FILE PHOTO: A police officer in a protective suit checks the temperature of a person inside a car at Czech-German border in Rozvadov crossing, Czech Republic, March 9, 2020. REUTERS/David W Cerny

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech Republic is introducing controls on its borders with Germany and Austria and banning crossings away from official frontier border posts to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on Wednesday.

The country, which is part of the European Union’s Schengen area, will start the checks on Friday, news agency CTK reported.