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COVID-19

Coronavirus in Switzerland: Emergency measures set to be rolled out as death toll rises

Switzerland's federal health office (FOPH) said on Thursday that emergency quarantine measures introduced in the canton of Ticino will almost certainly be extended to the rest of Switzerland as the death toll rises to six.

Coronavirus in Switzerland: Emergency measures set to be rolled out as death toll rises
A picture taken on January 12, 2020 shows the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters prior to a combined news conference following a two-day international conference on COVID-19 coronavirus. AFP

“The rest of Switzerland will follow”,  Daniel Koch, head of FOPH’s communicable diseases division told SRF radio

“The rest of Switzerland will certainly do what’s being done in Ticino now. The wave has now arrived in Switzerland,” he said.

So the country will soon be under more restrictive measures, taken in order to protect those who are at risk.

Ticino’s measures include closing of non-compulsory public and private schools such as high-schools or vocational colleges, as well nightclubs, cinemas, gyms and ski areas. 

Elderly people in the area are discouraged from looking after children or taking public transport.

The canton also closed nine of its border points with Italy, leaving just a few crossings open for frontier workers.

Those who do not follow the regulations are liable to receive huge fines.

Not complying with the Federal Law on Epidemics — for instance, by ignoring a quarantine measure ordered by the health authorities —  can result in a 5,000-franc fine

Switzerland's emphasis now is on protecting the most vulnerable – the elderly and those with chronic health problems.

“Because for them the virus is dangerous,” Koch said. “They need hospitals. And if there are too many patients, the hospitals will not be able to cope with the situation.”

Switzerland has over 800 confirmed coronavirus cases and six deaths.

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

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People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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