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All visitors who visited two nightlife venues in Nidwalden must be quarantined. Around 400 people are affected.
The Senkel youth culture house in Stans.
(dvm / mu / fpf) The mass quarantine was not only ordered in the canton of Uri. In Nidwalden, too, numerous party guests must stay home for ten days. As announced by the canton on Thursday morning, a younger person visited the Happy-Day bar in Wolfenschiessen and the Senkel youth culture center in Stans on October 9 and 10 and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
Both locations have a valid protection concept, but do not include a separate sector or mask requirement. Since there was a mixed audience, it was not possible to clearly delineate the contacts, so the canton doctor ordered a ten-day quarantine for all guests and employees. Around 400 people are affected.
Poorly readable guest lists make contact tracing difficult
According to the notification from the canton of Nidwalden, the affected persons were informed by SMS. The vast majority of the 400 people are from Nidwalden, says health and social director Michèle Blöchliger. “All of them were initially contacted by Nidwalden Contact Tracing. People from outside the canton were then reported to the canton of residence. “At the moment it is not yet known whether the 400 people who had to go into quarantine also include people who are also infected. According to Blöchliger, tests should only be carried out if there are symptoms.
The health department immediately contacted the two nightlife venues and they were able to deliver the guest lists in a short period of time. However, according to the statement, “not all the information was complete and clearly legible, especially the pieces of paper filled out by hand.”
Therefore, the health department makes an appeal to those affected who live in Nidwalden, who were at Happy Day last Friday night or Senkel on Saturday night and who have not yet received a text message about the obligation. to self-quarantine, stay home and call 041 618 43 34 as soon as possible. or inform [email protected]. People who contact us by email are asked to provide a phone number. Other affected persons should contact the competent authority of their canton of residence.
“We already received calls on Thursday morning,” says Michèle Blöchliger. It also often works in such a way that colleagues inform each other and then get in touch with us. “We hope that everyone who has been to one or both of the bars and has not yet been contacted by us will get in touch.” It is important that the canton be able to quarantine as many people as possible to prevent potential new sources of infection and interrupt chains of infection.
Recording with the app is less error prone
The high number of affected people who now have to be in quarantine is pushing the location of the coronavirus in the canton of Nidwalden to the limit. Depending on the canton, an at least temporary increase in the contact tracing team is inevitable. “We are in the process of recruiting people from other departments to track contacts,” says the government adviser. “Due to the development in the number of cases, we need significantly more resources.” So far, four people have participated in contact tracing and now the number will practically double, Blöchliger said. If necessary, more personal support can be requested through an agreement from the Swiss Red Cross Unterwalden, the message continues.
In relation to guest lists, which are essential for contact tracing, the canton of Nidwalden advises bars, clubs and restaurants to use an application developed for this purpose. This would make it much easier for both operators and guests to enter contact details. Furthermore, the cantonal health department continues to recommend that everyone download the SwissCovid app from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and install it on their smartphone.
“The two affected bars are still open. They basically had a valid protection concept, ”emphasizes Blöchliger. “We are in contact with you to discuss any adjustments.” Upon request, Senkel announced that the events planned for the next two weekends have been canceled. Those responsible wait until the cantonal health department communicates the current situation. They emphasize that the protection concept was met and the corresponding application was needed to comply with contact tracing.
Nidwalden calls for greater caution
Given that the number of cases in the canton of Nidwalden has increased recently, mainly due to the transmission of diseases in private life or at work, the health department advises that “the applicable behavioral and hygiene measures continue to be observed in the group of relatives, in free time and at work as best as possible ”. A mask should be worn where distance cannot be maintained. In the current situation, larger private or public occasions and celebrations are not recommended. In view of the rapid increase in the number of cases, further measures can also be expected in Nidwalden, says Michèle Blöchliger. “We are working on this. The entire governing council must make the decision.”
