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There is a sufficient quantity of food reserves in the Czech Republic, with food processors having prepared plans and supply routes secured, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has asked Czechs to stop panic buying in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Agriculture Ministry stressing that people do not need to horde food. However, in some goods, such as pork, self-sufficiency is not present, the Czech News Agency reports.

The Czech economy is in relatively good condition to face a potential global economic downturn, the governor of the Czech National Bank, Jiří Rusnok, said on Czech Television on Wednesday.

Czech retailers have recorded a steep rise in sales of freezers, game consoles and air purifiers along with the spread of coronavirus, along with non-perishable foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals, the news server Aktuálně.cz reports.

The number of advance sales for summer holiday tours has been falling since the end of last month, according to travel agencies questioned by Czech Radio. The main reason is the ongoing coronavirus scare.

When it comes to gender equality, Brussels is getting better, but not fast enough, Politico says in reference to its annual list of most influential women in the EU. A record number of women were elected to the European Parliament in 2019, bringing their representation closer to the 40 percent mark. Certainly not equal, but an improvement, the news site notes, hailing the fact that the European Commission is now led by a woman, Ursula von der Leyen, who, it says has almost managed to achieve a gender-balanced College of Commissioners.

Czechs continue to buy flowers on International Women’s Day, which falls in two days’ time. However, they are less inclined to purchase carnations, which were common when March 8 was a major event during Czechoslovakia’s communist era, the Czech News Agency reported.

The coronavirus has impacted global stock and commodities markets and also hit the Czech crown. It stood at below 25 to the euro in mid-February, its strongest level since 2012. Since then, however, the crown has reached even above 25.50 to the common European currency.

The Czech Republic’s gross domestic product growth could fall below 2 percent this year, according to analysts questioned by the Czech News Agency. Overall, they view the state of the economy as relatively good, with strong consumption and investment levels acting as support.

Last week saw shares on the Prague Stock Exchange fall by 10 percent, with index levels at their lowest since June 2017. Analysts say this is part of an international trend with shareholders worried about the impact of the coronavirus.

The Czech finance minister has said the government’s proposal to introduce a digital tax could be postponed till next year and the proposed tax could be cut from 7 to 5 percent. The statement comes following a warning from the US ambassador to Prague about possible retaliatory measures by the Trump administration and concerns voiced by leading Czech exporters who fear damage to Czech-American business relations.