health Jan Blatný (for ANO) also announced that it will be possible to hold midnight masses on Christmas Eve. Churches will be granted an exception from the overnight curfew that will once again be in place from Friday, December 18, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The capacity of the masses will be limited to 20%.

However, according to Blatný, the cabinet is not considering any other exception to the curfew and will not lift it for New Year's Eve. France, Italy and Hungary are among countries that have also decided to impose this restriction on December 31.

Right now, the state of emergency applies until December 23. The Chamber of Deputies will probably discuss a further extension by another 30 days on December 22.