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- On October 28, the Federal Council announced tougher measures against the spread of the coronavirus. They went into effect a day later.
- The mask requirement was extended, events for 50 or more people were banned, and discos and nightclubs were closed.
- After about 14 days, it’s time to take stock. These are the numbers.
New infections:
A flattening of the curve has been observed since November 2. However, BAG’s Stefan Kuster cautioned against talking about a trend reversal. However, with the 7-day average, there is definitely a slight downward trend. On October 29, 7,668 new infections were reported in an average of 7 days. This number dropped to 6,983 on November 9.
Number of tests:
The Federal Council’s plan to increase testing capabilities by introducing rapid tests on November 2 has yet to work. In fact, the number of tests is decreasing. On October 29 there were 38,111. On November 10, “only” 22,217.
Positivate:
The positive rate of the tests carried out is practically constant. On November 5 it was 27 percent. On November 9 it was 26.5 percent. The stricter measures do not seem to lead to a decrease in the positive rate, that is, not to a better record of the infection process.
Excess mortality:
Both in spring and currently in the “second wave” there is a clear excess of mortality in the group of people “over 65 years.” Since the figures are not yet available as of November 8, it is not yet possible to say whether the federal measures will take effect here. However, the number of people who died has increased somewhat. On October 30, the BAG reported 52 deaths, on November 11 86 (both figures include Liechtenstein).
Use of intensive care units:
Federal measures have one main goal: to prevent the healthcare system from being overloaded. Not least because overload can also lead to higher mortality among corona patients who later receive poor care. If the occupancy rate of beds in intensive care units is taken as a factor, this has so far been successful.
Despite the sharp increase in hospitalizations for Covid-19, the number of free beds was 374 on October 29 and 314 on November 10. The fact that the capacity has decreased slightly is also due to the fact that operations have been postponed and more beds have been made available. .
Situation in the cantons:
The average of seven days per 100,000 inhabitants is falling in 20 of the 26 cantons. That is a clear trend. The cantons of Vaud, Friborg, Solothurn, Schaffhausen, Nidwalden and Obwalden recorded an increase. The federal government has issued a minimum of stricter measures. Some cantons have passed new resolutions, depending on the local situation.
Switzerland in international comparison:
Switzerland occupies a leading position in terms of new infections in an international comparison. In terms of the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants (the incidence), Switzerland ranks fifth with 1,256 cases.
However, the volume of testing varies greatly from country to country. However: a comparison with neighboring countries and other Central European countries shows that Switzerland is actually not doing well. Germany, for example, has an incidence of 291, Italy 714. Since these are 14-day incidents, it will still take time for the stricter federal measures to take effect.
