Swiss cantons expected to follow Ticino’s lead in emergency measures
The federal health office said on Thursday that emergency measures introduced in Ticino on Wednesday could soon be extended to the rest of Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SRF/sm
Português
pt
Cantões suíços devem acompanhar medidas aplicadas no Ticino
Already on Wednesday, the southernmost canton of Ticino declared a “state of necessity”, which comprises a series of emergency measures, including the closure of some schools, on account of the coronavirus pandemic. These will be in effect until the end of March.
He reiterated the importance of protecting the elderly and the chronically ill. “Because for them the virus is dangerous. They need hospitals. And if there are too many patients, the hospitals will not be able to cope with the situation.”
Koch later clarified that such decisions would be taken on a cantonal, not a federal level.
External Content
Among the 12 measures introduced in Ticino is one that discourages people over 65 from looking after children or taking public transport. Restaurants have also been told to limit seatings to 50 people maximum. The shut-down does not affect higher education or vocational training establishments.
Also on Wednesday, the Swiss government closed nine border crossing points to Italy – where there are over 12,000 cases and more than 800 people have died. The move is designed to better control and monitor the influx of workers from its southern neighbour. However, the government has resisted closing down the border altogether.
Clarification: An earlier version of this story referred to the emergency measures as a “state of emergency,” whereas the Ticino authorities have described the emergency measures as being part of a “state of necessity”.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
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.