Thousands quarantined after high-risk trips and contact 

Anyone arriving from 42 listed high-risk coronavirus countries must go into quarantine and report to cantonal authorities... but not everyone is respecting the rules. Keystone / Alexandra Wey

5,565 people have been quarantined after a trip to one of 42 listed risk countries for coronavirus, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) said on Friday.  

Another 2,335 persons were in quarantine on Friday because they have been in contact with infected persons. The figures come from 21 cantons and Liechtenstein. 

Thanks to contact tracing and spot checks among passengers arriving by air, several cantons have been able to detect people not respecting the quarantine rules, a survey by the SDA-Keystone news agency found. However, it did not give figures, and the possible number of unreported cases is not known. 

A week ago, the FOPH said it would start carrying out spot checks on 20 to 30 flights per week to verify compliance with the quarantine obligation on return from a risk country.  

As of Thursday, data on nine flights had been passed on to the cantons, spokesman Daniel Dauwalder said on Friday, and further lists would follow this week. Starting next week, bus connections would also be included in the samples, he told Keystone-SDA.  

Quarantine rules 

Since July 6, anyone entering or returning to Switzerland from a risk country has had to go into quarantine. Those affected must report to the cantonal authorities no later than 48 hours after entering the country. 

Anyone who fails to comply with this obligation to report risks a fine of up to CHF10,000. In the case of negligent infringement, the maximum fine is CHF5,000. 

Since the virus hit Switzerland, around 33,500 people have tested positive for the virus and almost 2,000 have died. From its March peak, the number of new cases fell to around a dozen in early June, alongside a drop in hospital cases and deaths. 

But since the easing of the semi-lockdown from mid-June, the number of new cases has been slowly creeping up. The FOPH on Friday reported 154 new cases over 24 hours and six deaths.