- Title: Germans cross into Czech for bargains before border closes
- Date: 13th March 2020
- Summary: JOHANNGEORGENSTADT, GERMANY (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) CARS DRIVING ON ROAD TOWARDS CZECH BORDER AND VILLAGE OF POTUCKY SIGN MARKING BORDER WITH ROUNDABOUT AND SIGN OF TOWN POTUCKY, CZECH REPUBLIC (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) CAR DRIVING INTO CAR PARK OF SUPERMARKET ON BORDER SHOPPERS INSIDE SUPERMARKET PACKS OF CIGARETTES ON SHELVES SHOPPERS AT CHECKOUTS PACKS OF CIGARETTES IN PLASTIC BAG (SOUNDBITE) (German) SHOPPER FROM BERLIN, BERNDT LUEBEL, SAYING: "No contact, keeping a distance from people, that's ok, but no one should close the borders. That's my opinion." SHOPPERS LOOKING AT PRODUCTS BOTTLES OF ALCOHOL ON SHELVES SHOPPERS AT CHECKOUTS SHOP WORKER PUTTING PACKS OF CIGARETTES IN PLASTIC BAG SIGN READING (German): "DISCOUNT PRICE" SHOPPER LOOKING AT DISPLAY PACKS OF TOBACCO ON SHELF SHOPPERS AT CHECKOUT, SIGN READING (German): "SUPER OFFER" SHOP WORKER STACKING PACKS OF CIGARETTES PACKS OF COFFEE WITH SIGNS SHOWING REDUCTIONS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) SHOP OWNER, TO-SEM-WOOH SAYING: "They are (German customers) coming here regularly to buy mainly cigarettes. Now they have to buy reserves for 30 days." EXTERIOR OF SUPERMARKET SHOPPER FROM ALTENBERG IN SAXONY, DORIN MEINHAT, CLOSING TRUNK OF CAR (SOUNDBITE) (German) SHOPPER FROM ALTENBERG IN SAXONY, DORIN MEINHAT, SAYING: "We came here for a shopping trip. We could do exactly the same in Germany as here but it was always nicer to come here in any case. And I hope that in the future it will be like this again, that we will fight this coronavirus." CARS WITH GERMAN NUMBER PLATES PARKED IN CAR PARK PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET JOHANNGEORGENSTADT, GERMANY (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) CARS DRIVING TOWARDS POTUCKY POTUCKY, CZECH REPUBLIC (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) ROAD SIGN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DRIVING IN CZECH REPUBLIC
- Embargoed: 27th March 2020 15:34
- Keywords: Czech Republic German border closures Germans cross border coronavirus pandemic state of emergency
- Location: JOHANNGEORGENSTADT, GERMANY / POTUCKY, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: JOHANNGEORGENSTADT, GERMANY / POTUCKY, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4VZ60P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German shoppers headed into the small Czech village of Potucky on Friday (March 13) to stock up on cheap goods ahead of the closure of the border to most traffic by Czech authorities from midnight on Saturday (March 14).
Shopper Berndt Luebel said he thought the measure, announced by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis on Thursday (March 12) went too far.
The Czech government announced further restrictions on Friday, imposing a ban on foreigners entering the country and Czechs travelling abroad as of Monday (March 16) as it tries to curb its coronavirus outbreak.
There will be exceptions as the government tries to keep imports and exports running in the central European country that is highly dependent on trade and also a transit country for goods criss-crossing Europe. Truck traffic will be allowed.
People working in border areas of a neighbouring country within a 50 km (31 mile) range will be allowed to cross, officials said.
The central European country, which reported 117 cases of the coronavirus and no deaths as of Friday, has already closed schools, leisure and entertainment centres and banned public events for more than 30 people.
"It was always nicer to come here," shopper Dorin Meinhat from the neighbouring German state of Saxony said, adding that she hoped the situation would return to normal.
(Production: Jiri Skacel, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None