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HEALTH

Which countries have quarantines for Swiss arrivals?

Despite borders opening across Europe and the world, there are still some countries restricting arrivals from Switzerland.

Which countries have quarantines for Swiss arrivals?
Which countries have restricted arrivals from Switzerland. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

The following countries have some form of a quarantine in place for arrivals from Switzerland: Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Ireland. 

Estonia has said it will put in place a quarantine on Swiss arrivals if rates continue to rise. 

In some of these countries tourists are banned while others will be required to quarantine, while in others tourists and all other arrivals will need to quarantine. 

Belgium, which recently had a quarantine recommendation for arrivals from the southern Swiss canton of Ticino, has removed the restriction and now allows entry from all Swiss cantons without a quarantine. 

READ: Who is allowed to travel to Switzerland from outside the EU?

Why must Swiss arrivals quarantine? The reason for the quarantines is the increasing infection rate in Switzerland, although the respective rates differ in each of the countries. 

Finland says no

In Finland, while Swiss tourist arrivals were allowed after a long ban, a fresh ban snapped into place on Monday, July 27th. 

There are some exceptions to the ban, with Finnish citizens, family members, business travellers and owners of holiday homes still allowed to enter, subject to a 14-day quarantine. 

Finland has a low threshold of eight new infections per 100,000 people. 

Switzerland currently has a nationwide rate of 17 infections per 100,000 people, however this is higher in cantons such as Geneva (58) and Graubünden (31). 

Latvia and Lithuania

The Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania set a limit for quarantine measures at 16 infections per 100,000 people, just below Switzerland’s current amount of 17. 

READ: Will Switzerland introduce coronavirus testing at airports to cut quarantine? 

 

Like Finland, entry from Switzerland had been possible without a quarantine in previous weeks, rising infection rates in the Alpine nation has a led to the quarantine. 

This means that currently tourists are permitted to enter from Switzerland however they must complete a 14-day quarantine. 

If Switzerland’s infection rate continues to rise however, a complete ban is likely to be reinstated. Currently, arrivals from countries with an infection rate of 25 per 100,000 will be restricted. 

Estonia has a cut off of 17.5, just half a percentage point above Switzerland’s current rate. 

Ireland

Despite relaxing entry requirements for 15 other European countries in late July, Ireland kept restrictions in place for Swiss arrivals. 

Anyone arriving from Switzerland in Ireland must undergo a 14-day quarantine. 

Ireland has advised any potential arrivals to call their embassy before their planned departure. 

Editor's note: Please keep in mind that this article, as with all of our guides, are to provide assistance only. They are not intended to take the place of official legal advice. 

 

 

 

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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

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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