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The Czech government has this week approved a new scheme under which the state will help companies struggling due to the coronavirus crisis to pay their rent. The programme will cover up to half of rental costs and will draw on CZK 5 billion from the state coffers.

Production of passenger cars in the Czech Republic dropped by a record 88.5 percent year-on-year in April to 14,589 units, the Czech Automobile Industry Association announced on Tuesday. In the period between January and April, production dropped by over 30 percent to 337,497 units.

The state could buy the Czech airline Smartwings, the minister of industry and trade revealed at the weekend. However, the suggestion has raised eyebrows, with critics questioning whether the carrier is in fact a strategic enterprise.

“An exceptional gift for exceptional people” –that is how Czech Mint describes a new issue of coins which are to serve as a thank-you gift to those who fought on the front lines or simply pitched in to help in the battle against coronavirus. The issue, a joint project of Czech Mint and the Czech Red Cross, gives people the chance to express their gratitude and highlight stories of personal courage in the face of the pandemic.

Many landlords in Prague have switched from offering Airbnb type services since the advent of the coronavirus crisis. At the same time, the state is planning to implement more rigorous oversight of short-term rentals, iRozhlas.cz reported on Thursday.

The temporary shift to home office due to restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak has significantly reduced employees’ productivity. A study carried out by the consultancy company Moore Czech Republic suggests that employees’ productivity dropped by around one tenth during the first month of working from home. After two months, productivity fell by 30 percent.

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.