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There are currently around 16,000 people in Switzerland in corona quarantine. Anyone who has had contact with an infected person or who returns from a country at risk must stay home for ten days.
Health Minister Alain Berset commented on the quarantine issue in SRF’s “Rundschau” broadcast. The fact that so many people have to be quarantined is not an obstacle to the economy, says the Federal Council in an interview. On the contrary: “You can compare the situation with which we lived in March and April. Then the country stopped. You have to see what the alternative is, ”says Berset.
“We had to take very tough measures at the beginning. It was not easy. We have decided to opt now for this strategy of containment with isolation and quarantine ”, continued the Federal Council. “The restrictions allow life and the economy to continue.” The number of quarantined cases supported the measure: between 10 and 30 percent of the people who had to be quarantined until now are sick, according to the canton.
Ten percent in the canton of Basel-Stadt
The situation is similar in the canton of Basel-Stadt. As Canton Deputy Doctor Simon Fuchs, who heads the contact tracing team, told Telebasel, about one in ten people in the corona quarantine also contract the virus. “We have not systematically recorded the proportion of people who tested positive in quarantine, but we estimate the proportion to be around 10 percent,” Fuchs said.
Like Berset, Fuchs also emphasizes the importance of quarantine to contain the virus: “Quarantine continues to be a very important measure to combat the pandemic because it helps to interrupt the chains of transmission at an early stage. This prevents the virus from spreading. ‘
Basel residents largely adhered to quarantine regulations. “So far we have verified around 200 reports with data releases from the Federal Office of Public Health and now we have to clarify four more cases due to a possible violation of the obligation to report or non-compliance with quarantine.”
Despite the ongoing pandemic, people continued to respond in a very understanding and cooperative way. “We cannot determine any fatigue,” says Fuchs.
Soon only seven days of quarantine?
Of course, you can never predict who will develop the disease, says Berset. The virus presents the Federal Council and the world with new challenges.
While federal councilor Ueli Maurer and the Swiss trade association are in favor of a shorter quarantine, Berset still does not want to commit to a possible reduction. «We always look for the best way. It took a lot to control the situation. ”A relaxation of the quarantine period is justified only by scientific evidence.
Factors that could also play a role, for example, would be faster tests, which would provide clarity on possible infections more quickly. A change in testing strategy could mean shorter quarantine times for the Swiss.
Compare with strategies from other countries
Berset understands that people do not want to be quarantined or want to shorten it. Consider the possibility of a seven-day quarantine: “It must be scientifically explainable. We are trying to avoid another blockade like in March and we want to have a stable winter ”, said Berset about the Federal Council’s objectives. Switzerland also compares the strategies with other countries: while France is betting on seven days, the Americans came to the conclusion that 14 days of quarantine were necessary. “It is not primarily a decision of the Federal Council. Scientific results are needed on which decisions can be based ”, emphasizes Berset.
