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Switzerland to shorten coronavirus quarantine, require negative PCR test on all flight arrivals

Switzerland will shorten the applicable coronavirus quarantine from ten days to seven, however anyone arriving by air will now need to present a negative PCR test.

Published: 27 January 2021 17:33 CET
Switzerland to shorten coronavirus quarantine, require negative PCR test on all flight arrivals
Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP

Switzerland is changing its quarantine rules from February 8, meaning those told to self-isolate can come out of quarantine after seven days, rather than 10, with a negative test result.

The rule also applies to incoming travellers from a country with a high risk of infection.

Everyone arriving in landlocked Switzerland by air, boat, bus or train must complete an online form, not just those from high-risk countries as before.

All arrivals by air will need to show a negative PCR test result before boarding the plane.

READ MORE: Switzerland to introduce free nationwide coronavirus testing 

Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said Switzerland had spent 15 billion Swiss francs tackling the pandemic in 2020 and was now racking up 150 million francs of debt every day.

Nearly 2.3 percent of the population have received their first Covid-19 vaccine injection, broadcaster RTS said.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis revealed that government ministers had received their first vaccination dose in mid-January — something not made public at the time — even though none of them are in the vulnerable categories currently being immunised.

“We only have seven ministers, not 21 like some other countries,” he told CH Media newspapers, as he raised the prospect of government being unable to continue if several ministers fell ill with the virus.

Free testing across the country

Switzerland said Wednesday it was prepared to spend more than a billion dollars on testing for asymptomatic Covid-19 cases, saying they were probably responsible for most new infections. 

Health Minister Alain Berset said the government would assume the estimated costs of around one billion Swiss francs ($1.12 billion, 930 million euros) of testing people who are not showing coronavirus symptoms.

“It is believed that more than half of Covid-19 infections are transmitted by people who do not display symptoms and are unaware that they actually have the virus,” said a government statement. 

“The federal government will now pay for persons without symptoms to be tested so that those who are particularly vulnerable can be better protected and local outbreaks of infection can be contained early on.”

It said by assuming the cost burden, it hoped to be able to identify outbreaks in settings like schools and care homes sooner. 

“This is particularly important in view of the fact that new, more infectious strains of the coronavirus are currently spreading in Switzerland,” the government said.

The wealthy Alpine nation of 8.6 million people has registered more than 515,000 cases during the pandemic and nearly 8,500 deaths.

The epidemiological situation is improving slowly, the government said. But it added that it remains “greatly concerned” by the number of cases of the new virus variants, which accounted for 10 percent of positive tests last week — a percentage that is doubling each week.

“No democratic and open society has found a perfect solution to fight the pandemic,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin told a press conference in the capital Bern.

Covering the costs to incentivise testing

Previously, the federal government the costs for tests were only borne out by the federal government in certain situations, such as where a person had specific symptoms or in nursing homes or hospitals. 

In some cases, the costs were borne by the cantons. 

Now, coronavirus testing will be free all across the country, with the government saying it wanted to encourage testing wherever possible. 

UPDATE: Is Switzerland set to introduce an FFP2 mask requirement?

“In order to increase the incentive for such tests, the federal government is now assuming the costs,” the government said in a statement. 

“The tests can be carried out by the staff themselves on site and negative results of these rapid tests do not have to be reported.”

More than half of coronavirus infections take place through people without symptoms, the government said on Wednesday. 

A range of new measures

In addition, the government also shortened the quarantine requirement from ten days to seven, while also requiring PCR tests for all flight arrivals. 

Fines for failing to wear masks of up to 200 francs have also been introduced. 

 

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FOOD AND DRINK

EXPLAINED: What does the ‘bio’ label on foods in Switzerland really mean?

All major Swiss supermarkets have products designated as ‘bio’, which refers to their ‘organic’ farming or manufacturing methods. But what exactly does this label represent?

Published: 24 June 2024 11:31 CEST
EXPLAINED: What does the 'bio' label on foods in Switzerland really mean?

In its press release published in June 2024, Bio Suisse, an umbrella group for organic food producers, said that residents of Switzerland are international ‘bio’ champions. 

“With consumption of 454 francs per capita, Switzerland ranks first in international comparison,” the organisation said. “In no other European country is the organic basket of goods as large.”

In terms of preference for organic food, “Switzerland is ahead of Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden. Germany follows in sixth place and France just behind in seventh place,” Bio-Suisse added.

This finding is not surprising because the consumption of this more expensive type of food is directly linked to income: the wealthier the country, the more its residents are willing to spend on organic products.

What does a ‘bio’ label stand for in Switzerland?

In a nutshell, organic products must meet much higher standards and comply with more requirements than the ‘conventional’ foods in the way they are grown and manufactured.

Contrary to most conventional production methods, organic farming is more sustainable — that is, it protects the environment and conserves resources instead of depleting them.

A total of 7,362 organic farmers and producers are members of Bio Suisse.

In addition, more than 2,300 operations abroad are also certified according to the Bio Suisse standards, which means their farming / production methods are equivalent to those practiced in Switzerland.

Can you trust a ‘bio’ label, or is it just a lot of hype (as some people claim?)

In Switzerland, this process is strictly controlled by various organic farming ordinances, which are enforced by the Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW). 

This means that every farm that produces, prepares, trades or imports organic products is inspected and certified at least once a year by one of the four accredited and approved certification bodies in Switzerland.

These laws also set out the principles by which agricultural products and foodstuffs labelled as organic must be made, and which non-toxic substances are authorised for use in organic farming and for preparing organic food.

Why are organic products more expensive than conventional ones?

Among the main reasons are more rigorous production and certification standards, which must meet all the requirements set out by the BLW.

Also, operational costs involved in the use of natural, pesticide-free fertilisers and high-quality animal feed, are higher in organic farming than in conventional one.

Additionally, the supply of organic food in Swiss supermarkets is more limited than that of conventional one, which pushes prices up.

And then there is this often-asked question: is organic food in Switzerland in really healthier?

Some people will swear by the better quality and higher nutritional value of organic products, while others will say the benefits are exaggerated.

There is no definite answer to this question, except this: some studies have shown possible health benefits of organic foods when compared with foods grown using conventional process.

However, there is limited information to prove how these differences can give potential overall health benefits.

But Zurich authorities believe in the ‘power’ of organic foods: in 2022, they mandated that most of the food served in the city’s hospitals, care centres, childcare facilities, and schools, be organic.

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