The slimmed down Antivirus programme will continue to help. According to the government, it is necessary to keep this programme in operation, in order for it to be able to take off in case the situation gets worse again. The Antivirus programme was originally only supposed to operate until 30 April 2020, but on the initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, it continued to be prolonged. The end of the programme is now planned for 31 December 2021. Until this time, the government may prolong or renew the period of eligibility of costs of a part or of all regimes of the Antivirus programme without the need for approving the conditions of the programme again or entering into new agreements.

The currently approved prolongation of the period of eligibility of costs until 30 October 2021 thus only applies to regime A, if the costs incurred as a result of an important personal obstacle in work on the part of the employee consisting in imposed quarantine. The Antivirus programme will thus pay contributions only to those employers, on whose employees quarantine or isolation has been imposed on grounds of the COVID – 19 disease. The maximum amount of support is up to 80% of paid wage including levies. The reason for slimming down the programme is the fact that the extraordinary measures forbidding employers from performing their economic activity are no longer in effect.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, a total of 74,211 agreements on provision of support were made from the launch of the programme on 6 April 2020 to 28 June 2021 within the Antivirus programme and a total of 1,068,632 employees were supported. Contributions totalling approximately CZK 48.7bn were paid, out of which CZK 18.5bn in the year 2021.