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GENEVA – Switzerland said Wednesday that travelers from the United States and Britain will soon no longer need to be quarantined upon arrival due to falling COVID-19 infection rates, but Greece and others were added to the list.
Swiss authorities also said Wednesday that they planned to launch a certificate for residents who have been vaccinated against the new coronavirus by the summer.
In the latest update of its “red list” of countries and regions from which incoming travelers should be quarantined, the Swiss Health Ministry said that travelers from the United States, the country most affected by the pandemic in the world, and from Britain, which is the fifth most affected, will no longer need to be quarantined from April 5.
Both countries have made great strides with vaccines and have seen new levels of infection drop enough to stop triggering the requirement.
Ireland, Qatar, Lithuania and the regions of Italy and France were also removed from the list, which now has 44 countries and 28 regions.
But Greece, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jamaica, Paraguay, Tanzania and Ukraine were added, meaning that travelers will need to be quarantined for 10 days upon arrival in Switzerland, even if they produce a negative Covid test.
Switzerland places countries and regions on its “red list” for quarantine once Covid-19 infection rates remain significantly higher than Switzerland’s own infection rate over a 14-day period.
On Wednesday, the Swiss rate stood at 523 new infections per 100,000 people.
The country of 8.6 million people has tallied nearly 585,500 COVID-19 cases and nearly 9,500 deaths to date.
Like several other countries, Switzerland also said Wednesday that it plans to launch a travel certificate to help those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 move more freely.
“Our goal is summer,” the head of the coronavirus task force, Anne Levy, told reporters, adding that it was “a challenging task but a realistic goal.”
The document would be safe and internationally recognized, he said, adding that Bern was coordinating work towards the certificate with the neighboring European Union.
So far, less than half a million people are fully vaccinated in Switzerland, but health authorities have said they hope to be able to offer injections to all residents who want them in the coming months. – French Media Agency
