Public urged to stay disciplined as lockdown is loosened
The number of new coronavirus infections continues to decline in Switzerland, but the population must remain disciplined, says the government’s delegate for Covid-19 Daniel Koch.
“The trend in the number of cases is good, but we do not want it to rise again,” Koch told a news conference on Friday. He was speaking ahead of a first loosening of anti-coronavirus measuresExternal link from Monday.
The ban remains on gatherings of more than five people, while social distancing and hygiene rules must be strictly observed, he said.
He appealed to the public’s sense of responsibility, stressing that a party in a park around a barbecue is “not on right now”. Only if the numbers can be reduced further will it be possible to return to some kind of normality in the summer, said Koch.
Meanwhile, the armed forces command says it has begun demobilising about 1,000 soldiers taking part in support operations over the past 40 days.
In total, about 4,000 members of the militia army have been on duty at hospitals, the Swiss borders and outside foreign embassies since mid-March.
By mid-May the number is likely to be reduced further, according to a senior army commander.
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Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
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