Swiss government decides against further Covid restrictions
Watching the ice hockey from the socially distanced comfort of one's car in Davos on Sunday
Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller
The government says the epidemiological situation in Switzerland remains worrying, but it believes the measures taken on December 18 are appropriate and do not need to be tightened.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Português
pt
Governo suíço decide não reforçar as medidas contra a pandemia
In a statementExternal link on Wednesday it said would continue to monitor developments closely and would reassess the situation on January 6.
On December 18 the government closed all restaurants and bars, sports and recreation centres and other cultural institutions for a month. It controversially allowed cantons to decide whether to let ski areas remain open.
More
More
New anti-corona measures: restaurants closed, ski areas open
This content was published on
Switzerland to close restaurants, bars for a month from Tuesday to curb the spread of the coronavirus, ski areas remain open, the government says.
The reproduction value of the virus is currently below 1 (0.86 on December 18), the government noted on Wednesday. “However, this decrease and the low number of new cases reported in recent days should be viewed with great caution. They can be explained to a considerable extent by the decrease in tests carried out during the holidays and the delay in reporting new cases, hospitalisations and deaths,” it said.
On Tuesday the president of the government’s Covid-19 scientific taskforce called for an immediate reduction in the “sad” number of cases and for widespread testing of the population.
More
More
Covid taskforce: ‘Switzerland must get out of the risk zone’
This content was published on
The Swiss government’s Covid-19 scientific taskforce has called for widespread testing and an immediate reduction in the “sad” number of cases.
Following the appearance of new fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus in the UK and South Africa, the government took measures on December 21 to prevent or slow down their spread in Switzerland.
“To date, seven people infected with this new variant have been identified thanks to the intensified sequencing of positive tests,” it said.
More
More
Swiss impose entry ban for travellers from UK and South Africa
This content was published on
Switzerland has imposed a ten-day retrospective quarantine and general entry ban on visitors from the UK and South Africa.
The government said the measures decided on December 18 were therefore all the more important to limit the number of new cases and slow the spread of these new variants. However, “if these new variants continue to spread, further measures cannot be ruled out”.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 447,905 people have tested positive for the virus and 7,005 have died in Switzerland, which has a population of 8.5 million.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Hotel rates already spiking ahead of 2025 Eurovision in Basel
This content was published on
A week after Basel was chosen to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year, hotel prices are soaring in neighboring cities.
Swiss Post restructure going ahead as planned, says CEO
This content was published on
The postal service is going ahead with planned cuts to its nationwide network of branches, regardless of political initiatives, says Robert Cirillo.
Swiss athletes grab marathon double gold at Paralympics
This content was published on
Catherine Debrunner won her fifth gold at the Paris Games with a victory in the women’s marathon on Sunday, while Marcel Hug took gold in the men’s.
Helicopter evacuations from Saas Valley to continue on Monday
This content was published on
Some 550 tourists were flown out of the Saas valley on Saturday. After further clearance work on Sunday, evacuations will resume on Monday.
Swiss government pensions come under pressure in parliament
This content was published on
A parliamentary committee is favour of scrapping the generous pensions enjoyed by former government ministers and federal judges.
This content was published on
Appointed in April as the EU's incoming ambassador, Slovak man Miroslav Lajčák will ultimately not take up the post in Bern this year.
SNB boss: as a leading financial hub, Swiss must accept risks
This content was published on
The outgoing head of the Swiss National Bank, Thomas Jordan, says the country should aim to preserve its leading financial position.
Top Swiss court rules against prostitution exclusion zone
This content was published on
The Federal Court ruled that a Swiss town went too far in banning prostitution within a 100-metre radius of certain sensitive locations.
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.