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The Federal Council remains largely faithful to the Corona course it has taken: Despite criticism in the consultation, it will refrain from more extensive openings as of March 1. All stores can reopen on Mondays, but restaurants will be closed until further notice.
Given the fragile epidemiological situation, the Federal Council also decided this Wednesday not to reopen the terraces of restaurants starting next week, as announced. Among other things, a small majority of the cantons called for this faster easing.
The Federal Council also acted on most other points in its easing plan proposed last week. The state government was apparently unaffected by increasing pressure from the economy, culture, and civil politics.
“The cantons support the Federal Council’s risk-based opening strategy and generally welcome the proposed openings,” the government wrote in its communication. However, certain concerns of cantons and other actors have been addressed.
Second faster opening step
The next opening step should take place on March 22, ten days earlier than originally planned. In mid-March, the Federal Council will reassess the situation using various benchmarks.
On March 12, he wants to outline whether and how restaurants, not just terraces, should be reopened. Relaxation for cultural and sporting events with the public, indoor sports and classroom teaching in universities, and last but not least the abolition of the home office requirement should also be discussed.
After consulting the cantons, he wants to make a final decision on the second opening step on March 19. A prerequisite for further flexibility is a favorable epidemiological development, as has been the case in recent weeks.
The positivity rate must be below 5 percent, the occupancy rate of intensive care units with Covid-19 patients below 250 occupied beds and the average number of reproductions in the last seven days below 1 Also, the 14-day incidence on March 17 should not be greater than when it opened on March 1.
Normalize the life of adolescents
As planned last week, the shops, museums and reading rooms of the archives and libraries can reopen from Monday. The outdoor areas of zoos, botanical gardens and leisure facilities are also accessible again. Outdoor sports facilities such as artificial ice rinks, tennis and soccer courts or athletics stadiums are also open again.
Mask requirements as well as distance rules and capacity restrictions apply everywhere. Sports competitions and recreational events for adults remain prohibited. Gatherings with family and friends, as well as sports and cultural activities with up to 15 instead of 5 people, are again allowed outdoors.
The Federal Council is more generous when it comes to youth activities. These should have a little more freedom of movement starting March 1. Until the age of 20 (born in 2001) competitions in all sports should be allowed again, as well as concerts without an audience. Children’s and youth choirs can sing again.
In addition, offers for open child and youth labor, such as youth clubs, are again accessible. The growing number of psychological complaints among the youngest justifies offering this group of people more opportunities again, the Federal Council justified its proposal last week. However, he initially wanted to set the age limit at 18.
Constant weighing
With the cautious and progressive opening, the Federal Council wants to give more space to social and economic life, as it writes. The first opening step as of March 1 essentially includes activities in which the mask and distance can be guaranteed, only a few people get together and contacts are made in the open air.
“We have to see what opportunities we can afford without running too great a risk of losing control of the situation,” Health Minister Alain Berset told the Federal Council’s decision to the Keystone-SDA news agency. It is always a consideration in which the Federal Council takes into account not only the risk of transmission but also the social and economic aspects.
