Full sick pay in quarantine

The government agreed that people in quarantine should be getting a full sick pay - currently, they collect 60% of their salaries.

The Chamber of Deputies will be discussing this change on Tuesday and the Senate on Wednesday. Those who are paying their sickness insurance would be getting full wage compensation in case of a quarantine through the months of March and April.

The measure is intended to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus infection in the Czech Republic. It should motivate people to get tested, quarantine when sick and report those they came in contact with.

The change would apply to all quarantines - not just those ordered due to Covid-19. However, people who would have to quarantine within five days of returning from vacation abroad would not be entitled to this higher compensation.

The cabinet originally proposed that people in quarantine should receive a bonus of 370 crowns per day. However, this bill was not approved on Friday and the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová (ČSSD) has therefore presented this new model.