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HEALTH

EXPLAINED: What are the details of Switzerland’s coronavirus restrictions?

Switzerland put in place stricter coronavirus measures from Monday, January 18th. Here’s what you need to know.

EXPLAINED: What are the details of Switzerland’s coronavirus restrictions?
A chain and a placard reading in French "Safety line" lays on the pavement in Lausanne. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Please note: From March 1st, Switzerland will relax some aspects of the coronavirus measures. Click here for more information. 

On January 13th, Switzerland announced it will toughen the existing coronavirus measures, in addition to extending those currently in place until the end of February. 

One of the major reasons for this has been the threat posed by new coronavirus variants which are now in Switzerland and which were first detected in the UK and South Africa. 

READ MORE: Switzerland to impose stricter coronavirus measures from Monday 

“The number of infections is stagnating at a very high level and the risk of a rapid upsurge is real with the new, much more contagious variants of the virus,” the government said in a statement.

It said given the “tense epidemiological situation”, it had decided to take new measures that went beyond simply carrying on the with the current restrictions.

READ: Why is Switzerland set to extend coronavirus measures? 

The measures were approved in a meeting between the government after a week-long consultation with the cantons. 

An explanation of the new measures is provided below. 

Obligation to work from home

Working from home has been 'recommended' for anyone who can do so in Switzerland since October. 

The new rules require everyone who can work from home to do so all across Switzerland. 

EXPLAINED: What are the rules of Switzerland's new working from home obligation? 

“From Monday, working from home will become compulsory… ” the government said.

Prior to the announcement, only the canton of Thurgau has put in place such a requirement. 

If remote working is not an option, then masks will be mandatory inside buildings, as soon as several people are present in the same room, even if the safety distances of 1.5 metres can be respected.

A man reads the newspaper in Geneva. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Closure of all non-essential shops

The rules also include the closure of all non-essential shops – defined as “shops that do not sell everyday goods”. 

The measures would be similar to the partial shutdown that was in force during the first wave of the pandemic last spring.

It will be possible to visit a shop’s premises to collect goods that have been ordered. 

There will however be a change to the current rule which requires that shops, petrol stations and kiosks must close after 7pm and on Sundays. 

More information is available at the following link. 

'Everyday goods': Which shops can stay open Switzerland from Monday? 

Further restrictions on gatherings in public and private

A maximum of five people can now meet in private and in public – an amount which includes children. 

Previously, gatherings in public spaces are capped at 15 people, while a maximum of ten people can meet in private with friends and family. 

When making the announcement, Health Minister Alain Berset said “I myself am affected with three children. It’s hard – but we need to do it now.”

Extra protections for vulnerable people

People who are in vulnerable groups will be given special rights under the rules. 

Employers must do what they can to allow these people to work from home – even if the occupation would normally not be conducive to home working. 

If working from home is not possible, persons at risk must be protected at the workplace through the use of special measures, for instance plexiglas. 

If this cannot be done, people in vulnerable categories must be allowed to take a leave of absence at full pay. 

Employers will be entitled to compensation for this. 

What measures were not introduced? 

One further approach which was considered was to close compulsory schools. 

This however has not taken place. 

Instead, closures remain possible on a canton-to-canton basis. 

When the announcement was made, Health Minister Alain Berset said “School closings create huge inequalities. You want to minimise the damage and look at your health, but also other factors, such as who school closings would affect.”

Skiing has also not been banned in Switzerland. Berset defended the decision to allow skiing to continue. 

EXPLAINED: What are Switzerland's current coronavirus measures? 

“You ski in nature,” Berset said. 

“Strict measures are still required, but so far experience has shown that it works. It cannot be compared to the situation in shops.”

When will the measures be relaxed?

As it stands, the measures are in place until the end of February. 

However, the likelihood is that they will be extended until infection rates drastically decline. 

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on Wednesday “It's about society. For the young people, the measures are terrible. As soon as it becomes possible, the Federal Council will relax measures.”

Variants spreading domestically 

Switzerland's pandemic restrictions have generally not been as strict as in other European countries.

Switzerland was the first country in western continental Europe to start its Covid-19 vaccination campaign, doing so on December 23 with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

It also gave the green light Tuesday to the Moderna vaccine, which, regulators said, could be administered immediately.

The country of 8.6 million people has seen coronavirus infections gradually decrease from a spike in early November. Around 485,000 people have tested positive for the virus, while more than 7,750 people have died.

Patrick Mathys, the health ministry's crisis management chief, told a press conference Tuesday that Switzerland's infection rates were still troubling despite decreases in deaths and hospitalisations.

He voiced concern about the spread of new, seemingly more contagious variants of the virus first detected in Britain and South Africa.

Some 127 such cases have been found so far in Switzerland — and rather than just being imported cases, the strains are now spreading domestically, he said.

NOTE: This story was edited on January 14th to remove reference to the closure of beauty services. In advice issued on January 14th, the government confirmed these would be allowed to remain open. 

Member comments

  1. Why beauty and hairdresser salon are open ? Why we should care of beauty when we all are in lockdown ? Feel sad for those who working in salon they are also human can get corona too

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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?

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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