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Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský has bought a stake in Macy’s, one of the oldest U.S. department stores, taking advantage of a share price-drop spurred by uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There was a marked fall-off in tourist numbers in the Czech Republic in the first quarter of 2020, according to official data released on Monday. Between the start of January and the start of April, 3.1 million tourists were recorded – a fall of 22.2 percent on the same period in 2019.

Industrial production in the Czech Republic saw its biggest fall since July 2009 in March, according to official figures released on Thursday. Working-day adjusted production declined by 10.8 percent year-on-year that month, following a 0.9 percent fall in February.

The government’s electronic cash register system is to be suspended until the end of this year in view of the coronavirus situation. The prime minister also says that he will push through a reduction in VAT on accommodation services in a bid to help the hard-hit sector.

The coronavirus crisis is not likely to cause a fall in property prices in the Czech Republic, the Association for the Development of the Property Market said this week. However, a slowdown in sales can be expected, the group said.

The coronavirus outbreak is forcing Czech consumers to change their shopping habits, the daily e15 reported on Tuesday. The number of cash withdrawals from ATM machines dropped by nearly 50 percent since the government declared a state of emergency in mid-March. At the same time, Czech banks have reported a steep increase in electronic payments.

Following a pause brought about by the arrival of the coronavirus epidemic, the company Lime is reintroducing its distinctive green, black and white electric scooters to the streets of Prague. The Czech capital is one of the first cities where Lime’s operators are resuming services.

The Czech Republic has been for years considered one of Europe’s leading countries in terms of alcohol consumption per capita. But recent data on the sales of spirits in the country suggest Czechs might not be such heavy drinkers after all.

Traffic at Prague airport has been steadily declining since a state of emergency was introduced on March 12 and since the Czech Republic’s borders were closed, Czech Radio reported this week.

The Czech Republic’s culture sector has been responding to the government’s freshly announced plans to slowly get the country’s economy moving again. Booksellers say they fear for the existence of outlets, while festival organisers say they are still awaiting official guidance.