Belgium adds, then removes, Ticino from travel warning list
Ticino was briefly added to a Belgian “orange” travel warning list, which urged arrivals to quarantine and take a Covid-19 test if they had been in the southern Swiss canton. An intervention by the Swiss foreign ministry then saw Ticino struck off the list on Thursday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
The foreign ministry said it was “satisfied” that Ticino had been removed from the list. Diplomats intervened following objections from the Ticino government and health authorities.
In common with many countries, including Switzerland, Belgium monitors the Covid-19 threat from other countries and applies restrictions on places deemed to be a high risk. There was no explanation of why Ticino was temporarily listed as orange, signifying a medium threat of infection.
Ticino, which borders Italy, was one of the worst hit cantons during the pandemic, but other cantons have recorded higher infection numbers. Switzerland as a whole has registered more than 33,000 confirmed cases and nearly 1,700 deaths and has experienced a rise in cases since the end of a lockdown period.
The country has ordered extra measures to counter a second wave of the pandemic, including compulsory face masks on public transport. Several cantons have added their own measures, including Ticino which included tight restrictions on the number of people who can gather together in public places.
Ticino has also ordered restaurant and bar staff to wear face masks from Monday having only recommended the protective gear up until now.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Switzerland launches national digital inclusion alliance
This content was published on
The Swiss government launched the Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance on Thursday with the goal of giving as many people as possible access to digital services.
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
Switzerland publishes list of ‘high risk’ travel quarantine countries
This content was published on
The Federal Office of Public Health published the listExternal link on Thursday as part of new measures taken by the Swiss authorities to prevent a second wave of the pandemic. After flattening the peak in March, infection rates have been creeping up over the past two weeks, sometimes rising to above 100 on certain days.…
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.