Switzerland changes policy on Covid testing and quarantine
Switzerland will require negative Covid tests from people entering the country from high-risk areas as of February 8.
Keystone/ Ennio Leanza
The Swiss government has decided to adapt its Covid testing and quarantine policy and has earmarked extra funds to soften the impact of restrictions imposed on companies.
People coming from high-risk countries will have to present a negative coronavirus test before entering Switzerland, said Interior Minister Alain Berset at a news conference on Wednesday.
However, the new rules, which are due to come into force on February 8, do not apply to cross-border workers.
In addition, the ten-day quarantine can be shortened if people test negative for Covid-19 after seven days. The government also agreed to pay the costs of testing for people without symptoms.
“It is meant as an incentive to increase the number of tests,” said Berset. The measures are to be used in nursing homes, schools, hotels and large companies.
More financial support
The government also plans to spend an additional CHF8 billion ($9 billion) on emergency funds, unemployment benefits and the short-time work compensation programmes.
It is also considering re-activating the scheme for state-guaranteed loans to cash-strapped companies hit by the restrictions, including temporary closures.
The financial aid still has to be approved by parliament during its spring session in March.
Finance Minister Ueli Maurer warned that Switzerland spent CHF15 billion on pandemic-related aid packages last year and it had already pledged another CHF15 billion this year.
He dismissed criticism that the government was not generous enough in comparison with other countries, saying it was running up debts of CHF150 million every day.
Comparisons
Faced with criticism of the government’s anti-Covid strategy 12 months after the pandemic hit Switzerland, both Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Interior Minister Berset insisted that Switzerland must not be compared with countries such as Taiwan or New Zealand with low infection rates.
“Switzerland is not an island. It is in the centre of the European continent,” Berset said.
Parmelin, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, defended the government policy despite errors and the slow pace.
“Not everything is perfect, but we’re working on it,” he said.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
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 ‘cautiously optimistic’ about course of pandemic
This content was published on
The number of infections has been gradually yet steadily dropping since the turn of the year. On Tuesday, 1,884 new cases were registered from the previous 24 hours. “We’re heading in the right direction, but unfortunately not quite at the pace we would like,” Patrick Mathys, head of crisis management at the Federal Office of…
Semi-lockdown to stave off third Covid wave, says Swiss interior minister
This content was published on
Health Minister Alain Berset has defended further Covid-19 restrictions as a preemptive attempt to prevent a third wave of the pandemic.
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.