Critics rally behind call for free Covid tests 

The Swiss government says it will no longer pay for rapid antigen tests for asymptomatic people looking to obtain a health pass (Covid certificate). © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

An online petition demanding that Covid tests remain free in Switzerland has amassed significant support in four days. By Monday, it had collected over 200,000 signatures. Assuming no duplicate or fake entries, that represents 2.3% in a population of 8.54 million. 

The request was launched by an individual on the Campax petition platform. It demands that tests remain free of charge for asymptomatic people after October 1, the deadline by which the government said it would scrap financial support for Covid testing.  

The extension of the health pass obligation to many public places coupled with out-of-pocket payments for tests would lead to an unequal treatment for about 40% of the Swiss population who do not want to be vaccinated, the petition argues. Many people would not be able to pay for the tests and would therefore be excluded from certain parts of public life. 

As of Monday, Swiss people are required to present a Covid certificate to enter restaurants, cinemas and sports facilities, among other venues. The goal is to prevent entire sectors from being closed again or certain activities from being banned, according to the government. The health pass serves as proof a person has been vaccinated for Covid-19, had the disease or has a negative test result.  

At the end of August, the government decided it would stop covering the costs of Covid testing – a decision it estimates would save about CHF400 million ($434 million) per year. Interior Minister Alain Berset explained it is no longer justified to make taxpayers pay for the high costs of these tests, as everyone has the possibility to be vaccinated. 

In a bid to avoid new virus waves and lockdowns, many countries in Europe are now obliging their residents, as well as travellers, to present their Covid-19 passport to enter indoor public spaces. Opponents see the restriction as an encroachment of civil liberties and a form of discrimination against the unvaccinated.