Warning against complacency over coronavirus risks
The Swiss government has again urged residents against complacency even as the country’s coronavirus infection rate slows.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/urs
Daniel Koch, the government delegate on the Covid-19 pandemic, warned residents to keep their guard up.
External Content
Never miss a top story: subscribe to our weekly newsletter now.
“The increase in infections is not as steeply as feared, thank God. But we’re a long way from being out of the danger zone. There is a real risk that more people become infected and that we have additional hospitalisations,” Koch told a news conference on Friday.
Currently there are about 300 patients in intensive care, Koch added.
The government on Thursday presented details of a three-phased exit strategy from the sweeping restrictions gradually introduced since the end of February.
Koch reiterated that hygiene and social distancing rules had to remain in place to ensure that the pandemic can be contained.
The government is due to present further details on easing the lockdown, while different sectors of the industry were asked to issue safety concepts notably for hairdressers, beauty salons and other select businesses to reopen.
Small and medium-sized companies as well as the restaurant sector have criticised the government delaying the re-opening until June at the earliest.
The hospitality sector has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
In total, more than 167,000 companies representing 1.76 million people, have applied for short-work hour unemployment benefits. That is about 25% of the total workforce in Switzerland.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Federer-backed On boosts forecast after sneaker demand rises
This content was published on
Swiss footwear company On Holding AG posted strong first-quarter revenue, boosted by demand for its running shoes and new line of training apparel.
Michael Schumacher’s watches fetch CHF4 million at Swiss auction
This content was published on
Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for around CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction house Christie's in Geneva on Tuesday.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
This test could help Switzerland get back on track
This content was published on
While we await a vaccine or treatment, scientists are developing tests to tell us how widespread the virus is, such as the serological test.
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.