Switzerland: Citizens vote in favor of pandemic management plan

The Swiss said yes to the health crisis management legislation, which will apply the use of the health pass, according to the first estimates for the results of today’s referendum published by the polling institute gfs.bern.

In the midst of the fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, citizens approved the government’s pandemic management plan, authorizing the government to continue taking additional measures to stop new cases.

Opponents of the health pass, who had called for the referendum, are not expected to be surprised as all the polls conducted before it gave a steady lead in his camp yes.

All political parties, with the exception of the populist center-right Democratic Union of the Center (UDC), the largest party in the federal parliament, support the bill.

The referendum was held at the time that Omicron mutation, which was first identified in South Africa and has been described as a “concern” by the World Health Organization, puts the planet back on alert.

At the same time, in Switzerland, as in other European countries, there has been a rapid rise in cases since mid-October due to the Delta mutation.

But unlike other countries, the Swiss federal government is currently refusing to tighten restrictive measures, considering that a relatively small percentage of beds in intensive care units are occupied (20%).

With a rate of fully immunized against covid-19 reaching around 65%, Switzerland has lower vaccination coverage than other Western European countries.

This is the second time in six months that the Swiss have been called to a referendum to pass covid-19 management legislation. In June, citizens had 60% support the then legislation.

But now the laws have been amended to give more power to the authorities to deal with the pandemic, but also to adopt the health pass, with the result that vaccinators and those who oppose the certificate can ask for a second referendum.