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In a seven-page document, the federal government sets out how it wants to fight the corona pandemic. The measures would be powerful.
The Federal Council suggests that masks should also be mandatory outdoors.
(sda) / fbi.
The Federal Council is proposing tougher measures to combat the corona pandemic to the cantons. A draft consultation from the federal government provides, among other things, an expansion of the outdoor mask requirement.
The online portal “Blick.ch” reported on the draft consultation on Saturday. The Federal Council proposes tougher measures to stop the coronavirus. According to the seven-page document, which was also available to the Keystone-SDA news agency, the mask requirement will be greatly expanded.
The Federal Council will take into account the statements of the cantons on this draft consultation when it is expected to announce new measures in the fight against coronavirus next Wednesday. Health Minister Alain Berset announced this on Thursday after a meeting with the Conference of Health Directors (GDK) and stated that the cantons had a voice and that over the weekend they would jointly assess what measures were necessary.
The measures would affect many areas
The possible measures proposed by the Federal Council for the cantons foresee the following:
- All people should wear a mask in public spaces in residential areas.
- All persons must wear face masks in all publicly accessible indoor and outdoor areas of facilities and businesses, including markets or waiting areas at train stations or at bus stops.
- Mask requirements should apply to indoor work. Exceptions are cases where there are individual offices or if a mask cannot be used for security reasons. Employers must also ensure that employees can work from home whenever possible.
- There is a maximum limit of 50 people for public events. The political assemblies of the legislature at the federal, cantonal and communal levels are expressly excluded from the restriction on the number of people.
- A maximum of 15 people can participate in private events with family and friends, such as birthdays or weddings.
- There is a curfew from 10 pm to 6 am for restaurants and clubs. Guests must be seated and may only consume food and beverages while seated. A maximum of four people must sit at a table. Parents with children are an exception.
- Discotheques and dance halls will be closed and dance events will be prohibited.
- Teaching in universities and other secondary schools must be distance learning. Only compulsory education and upper secondary level should be carried out in face-to-face classes. Teaching activities that require on-site presence are also excluded.
- For teachers and 7th graders, a mask is also required. Except in situations where a mask makes teaching difficult.
- Sports activities outside of professional sports are restricted. Only non-contact sports with a maximum of 15 people should be allowed. A mask must be worn indoors and distance must be kept. A mask should be worn outdoors if distance cannot be maintained.
- However, the operation of the professional league is still permitted. Competitive national team athlete training and competitions are also allowed. Training and competition games of teams belonging to a league with predominantly professional gaming operations are also permitted.
- Rehearsals and performances are prohibited for choirs from the non-professional sector. In the professional field, rehearsals and concerts with singers can only be carried out with protective concepts. And choir concerts are completely prohibited.
Berset does not rule out the confinement either
The federal government last decided on new measures last Sunday. Since then, numerous cantons have also taken action. The federal scientific working group concluded that this was not enough.
Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga said on Saturday during a visit to the Inselspital in Bern: “It is clear to me that the Federal Council will have to decide on new measures, it has to decide very soon.” The Federal Council is also examining where additional support is needed, be it from civil defense or the military.
Health Minister Berset, for his part, said in the “Arena” of Swiss television that the situation is now one of the worst in Europe. Now we must find a way to prevent closures and at the same time take into account the health situation.
Berset made it clear: “It’s a tightrope walk.” The Federal Council did not rule out a new blockade. “You should never definitively rule something out when you have to deal with a crisis.” But it’s not that far yet. We have it in hand. We must act now to prevent worse things from happening. “
Zurich Health Director Natalie Rickli also commented on the program. She argued that the federal government should partially take over the scepter again. “Now it makes sense, given the current situation, to regulate certain points at the national level.” So the measurements are also easier for the population to understand.
Rickli admitted that they were not prepared for a scenario of exponential growth of infections. We made mistakes. Perhaps we were not well prepared. “At the same time, however, he noted that it would have been difficult to massively increase contact tracing in the summer.” If we had requested millions back then, it would have been said that it was not even necessary. “Also, contact tracing cannot be geared towards such strong growth. “With exponential growth, it is absolutely clear that we can no longer trace all cases.”
The Zurich government adviser also said it needed a ruthless reassessment. But now is not the time to look for someone to blame. According to Rickli, the main goal is to reduce the number of new infections.
