Canton Zurich collects ‘risk land’ passenger data for other cantons

Zurich cantonal security director Mario Fehr outlines his plans at Zurich airport on Wednesday Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Zurich cantonal police sends passenger data on people flying into Zurich airport from countries on Switzerland’s coronavirus “risk list” to several other cantons, it has been revealed.

Canton Zurich has been collecting the data from airlines since Wednesday in order to check that people are keeping to the 10-day quarantine rules.

Since July 6 anyone entering Switzerland from a country or area with an increased risk of infection must spend ten days in voluntary quarantine and report their arrival to the relevant cantonal authority within two days. The list of 46 countries can be found hereExternal link. On Wednesday mainland Spain was added to the list.

Anyone who fails to comply with this obligation to report risks a fine of up to CHF10,000 ($11,000). In the case of negligent infringement, the maximum fine is CHF5,000. 

Zurich cantonal police spokesman Werner Schaub confirmed to news agency Keystone-SDA a report in Tages-Anzeiger newspaperExternal link which stated that the data had been going to cantons Bern and Aargau since Friday.

Thurgau interested

Canton Thurgau has also expressed an interest in the data. A cantonal government official told Keystone-SDA that the number of people needing to go into quarantine had doubled every week during the summer holidays.

Zurich’s cantonal security director Mario Fehr said on Wednesday that the canton would be collecting the data and that it was prepared to hand it on to other cantons. Fehr said that he made the decision independently because of having to wait too long for the federal government to organise the data.

By Wednesday, 8,600 travellers had arrived in Zurich from risk countries of which 15% lived in the canton, officials said.

It was also revealed on Friday that Slovenia had put Switzerland on its yellow listExternal link, meaning an obligatory quarantine of 14 days for all those coming in from Switzerland, unless they were Slovenian citizens or permanent residents. Norway also put Switzerland – as well as France and the Czech Republic – on its red list of quarantine countries on Thursday due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in those countries, its public health institute said.