Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

COVID-19

Switzerland to open indoor restaurants and allow larger events by end May

Switzerland on Wednesday decided it will wind back more coronavirus restrictions - including allowing restaurants to serve food indoors, letting larger events take place and exempting vaccinated people from quarantine - from May 31st.

Published: 12 May 2021 18:16 CEST
Switzerland to open indoor restaurants and allow larger events by end May

The openings will only go ahead under the proviso that Switzerland’s coronavirus numbers remain under control until May 26th, when the decision will become formalised. 

The changes will come into effect on May 31st. 

Several of the current coronavirus measures will be relaxed. 

Restaurants will be allowed to serve people indoors at tables of up to four people. 

The quarantine for those already vaccinated will also be dropped. People who have recovered from COVID and those who have been vaccinated will be exempt from contact and travel quarantine.

The number of people allowed to gather indoors will increase from 50 to 100 people, while the cap on outdoor gatherings will increase from 100 to 300 people. 

A maximum of 30 people rather than 15 will be allowed to participate in outdoor sports. 

The decision was made on the basis of a three-phase re-opening plan that the government outlined in April.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What is Switzerland’s three-phase plan for ending Covid-19 restrictions?

Indoor sports without a mask will be capped at 15 people in the same hall. 

Contact sports such as judo or wrestling are only allowed indoors without a mask in constant groups of four people.

The area requirement for ‘quiet’ indoor sports (e.g. yoga) will be adjusted from 15 to 10 square meters per person.

EXPLAINED: What are Switzerland’s current coronavirus measures?

Wellness centres and thermal baths will again be allowed to open, however only one person per 15 square metres will be allowed. 

Working from home, currently a requirement under Swiss law, will again become recommended rather than required. 

The cap on university lectures of 50 students will also be scrapped, provided the universities put in place effective contact tracing solutions. 

‘The openings have not had a negative impact on the pandemic’

The Federal Council said the further openings could take place due to the public’s compliance with the existing measures. 

“The population is implementing the protective measures well, the opening step of April 19, 2021 has so far not had a negative impact on the development of the epidemic.”

READ MORE:  ANALYSIS: Why are Switzerland’s coronavirus numbers falling so sharply?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

COVID-19

What you need to know about the new Covid-19 wave in Switzerland

When the pandemic was winding down two years ago, health authorities warned that while the worst was over, Covid will keep re-emerging, in one form or another, in the future.

Published: 19 July 2024 11:45 CEST
What you need to know about the new Covid-19 wave in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the number of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases has increased by around 50 percent over the last four weeks, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).  

Add to it the undeclared cases, and that figure is even higher.

“The number of positive tests is climbing, and further increases cannot be ruled out,” FOPH said.

Overall, however, the number of infections remains low.

Why is Covid still around in Switzerland?

As epidemiologists predicted, coronavirus will keep mutating, with different strains emerging over time.

Covid’s new variants, KP.2 and KP.3, are currently circulating throughout the country, causing the number of cases to go up.

That’s because the latest variants spread fast and are particularly resistant to antibodies — which means that whatever immunity you may have built up through previous infections or vaccinations are not sufficient to stop new infections.

What are the symptoms?

The most common ones are similar to those of seasonal flu — that is, cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, cold, sore throat, as well as tiredness.

But just as with the previous bouts, some people will experience milder symptoms, while others more severe ones.

For the time being, these variants have not caused serious developments in most people, and only a small number have required hospitalisation.

What should you do if symptoms appear?

If you do become infected, FOPH recommends avoiding contact with other people, especially those who are particularly at risk of complications.

Measures imposed by the government during earlier outbreaks, such as isolation and quarantine, are not necessary at this point — though health authorities say that, similarly to to previous bouts, you should wear a mask and keep your distance.

And if you are in a high-risk group, contact your doctor immediately.

Should you get (re)vaccinated?

Ask your doctor about that.

Compulsory basic insurance will pay for the vaccine for high-risk people, and possibly their carertakers, based on doctor’s recommendations.

Others must pay for the shot out of their pockets. A dose costs around 100 francs.

Should you cancel your vacation if you test positive?

It is up to you and your own sense of responsibility.

“It would be best to cancel the flight immediately,” said Christiane Meier, vice-president of the Association of Cantonal Doctors. If you decide to go anyway, “wear a mask and keep your distance,” she added.
 
Should we expect a further increase in the number of cases after the holidays?

According to FOPH, it is not yet possible to know for sure, though this possibility can’t be excluded.

Swiss health authorities are constantly monitoring the evolution, but are not making any predictions for the moment.

What they do say is that though new variants spread fast and resist immunity, “there is no reason to panic at this stage.”

SHOW COMMENTS