Canton Lucerne relaxes visiting regulations for hospitals, nursing homes and old people’s homes: new test centers in Nottwil and Entlebuch

(stg) The number of new Covid-19 infections has risen sharply in the canton of Lucerne for three weeks. More recently, more than 300 new cases have been reported each day. That is why the Lucerne governing council held a press conference on Friday. The goal was to show how chains of transmission can be broken. Conclusion: It is up to the population to use simple rules of conduct to flatten the infection curve, prevent bottlenecks in the health system and further hardening with serious economic and social consequences, said the district president, Reto Wyss:

“Now more than ever, personal responsibility is required.”

The governing council took note of the tightening of the measures taken by the federal government to contain the corona pandemic with great approval. “We ordered certain immediate measures last Saturday at the cantonal level. The transmission chains do not stop at the border of the canton. We therefore very much welcome the fact that the Federal Council has intervened in Switzerland, ”said Lucerne Health and Social Director Guido Graf.

Home visitation regulations will be relaxed

Guido Graf explained that the federal government’s restrictions on private events, meetings and occasions are awkward but important to avoid unnecessary contacts. In return, the cantonal regulations for visits to hospitals, the elderly and nursing homes could be relaxed. Starting tomorrow, Saturday, a maximum of two closest caregivers can be received per patient or resident. The governing council adjusted the Covid-19 regulation accordingly. Hospitals, nursing homes and nursing homes, as well as spa houses, may impose restrictions if the situation requires it.

The other cantonal regulations that go beyond the federal provisions remain in effect depending on the canton. Erotic and sexual businesses in the canton of Lucerne will remain closed. In private and transport vehicles, people who do not live in the same household still need a mask. These measures help reduce the risks of transmission.

Tried and tested protection concepts continue to apply to Lucerne schools. According to new federal regulations, adjustments are only necessary for sports and music lessons. The regulations for individual school levels have now been revised and can be found on the Department of Education and Culture website. In the cultural sector, federal guidelines apply; the canton of Lucerne does not provide for any other measures.

Testing, Tracing, and Communication Intensify

Due to the high demand for Covid-19 testing, the Canton of Lucerne also decided to expand testing capabilities by opening and expanding drive-in test centers and thus offering the population additional testing options. The Chief of Staff of the Cantonal General Staff, Vinzenz Graf, gave a brief summary of the current measures taken by the authorities at the press conference:

• Starting on Friday, October 30, 2020, an additional driving test center will open on the campus of the Swiss Paraplegic Center (SPZ) in Nottwil.
• Starting Monday, November 2, 2020, the testing capabilities of the Army Training Center in Lucerne (AAL) will double with the introduction of a second test line.
• In week 45 a test center will open in Entlebuch.
• All locations are open Monday through Friday from 1 pm to 7 pm
• Only those that meet the currently valid BAG sampling criteria are analyzed.
• For security reasons, access to the test site is only possible by car or motorcycle. Pedestrians are turned away.
• Registration must be done using an online registration form.

According to the decision of the Federal Council, rapid antigen tests can also be used as of November 2, 2020 to achieve more extensive and rapid tests of the population. Currently there is insufficient evidence available for a nationwide distribution. Therefore, the canton of Lucerne will gradually make the tests available to various user groups.

Currently, contact tracing is increasing enormously with additional human resources. At the end of October, the canton of Lucerne will take over all the contact tracing activities of the Lung League of Central Switzerland.