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HEALTH

Switzerland: Parts of France, Germany and Italy added to quarantine list

Around ten countries and several regions of Germany, Italy and France were added to Switzerland’s quarantine list on Wednesday.

Published: 10 February 2021 17:41 CET
Updated: 11 February 2021 15:02 CET
Switzerland: Parts of France, Germany and Italy added to quarantine list
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Several regions of Switzerland’s neighbours Germany, Italy and France have been added to the list. 

In addition, around ten countries from all across the globe were added. 

Seven days: How to leave quarantine early in Switzerland 

Arrivals from countries on the list are required to quarantine on entry. 

Switzerland imposes the quarantine requirement only on certain areas or regions of bordering nations rather than on entire countries.

What has been added to the list as at February 10th?

In France, the Center-Val de Loire region, Hauts-de-France region, Île de France region, Normandy region, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, Occitanie region and the Pays de la Loire region have been added. 

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region was already on the list. 

READ MORE: Switzerland's Nestlé under fire for paying 'coronavirus testing bonus' 

In Germany, the states of Brandenburg and Saxony Anhalt were added to the list, which already included Thuringia. 

Saxony was removed from the list. 

In Italy, Regione Emilia Romagna and Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia were added. The Apulia region, Marche region and Umbria region remain on the list, while the Veneto region of Italy was removed. 

In Austria, the state of Salzburg is the only region to be considered high risk. 

The list of countries is as follows. Those with an asterisk were already on the list prior to February 22nd. 

Albania, Andorra*, Bahrain, Brazil*, Estonia*, Ireland*, Israel*, Colombia, Latvia*, Lebanon*, Lithuania*, Malta*, Monaco*, Montenegro*, the Netherlands*, Panama*, Portugal*, San Marino*, Sweden*, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Spain*, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa*, Czech Republic*, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom* and the United States of America*.

The updated official list can be seen here. 

The full list and an explanation of the quarantine requirement can be seen at the following link. 

UPDATE: Which countries are currently on Switzerland's quarantine list? 

 

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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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