Wednesday’s decision – “Slowdown” instead of lockdown: Confederation and cantons agree on measures – News



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Cantonal health directors met again with federal representatives on Thursday. At the press conference, the Interior Minister reported on the talks: An assessment of the situation had been carried out, the situation was serious.

Berset emphasized that the “special situation” will be maintained so that the cantons have a voice at all times. Over the weekend, what additional measures are needed will be jointly assessed. “The Federal Council will then decide on Wednesday.”

Berset: “Corona rapid tests will soon be in use”

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According to Health Minister Alain Berset, rapid corona tests will soon be used in Switzerland as well. “We have evaluated these tests, the results look good.”

However, there are still some significant challenges. How and to whom rapid tests should be distributed is currently still open, Berset told the Bundeshaus media. The question of how reports should be recorded has not yet been clarified. Berset said the answers should now be found in consultation with the cantons.

“Connecting all the testers to the system will be a big challenge,” added Stefan Kuster from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG).

There are currently no problems with the testing capabilities, Berset said. “We have enough evidence.” However, not enough material would be available to test company employees and individuals at the border.

Berset: More action needed

The Minister of Health indicated that more national measures would be necessary. “The virus will not adhere to cantonal borders,” he told the federal media. The situation is still serious. Corona cases and hospital admissions more than doubled in one week.

Berset emphasized that the current measures are a long way from the spring ones. Now there are more differentiated measures. That is important.

Cantons should take more action

Lukas Engelberger, president of the Conference of Health Directors, emphasizes that the situation is serious. The number of infections would increase exponentially and there would be more and more hospitalizations, and in some regions capacity limits would be reached.

The GDK recommends that all cantons take more action. Engelberger also includes:

  • new restrictions on the gathering of people in public spaces
  • further expansion of mask requirement
  • Restrictions on sports and leisure activities, including clubs
  • more restrictions in restaurant businesses, such as table sizes
  • at best, deferral of operations in hospitals in order to build more capacity.

The cantons are also asking the federal government to take more action in similar areas at the federal level.

Contact tracing is not designed for the volume of the box

Contact tracing remains important for cantons, Engelberger says. But there will be loopholes and delays. It was not designed for the amount of drop.

It takes a slowdown.

According to Engelberger, hospitals may need to postpone any intervention that is not urgently reported in order to care for corona patients.

“We will have to talk about financial matters”

You don’t want a lock, not even a mini lock, Engelberger said. You just have to be prepared to accept certain inescapable restrictions in the leisure area. They want a “slowdown.”

According to Engelberger, the cantons are not prepared to take responsibility for all the health damages caused by the corona pandemic. “We will have to talk about the financial problems,” he said.

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