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HEALTH

Switzerland sets date to begin easing coronavirus lockdown measures

Switzerland announced on Thursday a three-stage easing of restrictions imposed to suppress the COVID-19 pandemic, with some stores and services allowed to reopen from April 27. (Paywall free).

Switzerland sets date to begin easing coronavirus lockdown measures
Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset. Photo: SALVATORE DI NOLFI / POOL / AFP

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 Officials in Switzerland had stopped short of imposing full confinement in emergency measures introduced last month to combat the new coronavirus, which has killed more than 1,000 people in the Alpine country.

Those restrictions will be gradually eased in three stages: on April 27, May 11 and finally on June 8, the government said.

“We have been able to slow down the infections, the hospitals are not overcrowded, which is good news, and we can now foresee some relaxation,” 

“We have been able to slow down the infections, the hospitals are not overcrowded, which is good news, and we can now foresee some relaxation,” Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga told a press conference in Bern.

“In light of epidemiological developments and the recommendations of scientists, the Federal Council has decided to relax measures to protect the population against the new coronavirus from April 27th,” the government said in a statement.

While some businesses will be allowed to open, others will be required or recommended to have staff wear masks. 

 “As a first step, from April 27, the Federal Council decided to relax the restrictions for activities that involve few direct contacts, that do not cause significant flows of people and for which it is easy to set up protection plans,” the government said in a statement.

 “The health of the Swiss population remains the top priority, in particular that of the vulnerable,” the government statement said.

“This is why flexibility is accompanied by protection plans.

“The Federal Council also wants to minimise economic damage and reduce restrictions on fundamental rights as much as possible.”

April 27th

On April 27th, retail and cosmetic shops will be allowed to open again. 

This includes hairdressers, tattoo parlours, massage salons, cosmetic and makeup salons, hardware stores, garden centres and flower shops. 

Restrictions on hospitals and medical centres performing non-essential procedures will also be lifted, with doctors, dentists and physiotherapists again allowed to carry out general work which had been restricted by the coronavirus. 

These activities had been heavily restricted in order to lower the risk of coronavirus infection should people visit hospitals and medical care facilities. 

May 11th

From May 11th, compulsory schools as well as all remaining shops and markets will be permitted to open. 

The final decision will be made on April 29th, however this is expected to stay in place provided the rate of new infections does not increase unexpectedly. 

In order to monitor this, a contract tracing app will be rolled out across the country. 

June 8th

From June 8th, secondary schools, universities and vocational schools will be allowed to open. 

Libraries, museums, botanical gardens and zoos will be reopened at this time. 

Other restrictions will be relaxed, for example the ban on meeting in groups larger than five outside the house, although this will only happen under certain conditions.

As for major gatherings like concerts, the government has not yet set a date.

As with the May 11th phase, the final decision on the June 8th phase will be made on May 27th – provided again there are no notable increases in infections. 

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Hi,
 
The Local's mission is to give our readers all the information they need about what's happening in Switzerland. We rely on paying members to do that, but we have chosen not to put any of our articles about the coronavirus behind our hard paywall, to help keep all of our readers informed. We believe it is the right thing to do at this time.
 
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HEALTH

The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

If you just moved to Switzerland (or even if you have lived here for a while), your learning curve about health-related matters in the country may be steep. These sites will help you find the information you need.

The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

Staying healthy is probably one of your top priorities, but doing so in a foreign country is not easy.

That is why having some reliable resources that you can check out and follow will be helpful.

First: The Local

No, we are not doctors, but we have published a number of factual articles over the years about many aspects of healthcare in Switzerland that our readers find helpful.

You can find a compilation of these health-related stories here

Federal Office of Public Health 

Obviously, when it comes to matters of health, the Health Ministry has lots of information that will be relevant to you at one time or another.

Aside from matters of health policy (which is important for all residents of Switzerland), the site also has a regularly updated Infectious Diseases Dashboard to let you know what communicable illnesses are currently circulating in Switzerland — and how to avoid them.

It also provides age-specific health information and recommendations — for instance, for children and teenagers, as well as for the elderly.

Hospital websites

Individual hospitals in your area are good sources of information as well, and many of them are in English.

You can find there general health information, care and treatment options, online emergency room signup, new medical technologies being used, and other patient resources:

Geneva University Hospitals (HUG)

Vaud University Hospital (CHUV)

Zurich University Hospital

Basel University Hospital 

If you live in an area without a university medical centre, your local hospital is also a valuable source of health-related information.

Appointment booking platform

This website is especially useful for people who don’t yet have a doctor in Switzerland but need to set an appointment with one. 

It gives you an option of choosing a specialty and location, and then displays doctor’s names and addresses, background information about them, and which time slots they have available.

You can easily set up an appointment this way.

Your health insurer’s website

This may not be an intuitive choice for impartial information about healthcare but you may be surprised.

For instance, Sanitas insurance site has information about emergency care decisions, and how to void unnecessary medical treatments.

CSS has health information geared specifically to men and women.

Helsana talks about ways to combat stress and sleep problems.

These are just a few examples on what valuable tips you can find on your insurer’s website.

Websites devoted to specific medical conditions

If you seek information about a specific illness — such as treatment options in Switzerland — there are plenty of online resources for that as well.

For instance:

Heart and cardiovascular 

Diabetes 

Osteoporosis 

Mental illness 

General pain 

Other diseases 

Last but not least, while not related to health, these websites will also provide useful information for international residents:

The Swiss websites that can help you save money
 
The most useful website resources to help you get Swiss citizenship 
 
 

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