'Year is a total write-off,' says Czech wedding photographer

02:29

A Prague wedding photographer says he has written off all work for the year, with couples choosing not to get married amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Some businesses in Czechia were able to reopen on Monday, as the government took its first steps to relax the restrictions imposed to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Among the events now permitted are weddings, but no more than 10 guests are allowed.

Prague-based wedding photographer Kurt Vinion doesn't expect many couples will want to have their wedding if they can't invite all their friends and family.

"It doesn't feel like it's the right time for a lot of people and I think a lot of us in the industry are going to have to bite the bullet on this year and hope things will really turn around for next year," he said.

"We don't have any clarification on whether they have to wear a mask, whether we have to wear a mask… the last thing you want to see is a beautiful bride walking down the aisle in a beautiful dress and she has a mask on and you can't even see her face, right?"

A couple pose for a photo after getting married in Prague. /AP

Overseas clients make up 90 percent of his bookings and he has had every one until September canceled. Hundreds of couples visit Prague each year to tie the knot, but Vinion says it's going to be a tough year for the destination wedding industry.

The photographer said: "It's a tough situation, but I think the key is to stay positive and hope for the best."

From Monday, farm produce markets and car dealerships were able to reopen, as well as other small businesses.

Shoe and upholstery repairer Vlach Ladislav has a business that can now reopen. He says the income he lost over the past five weeks meant he couldn't pay his bills.

"When it closed here, right, it was bad for me, because the costs here are pretty big – rents and everything," he said. "So I just closed it here ... I went home and there I actually spent the whole time that it was closed, that was the order."

He says the change of season is good for sales and regrets that he missed it, but is grateful to now have a backlog of repairs to work through.

In a month, restaurants, cafes and pubs will be allowed to open if they have an outdoor area or sell food to take away.

Museums, galleries and zoos will also be able to reopen, as will hair and beauty salons.

Healthcare workers attend to a COVID-19 patient in Prague. /AP

By 8 June, all businesses will be allowed to reopen. Czechia's coronavirus numbers, like many of its neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe, are much lower than those further west.

Some public health experts say a big reason for this is that poorer countries moved faster to enact strict lockdown rules, fearing their weaker healthcare systems would be overwhelmed.

That's why Czech officials are being cautious, saying they'll reimpose restrictions should the country have a fresh surge of cases.

Despite some sense of normality returning to the country, traveling overseas remains off the cards, unless it's urgent.

The country's president, Milos Zeman, has called for borders to remain closed for a year, but Kurt Vinion doesn't think that's realistic.

"I don't think, economically speaking, that this country can afford to keep its borders closed for a year," Vinion said.

"We're in uncharted territory here."