SHARE
COPY LINK

FRIBOURG

Three more Swiss cantons tighten coronavirus rules as infections increase

Faced with a significant increase of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations, the Swiss cantons of Jura, Fribourg and Neuchâtel are implementing new restrictions starting on October 23rd.

Three more Swiss cantons tighten coronavirus rules as infections increase
Masks are now mandated in all public spaces in Switzerland. Photo by AFP

In its press release on Friday, cantonal authorities announced that Jura is now “among the most critical regions” in Europe.

As of Friday morning 50 coronavirus patients are hospitalised in the canton, up from 11 one week ago.

Meetings, gatherings or demonstrations of more than 15 people, including children, will now be prohibited. Restaurants, cafés and bars must close at 10pm.

In these establishments, a maximum of four people can be seated at the same table, with the exception of people living in the same household. Late night bars and clubs must remain closed.

Team and contact sports are banned with the exception of professional private practice and individual training. Fitness centres must remain closed. Ski camps, sports camps, and study trips are suspended.

Wearing a mask is compulsory at all times in the workplace, both in public and private companies. It is also mandatory for students in the perimeter of secondary and post-compulsory schools when they are not seated in class.

In Fribourg, gatherings of more than 10 people in public and private spaces will be banned, the Council of State said in a statement on Friday. This ban particularly applies to events such as political, cultural and civil demonstrations.

Nightclubs, cabarets casino, gaming rooms, billiards, bowling, and other entertainment facilities will be closed. All other establishments must close at 11pm and can only accommodate groups of four people per table, unless the customers live in the same household.

Neuchâtel raised its alert level to red on Friday, meaning that the outbreaks of Covid-19 are spreading at an alarming rate. 

Gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited in public and private spaces, with the exception of funerals.

Public establishments must close by 11 pm at the latest.

In restaurants, the number of people is limited to a maximum of four per table,  with the exception of people living in the same household. Gyms, wellness centres, swimming pools and bowling alleys are closed.

READ MORE: Valais implements 'Switzerland's strictest' lockdown measures as infection rates 

The new restrictions in the three cantons are in addition to the national ones implemented by the Federal Council on October 19th in response to Switzerland’s skyrocketing infection rate. 

They include mask requirement in all indoor public spaces, capping public gatherings at 15 people, and private events at 100. 

However, if the numbers get out of hand, authorities will “consider more drastic measures”, Swiss president Simonetta Sommaruga warned.

This could mean a ‘mini lockdown’, if the infection curve does not flatten out soon, Sommaruga said.

In addition to nationwide measures, each canton can implement its own stricter rules, above and beyond those mandated by the federal government, Sommaruga pointed out.

For instance, canton Bern announced  the ban on events involving more than 1,000 people, even though such gatherings are currently authorised, under stringent conditions, in the rest of the country. 

And Valais, where the infection rate has soared, mandated new measures from October 22nd. 

They include the closure of bars, nightclubs, brothels, cinemas, theatres, museums, libraries, public swimming pools, and bowling alleys.

 


 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

COVID-19

What does the increase in the number of Covid cases in Switzerland mean?

Coronavirus infections are on the rise again, with Swiss health officials and epidemiologists expressing concern over the possible evolution of the disease.

What does the increase in the number of Covid cases in Switzerland mean?

While the worst of the Covid pandemic is long over, and experts don’t expect it to re-emerge with the same strength and health consequences as it had in 2020, new cases have been reported in the past weeks.

Wastewater analysis, one of the means employed by health officials to measure the presence of coronavirus, indicates a viral load that is at least five times higher than usual, with values “now almost as high as in some previous Omicron-related waves,” Christoph Ort, spokesperson for Eawag Institute, which traces Covid viruses in 14 wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland, told the media.

What does this mean?

According to Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the most common sub-variant in Switzerland right now is the highly transmissible XBB, also known as ‘Kraken.’

The Eris and Pirola variants, which circulated in the summer and early fall are also still present.

While none is nearly as dangerous (at least for most people) as the early Alpha and Delta viruses, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the early stages of the pandemic, there is a reason for concern nevertheless.

“It’s a start of a small wave,” said Rudolf Hauri, head of the Cantonal Doctors’ Association.

“More people are being admitted to hospitals again with, or because of, coronavirus. There are also new cases in intensive care units, but these are generally people with a medical history.”

Should you be worried?
 
While the number of people with serious Covid-related complications is not expected to be as high as previously, the rise in the number of infections should not be trivialised either, infectious disease specialists say.
 
This is especially important for people in the high-risk category — those over 65 or suffering from chronic illnesses — who can get quite sick if infected with the new variants, according to FOPH.
 
This is all the more important as the flu season is about to begin in Switzerland as well, and the confluence of both illnesses, plus other respiratory viruses that typically circulate during the winter, can be very risky.
 
What can you do to protect yourself?
 
Other than adopting the same protective measures as those during the pandemic — that is, washing hands, avoiding close contacts and crowded spaces, and wearing masks where needed — health officials also recommend top-up shots, for both Covid and flu.

READ ALSO: Who should get top-up Covid and flu jabs in Switzerland?

SHOW COMMENTS