Switzerland has decided not to impose new health measure despite record number of Covid-19 cases
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
The government has decided not to update the Covid-19 health measures.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/vm
“The Federal Council (Swiss government) lacks reliable information on whether Omicron patients are burdening intensive care units. Therefore, it is refraining from further measures for the time being,” it said in a statement following an extraordinary phone call organised to discuss the surging number of cases of Covid-19 in Switzerland.
On Thursday the country registered a record 19,032 new cases. Twenty-three people died and 129 new Covid-19 patients are in hospital.
However, the surge in new cases is not leading to more hospitalisations, Swiss health officials said.
The government expects that the proportion of people who have to be hospitalised due to the Omicron variant will be lower than in the previous waves.
“Nonetheless we have a range of new measures ready and can activate them quickly should the health situation deteriorate,” the government said on Thursday.
Possible next steps would include closures of facilities, it added.
On Wednesday evening Interior Minister Alain Berset told Swiss public radio, RTS, that closures would be the “ultimate recourse”.
The government has been under pressure from some cantons to implement stricter measures. On December 17 it announced that only people who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 were able to enter restaurants, cultural, sporting and leisure venues and attend indoor events.
It also reinstated home office and limited the number of people attending private gatherings.
“The time has not yet come for the Federal Council to take new measures to fight the pandemic,” Berset tweeted on Wednesday.
Separately, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced that the cantons can decide to shorten the quarantine period for people who have had close contact with an infected person from ten to seven days.
“The shorter period is intended to mitigate the impact of quarantine measures on society,” the FOPH wrote on Friday.
Following the announcement, cantons Ticino, Basel, Vaud, Zug, Fribourg and Neuchâtel are shortening the quarantine period from January 3.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
US tariffs: Pharma firms not planning job cuts in Switzerland
This content was published on
The additional investments in the US will not lead to a reduction in jobs in Switzerland. This is according to pharmaceutical giant Roche, which expects the number of employees to remain stable in the current year. The position of Novartis is similar.
Switzerland is closely monitoring three livestock diseases
This content was published on
The spread of Lumpy skin disease, Bluetongue and African swine fever are keeping Swiss veterinary authorities on the alert.
Swiss writer wins European Prize for Political Culture
This content was published on
On Saturday, the Hans Ringier Foundation awarded the 91-year-old Zurich writer Adolf Muschg the European Prize for Political Culture.
Swiss government working with firms to overcome high US tariffs
This content was published on
The Swiss delegation that travelled to Washington has returned from talks on tariffs in the United States. The negotiations are now being conducted under the aegis of the government and the federal administration, according to Seco.
WTO improves its world trade forecast thanks to Trump’s tariffs
This content was published on
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) expects world trade to grow by 0.9% this year, better than expected in April. US imports surged in the first quarter as a result of Donald Trump's tariff announcements.
Swiss gold exports might not face US tariffs after all
This content was published on
Gold exports to the United States may not be taxed after all. The White House plans to "issue an executive order in the near future to clarify misinformation regarding the taxation of gold bullion," among other things.
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.
Read more
More
Covid-19: Switzerland tightens restrictions for the unvaccinated
This content was published on
Switzerland to restrict access to restaurants, bars, cultural and sports facilities to vaccinated people or those recently recovered from infection.
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.