Stefan Kuster who heads the unit of communicable diseases at the Federal Health Office, said it was illusory to believe that Switzerland “can prevent clusters” of the disease. His remarks were published on Wednesday’s newspapers from the Tamedia publishing group.
Kuster compared the current situation in Switzerland with a smouldering fire that triggers fresh flare-ups that need to be put out.
Kuster said the solid economic situation of Switzerland was probably a factor which helped prevent the worst. He was referring to a major case of Covid-19 contagions at a meat factory in northern Germany where hygiene and living conditions for many employees were critical.
The health expert refused to rule out a new spike of coronavirus infections in the next few months, noting that scientists still don’t know enough about the virus to combat it successfully.
He also said mandatory hygiene masks on public transport were “a valid possible option” if the population was not willing to respect official recommendations. He said it was up to cantonal authorities to act if necessary.
The Swiss government has stopped short of making the wearing of protective face coverings mandatory but recommended people do so in cases where passengers can’t keep a minimum distance from others.
There are currently about 200 Covid-19 patients in isolation in Switzerland and more than 600 in quarantine. The daily rate of infections has dropped to between about ten and 35 cases in the past few weeks despite a staggered easing of restrictions on public life.
A new online survey found that nearly 80% of 10,519 respondents are in favour of masks in public transport.
The poll was published by the Tamedia group on Wednesday, but the results are not representative according to the newspapers.
Previous polls by other organisations did not find a clear majority in favour of mandatory masks in trains and buses.
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
In photos: How Switzerland adapts to the pandemic
This content was published on
For weeks now, Switzerland has been adapting to life in the shadow of Covid-19. These images capture a highly unusual time in the nation’s history.
Up to 94% of Swiss train travellers going without mask
This content was published on
A study of passengers in major Swiss stations estimated that an average of just 6% were wearing protective face masks on a normal afternoon last week.
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.