Swiss ministers offer to extend free Covid test deadline

Health minister Alain Berset told a press conference on Friday that Switzerland could be facing a hard winter and only getting more people vaccinated would help end the Covid crisis. Keystone / Anthony Anex

The Swiss government plans to end free Covid tests for everyone after October 10, extending a previous deadline by ten days.

After October 10, it only plans to finance free testing until the end of November for people who have received a first dose of vaccine and have not yet received their Covid certificate.

This is according to a proposal approved by the cabinet that has now been sent to the cantons for consultation. The government is to make a final decision in one week’s time on this controversial issue.

According to an earlier government announcement, free testing for everyone was to end on October 1, but this has been extended amid protest over the decision.

A cabinet statementExternal link on Friday said “it is not up to the public as a whole to finance the cost of tests for people who decide not to get vaccinated”. The extensions for free testing are likely to cost CHF280 million.

“Pragmatic” decision

If the federal government were to assume the costs indefinitely, this would burden the state coffers with about CHF47 million ($51 million) per week, the government writes. This estimate is based on a weekly test volume of one million. Last week, 600,000 tests were carried out for Covid certificates but this number is expected to rise in the winter.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Health Minister Alain Berset said the extension was a “pragmatic” decision and that the government was aware of critics who are demanding that tests should remain free.

However, he added that the rate of vaccinations in Switzerland was still below the European average. The rate of vaccinations in Switzerland has risen from 8,000 a day at the beginning of September to around 30,000 daily.

As of September 13, Covid certificates have become compulsory to access indoor spaces such as restaurants, bars and museums as well as nightclubs and large events. The certificate is granted to people who have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, recently tested negative or recovered from Covid-19.

Tourist plan

Also on Friday, the government announced further measures to help tourists and foreign workers to access indoor facilities in Switzerland. From October 11, visitors will have access to a central electronic registration office to get a Swiss-compliant Covid certificate.

“This will enable people who have been vaccinated or have recovered abroad to upload the information and documents required for the certificate to be issued,” the government stated.

It also proposes extending a grace period for people holding certificates for European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved vaccines from October 10 to October 24. This is to give foreign visitors more time to apply for a Swiss Covid certificate.