Switzerland: Restrictions tighten after the increase in cases

Switzerland today announced tougher measures against Covid-19 as its government tries to curb the outbreak of coronavirus cases and the arrival of the Omicron variant in the country.

According to the government, the mandatory use of a mask will be extended and a certificate will be issued proving that a citizen has been vaccinated or has recovered from the coronavirus.

At the same time, the government will strengthen its message in favor of telework, while it will allow the entry to events and in various places to be limited only to the vaccinated and the recovered.

The measures will be implemented from Monday, January 6 and will be valid until January 24.

“The Federal Council now considers that the situation is very critical,” the government said in a statement. “The emergence of the Omicron variant also poses new challenges in tackling the pandemic.”

Three cases of the Omicron variant have already been confirmed in Switzerland, according to the Federal Office of Public Health, with these individuals isolated and their contacts in quarantine.

The country of 8.7 million people is also facing an increase in cases, with more than 96,000 cases confirmed in the last 14 days. November 29 recorded the highest number of infections since the beginning of the crisis, with 11,340 cases.

Switzerland has also tightened restrictions on entry into the country, insisting that travelers from 23 countries must pass a negative test and be quarantined for 10 days.

The government announced that from December 4, countries will be removed from the quarantine list, although it will apply a stricter obligation for diagnostic tests upon entering the country.

Source: AMPE

Read also: