Most of the Swiss population respected measures introduced to counter the spread of the coronavirus over the long Easter weekend, according to authorities. Police still had to be called on to deal with offenders, typically teenagers and young adults.

Families also violated the rules more often than average, according to the police in canton St Gallen in the northeast of the country. In many cases, several families went out together and violated the cap on gatherings larger than five people. But most citizens showed discipline despite the warm weather.

The holiday weekend also witnessed lower-than-usual street traffic, Swiss public radio, SRF, reports. The transalpine Gotthard tunnel in central Switzerland is usually congested with holidaymakers headed south for the Easter break. Not so this Good Friday which witnessed about 1,800 southbound vehicles, less than 10% the peak traffic seen in other years, according to police in canton Uri.

Since the start of Easter weekend, the daily number of new coronavirus cases dropped to around 400 between Saturday and Sunday. Numbers fluctuated between 700 and 800 last week. While too early to call, the drop raises hopes that Switzerland is moving away from the daily average of 1,000 cases witnessed at the end of March.

Some of the emergency measures introduced in March will be gradually eased towards the end of April. A decision on the specific areas and measures to be relaxed will be presented on April 16.

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By Susan Misicka (text) and Thomas Kern (photo editor)

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