Protest in Zurich against Covid measures

This was not the first time people have taken to the streets of Zurich and other Swiss cities against coronavirus restrictions. Keystone / Ennio Leanza

The Omicron variant is posing new problems for Switzerland and vaccination alone is not enough, a health official said on Saturday. This came as more than a thousand people took to the streets of Zurich protesting against current anti-Covid measures.

Work absences caused by rising Omicron cases could disrupt supplies in Switzerland, warned Christoph Berger, head of the Federal Vaccination Commission which advises the government on vaccination issues. If the number of new cases continues to double every two or three days, the situation could become extremely difficult, he told Swiss public broadcaster SRFExternal link.

This is a new dimension, he continued, with the number of people hospitalised no longer being the only factor to consider. Vaccination, he told SRF, was just one measure among others, not enough in itself. He said it was up to the government to decide any new measures, but personally urged avoiding all large gatherings. 

Meanwhile on Saturday more than 1,000 people marched through the streets of Zurich against “useless” Covid restrictions by politicians, warning against vaccinations and accusing the media of being “bought”. Their banners included calls for “freedom”, “no compulsory vaccination” and “no to state-funded media”.

The demonstration, which had been authorised, was peaceful, although traffic was disrupted. Participants stood and walked closely packed and without masks, according to Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.