The Swiss militia had a historic call up to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
The Swiss army says it is ready to tackle a possible second wave of coronavirus cases and has planned accordingly, says spokesman Stefan Hofer.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
It can provide soldiers to help if called upon to do so by the government, he said on Wednesday, adding that the army will only carry out services that society can’t provide.
Specific units or entire battalions are also ready to provide support to the authorities within three or four days. According to the army spokesman, the army has sufficient personnel for a second wave or in an emergency.
The army got a historic call-up in March to help tackle the initial wave of coronavirus infections. After nearly three months of a declared “emergency situation” and national semi-confinement, the number of coronavirus cases and deaths dropped sharply and restrictions have been gradually eased.
However, the number of cases has recently been creeping up again and the government has responded notably by imposing the wearing of masks on public transport nationwide.
Since the cantons have reassumed their traditional decision-making powers, some have taken further steps to contain the spread of the virus, such as compulsory wearing of masks in shops in western cantons Vaud and Jura.
On Wednesday, four north-western cantons (two cantons of Basel, Solothurn and Aargau) also stepped up protective measures, following the example of Ticino in the south.
They are now limiting the maximum number of guests in restaurants, bars, clubs and events to 100 instead of the previous 300. Only those establishments and events that guarantee a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between people and require their customers to wear masks are exempt from the new limit there.
Popular Stories
More
Demographics
How retiring baby boomers could crash Swiss property market
Swiss Solidarity raises CHF17 million for landslide-hit Blatten
This content was published on
The fundraiser Swiss Solidarity has received donations of CHF17 million for the Valais village buried by a landslide on May 28.
Ruag reaches deal with German firm on 25 disputed Leopard tanks
This content was published on
The Swiss defence contractor has settled an old dispute with Global Logistics Support (GLS) regarding 25 Leopard 1 tanks.
Swiss Federal Railways launch pilot project for invisible disabilities
This content was published on
The Railways will offer sunflower badges to passengers with non-visible disabilities to help draw attention to their needs.
This content was published on
In 1985, five European states laid the foundations for a common area without border controls. Switzerland joined in 2008.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss army ends coronavirus deployment
This content was published on
The military has officially ended its involvement in relief measures associated with the coronavirus pandemic after 107 days on duty.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.