The southern Swiss canton of Ticino, which borders Italy, has ordered factories and production lines to temporarily close to combat the spread of coronavirus. The order has been branded excessive by a leading manufacturing association.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Ordenan suspensión industrial no esencial en el Tesino
Ticino is one of the cantons that has been hardest hit by the pandemic in Switzerland. Industry has been ordered to cease production unless it relates to critically important areas such as healthcare, food or agriculture. The order provisionally covers the week beginning Monday March 23.
Factories that cannot simply turn off the switch straight away will be given time to wind down their production lines.
In common with the rest of Switzerland, Ticino has already closed down non-essential high street shops and services. This was ordered by the federal authorities under the powers of the Epidemics Act.
But the canton has now decided on further measures, affecting manufacturing, that may bring it into conflict with the federal government. The Justice ministry has already voiced concern about a curfew imposed on the over-65s in Uri, telling the central Swiss canton to re-think its decision.
Hans Hess, president of the Swissmem industrial group that represents various manufacturing sectors, told Swiss public television SRF that Ticino’s industrial closure is unnecessary and damaging. “A complete shutdown, as in Ticino, is not in the interests of citizens,” he said. “It will lead to supply problems in the country.”
“I hope Ticino will come to its senses and retract these measures, just as Uri had to do with its over-65 curfew.”
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland presents special toilet for cows to cut emissions
This content was published on
A toilet specially designed for cows, aimed at reducing ammonia emissions per animal by 15%, was presented at a farm in Hellbühl, canton Lucerne, on Wednesday.
Swiss petition against US F-35 fighter jets gathers 42,000 signatures
This content was published on
A petition by the "Stop-F35 Alliance" urging the Swiss government to immediately halt the purchase of new US fighter jets has gathered 42,500 signatures.
Swiss House of Representatives backs online Schengen visa system
This content was published on
In future, Schengen visa applications should be made via a European Union online platform. On Tuesday, Switzerland's House of Representatives adopted a revision of Swiss legislation on this issue.
UBS study: Switzerland is still the richest country in the world
This content was published on
Average per-capita wealth in Switzerland rose last year to $687,000 (CHF561,000), the UBS Global Wealth Report said on Wednesday.
UBS and Pictet report data leak after cyber attack on provider Chain IQ
This content was published on
Swiss banks UBS and Pictet on Wednesday confirmed they had suffered a data leak due to a cyber attack on their subcontractor Chain IQ in Switzerland.
Iran will respond firmly if US gets directly involved in Israeli strikes, says UN ambassador
This content was published on
Iran says it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Swiss politicians concerned by cut to Lausanne-Paris TGV services
This content was published on
The Vaud cantonal parliament wants to maintain six direct daily TGV high-speed train services between Lausanne and Paris.
This content was published on
Switzerland and Norway have signed a bilateral agreement for the future storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the North Sea.
Switzerland must better protect whistleblowers, says OECD
This content was published on
Switzerland must step up its anti-corruption efforts and provide better protection for whistleblowers while increasing fines for guilty firms, an OECD anti-bribery group says.
Switzerland tightens restrictions, announces more economic aid
This content was published on
The Swiss government on Friday announced a countrywide ban on gatherings of more than five people and an additional economic package.
Shortage of hospital beds in Ticino as virus toll rises
This content was published on
The Swiss health authorities have raised alarm over the limited care facilities in one of its regions hardest hit by the coronavirus epidemic.
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.