Five years after Covid lockdown, former Swiss health advisor looks back on crisis
Daniel Koch, former head of communicable diseases at the Federal Office of Public Health, recalls the key role played by the Swiss government during the Covid-19 crisis, five years after a lockdown was first declared in Switzerland.
For government officials, the story began in January 2020. But for the public, the pandemic only became a harsh reality on March 16, said Koch, then nicknamed “Mr. Coronavirus”, in an interview with news agency Keystone-SDA. That was the day the Federal Council (executive body) decided to invoke emergency powers.
A state of extraordinary emergency was declared. All events were banned. Only essential shops were allowed to remain open. People were advised to stay at home and keep their distance from friends and family. “We never forbade people to go out. It was more of a recommendation,” Koch said.
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‘Determined, quick and effective’
The decision to impose a lockdown was the result of preparatory work, but it was taken at short notice, said the former civil servant. He believes that the Federal Council did a good job at the time. He said he has respect for the government, which transformed its operations in a determined, rapid and efficient manner.
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The Federal Council met up to five times a week to discuss the crisis. All government departments were involved. The defence ministry mobilised nearly 8,000 military personnel, the foreign ministry carried out the largest repatriation operation, and the finance ministry released billions of francs for the economy in the space of a few weeks.
Mistakes
Crisis management did not, however, avoid certain hiccups. “We made mistakes,” said Koch. “We certainly didn’t react well when it came to retirement homes. We issued recommendations that, I have to say, went too far.”
The health office wanted to protect people in retirement homes from contamination as far as possible. The responsibility fell to the cantons. In the end, visits were banned from all homes. “People were locked in without being asked whether or not they wanted to be,” said Koch.
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Koch advised the Federal Council as an expert during the first phase of the pandemic. He retired in May 2020.
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Translated from French with DeepL/gw
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