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HEALTH

Americans visiting Switzerland subject to ten-day quarantine

Visitors from the United States, as well as 28 other countries, will need to complete a ten-day quarantine when arriving in Switzerland.

Published: 2 July 2020 18:14 CEST
Americans visiting Switzerland subject to ten-day quarantine
A Swiss plane on the tarmac in Geneva. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Note: This story is now out of date. Please click here for up to date information. 

Switzerland will put in place a quarantine on arrivals from so-called high-risk countries. This is what you need to know. 

Late on Thursday, the official list of high-risk countries was released. Some of the more notable countries include Sweden, Serbia, Kosovo, the United States, Israel and Russia. 

See below for the full list.
 
For third countries, the quarantine is set to start on July 20th, before which people from these countries are unable to enter. 

Why a quarantine requirement? 

The quarantine requirement will be imposed due to increases in new infections. 

“Since mid-June, the new coronavirus has experienced an upsurge in Switzerland after infected people entered the country from Schengen and non-Schengen states” beyond Europe's open borders zone, said the government.

“Consequently, from July 6, anyone crossing the border from certain regions must quarantine themselves for 10 days,” the Federal Council said.

A guard at the border between France and Switzerland. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Which countries are on the list? 

The full list is: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Colombia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Moldova, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Serbia, South Africa, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States.

Affected people will be informed on planes, coaches and at the borders, and must register with the local authorities once in Switzerland.

Anyone who appears to be sick must not be allowed to board buses, trains or flights to Switzerland. 

Which countries or regions are considered 'high risk'?

In a statement, the government said “as of Monday, July 6, anyone crossing the border from certain regions must quarantine themselves for ten days. The Federal Office of Public Health maintains a list of the regions in question, which it updates regularly.”

The Swiss health authorities promised that it would regularly update the list and that it would look to keep abreast of the situation in countries regarding infections and outbreaks. 

READ: Masks to be compulsory in Swiss public transport from Monday

Who else can enter Switzerland? 

As it currently stands, only arrivals from EU or EFTA states will be allowed to enter. 

While the EU wound this back for certain countries from July 1st, Switzerland is set to follow suit on July 20th. 

The countries which will be allowed entry from July 20th are expected to include “Algeria, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay as well as the EU states not belonging to the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland and Romania)”. 

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HEALTH INSURANCE

Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

The Swiss health system is ranked among the best in the world, but some essentials, like glasses, aren't automatically covered by health insurance. That could soon change, however

Published: 16 May 2024 15:06 CEST
Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

Green Party Federal Councillor Katharina Prelicz-Huber revealed in an interview with newspaper 20 Minuten this week that the Federal Parliament had tabled a motion to include prescription glasses and contact lenses in Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance scheme. 

Prelicz-Huber stated: “The purpose of compulsory health insurance is to provide the services you need to get or stay healthy,”

The motion forms part of the legislation that will be voted on during the 2024 summer session of the Federal Council. 

Proposed changes 

According to Switzerland’s peak optician body, 4 in 5 Swiss wear glasses or contact lenses at some point. 

It’s no surprise that statistics repository, Statista, projects the Swiss eyewear industry to be worth €1.37 billion by 2028. 

Currently, glasses and contact lenses are covered for up to 180 francs for children until age eighteen, if they are proscribed by a doctor.

Adults can also claim money back for glasses and contact lenses – however, they must be suffering from one of a short list of specific conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea is distorted – or severe myopia, otherwise known as near-sightedness.

They must also have been specifically prescribed them by a doctor or optometrist. 

Otherwise, supplemental optical insurance must be purchased in Switzerland to ensure you can recoup the cost. 

Under the Green Party proposal, glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids would be covered, regardless of age. 

Rising premiums prompt opposition 

Not everybody agrees with the proposal. 

The right-wing SVP has already spoken out against it, with Federal Councillor Diana Gutjahr arguing: “If we seriously want to slow down the burdensome and constantly rising health costs for the benefit of the population, we [must] show the political will not to constantly expand the benefits of compulsory health insurance.”

A spokesman for the the health insurance advocacy group Santesuisse, Matthias Müller, echoed Gutjahr, claiming that insurance constitutes “financing for extraordinary events such as illness.”

“If almost everyone benefits from a certain service, it is no longer an insurance benefit.”

A date for the vote has yet to be announced. 

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