By its Resolution No. 249/2021 of 05.03.2021, the Government of the Czech Republic approved the extraordinary measures of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, according to which mandatory testing of employees in the public sector will also begin on 10 March, 2021. From Wednesday, March 17, untested employees of state authorities and institutions, territorial self-governing units and companies established or founded by them, public universities, service offices, security forces and the armed forces of the state may not be admitted to the workplace. The obligation applies to employers who employ at least 50 people. Those who employ less than 50 people can decide to introduce testing. For the time being, the obligation will not apply to schools and school facilities according to the Education Act, as well as to all employees working at the home office.
From the measures for our needs we exclude:
• The employer may allow his employees to be personally present at the workplace only if the employee has undergone an RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 virus, a POC antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen or the employer's premises in the last 7 days, determined by the employer, a preventive test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen by means of a test provided to him by the employer, unless otherwise provided in Article III, and the result is negative. From 10 March 2021 at the latest, employers are required to provide their POCs with antigenic tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus performed by a health service provider or tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus that can be used by a lay person, namely with a frequency of at least once a week. If the employee is not present at the employer's workplace on the day of the testing date, his preventive testing will be performed on the day of his arrival at the workplace. Employers are obliged to invite their employees to undergo a preventive test in accordance with the second sentence, so as to allow them to be present at the employer's workplace under the first sentence by 17 March 2021. If the employee performs work exclusively outside the employer's premises within seven days , the employer shall enable him to take a preventive test in accordance with the second sentence outside the employer's premises; this does not apply to a home office employee.
• Employees are required to undergo testing at the request of the employer, with the exception of:
(a) persons who have undergone laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, have had an isolation period in accordance with the applicable emergency measure of the Ministry of Health, show no signs of COVID-19, and since the first positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2, or The POC of the antigen test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen has not elapsed for more than 90 days, and b) persons who have a certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic on COVID-19 vaccination and from the second dose of vaccine at least 14 days have elapsed in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC), or at least 14 days have elapsed since the first dose of the vaccine in the case of a single dose schedule under the SPC, and the vaccinated person does not show any signs of COVID-19.
• The following are also considered employees: 1. seconded employees of the employment agency and 2. other persons who, on the basis of a legal relationship other than an employment relationship, perform work or similar activities at the employer's workplace together with his employees.
• With effect from 9 March 2021, employees who have performed or have been tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus by a lay person through a test provided by their employer are instructed to notify the employer immediately of the planned result if the test is positive. absence from the workplace due to suspicion of positivity for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, leave the workplace at their current place of residence and immediately inform the employer of the test result of the occupational health service provider, if the employer so provides, otherwise , or practical medicine for children and adolescents. If the employee cannot notify the health service provider according to the first sentence, he is obliged to contact another health service provider or the public health protection authority competent according to the place of work to determine the next step.
• With effect from 9 March 2021, employers who provide SARS CoV-2 virus antigen tests for their employees that can be used by a lay person are required to keep records of tests performed on employees.
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