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Many cantons restrict large-scale events
After the canton of Bern, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft are now doing the same: events with more than 1000 people are no longer allowed. In the canton of Valais, events with more than ten people are prohibited and visiting hospitals is prohibited. In the canton of Solothurn there is a curfew from 1 a. M. On weekends.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive
German Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive for the corona virus. The news channel “n-tv” and the German “Tagesschau” reported. The Spahn Ministry reported this. Spahn immediately went into home isolation, until now he had only developed cold symptoms.
Jens Spahn is now in home isolation after his positive test. This has been announced by your ministry.
Keystone
Aargau: highest daily number of new cases
In Aargau, 255 new corona virus infections were recorded on Tuesday. There have never been so many since the data was collected. There were 87 new cases on Monday, 91 on Sunday, 119 on Saturday, and 155 on Friday. As of Tuesday, a total of 4189 confirmed infections were recorded in Aargau, as the canton announced on its website on Wednesday. So far 58 people have died in Aargau as a result of Covid-19. No new victims were added Tuesday.
The Contact Tracing Center cared for 312 infected people who were in isolation on Tuesday. There have been a total of 2,155 people since the search began in May. There were 304 quarantined contacts on Tuesday.
46 people were treated in a hospital, seven of them in an intensive care unit. According to the canton, there were still 20 free beds in the intensive care units.
The city of Zurich allows tents and patio heaters for cultural and catering establishments
The Zurich city government now allows restaurants, museums and theaters to install heated tents outside as well. Really deprecated patio heaters are allowed too. A permit is not required for this. However, according to the city’s specifications, the heating systems must be ecological, that is, they must work with renewable energy. A distance of 1.5 meters between guests must also be guaranteed in additional buildings. The new regulation applies from November 15 to February 15.
Patio heaters are controversial. In the corona pandemic, they can be used in the city of Zurich if they are operated with renewable energy.
Keystone
That was the press conference with Alain Berset
In view of the sharp increase in the figures, Federal Councilor Alain Berset spoke again about the current situation of the crown at a press conference. He confirmed the Federal Council’s belief in the effectiveness of the measures taken. He also announced that the Federal Council would meet again on Wednesday, October 28 on the status of the crown and will discuss any further measures. A second lockdown should be avoided, Berset stressed. Thank you for your interest and we will keep you updated with our live ticker on the latest developments.
Does the home office recommendation work?
What is the Federal Council doing to verify if the ordered measures are being implemented? The home office is just a recommendation, explains Berset. Also, it takes a moment before it can be implemented, because important meetings are still taking place. The other measures are in the Law of Epidemics. However, fines are no longer possible, as they were only possible in the extraordinary situation.
Status now: voting will not be postponed
How is the coordination with other countries really going? Berset says there was a lively exchange on October 8-10. But not since. He also explains that the voting at the end of November is not in danger.
Is the federal government hiding behind the cantons?
In the first wave, German-speaking Switzerland was less affected than French-speaking Switzerland. Now hospitalizations are increasing everywhere, notes a journalist. When will the federal government take over again? “We are extremely transparent,” says Berset. In March he took the helm, it was an emergency situation. Since then, the powers have been divided again. “But that doesn’t mean that everyone can do whatever they want.” You exchange ideas with the cantons on a daily basis.
Cantons should do more
A journalist wants to know if the Federal Council could meet before next Wednesday, depending on the evolution of the figures. Berset confirms the appointment next Wednesday. Since the effect of the measures would take time, a prior appointment makes little sense. It also calls on the cantons to do more. The focus is on the interaction between the Confederation and the cantons in the “special situation”.
Berset also addresses the issue of quarantine time. A shortening of the quarantine for returning travelers will also be discussed shortly in the Federal Council. Also with regard to the previous limit values of the BAG for risk countries.
How long is the second wave?
Is there a scenario where the second wave can be overcome relatively quickly or does the situation remain that way until spring? “Hard to say,” Berset replies. He estimates that the less drastic the measures are, the longer the situation will last. Berset reminds you that the R-value should drop below 1 for the number of infections to decrease. That requires, currently the value is 1.6 – ten people infect 16 more.
“Trying to avoid the blockade”
“Unless the situation worsens completely unexpectedly, we will try to avoid a shutdown next week. That is also the objective of the previous measures ”, says Berset.
And again the mini confinement
Could you afford that? We don’t calculate that. Because we haven’t got there yet, ”says Alain Berset. There are other measures that can come and go first if the contagion curve doesn’t flatten out.
Important events: reference to next week
And the big events? Alain Berset: “We will talk about it next Wednesday and take further action if necessary.”
How is the situation in the schools?
Wouldn’t it be important to take action across Switzerland to protect students and teachers? “The concepts of protection in the cantons are good,” says Federal Councilor Berset. Therefore, it is not a problem of the Federal Council.
“People shouldn’t be locked up”
When asked about different scenarios regarding age groups, Berset confirms that the older a person is, the greater the risk of a serious course of the disease. In general, there are no differences between age groups in the measures, according to Berset. For ethical and social reasons, contact will not be prohibited. “People shouldn’t be locked up.” Stefan Kuster from BAG emphasizes once again the special protection of risk groups.
One more question about the mini lock
How do you know the right time for the so-called “circuit breaker”? The number of hospitalizations is an important indicator, responds Alain Berset. But: “We are not in a centralized country,” he points out. In Valais, the incidence rate is currently 900 infections per 100,000 population. Less in other cantons. The mini-blockade should be avoided, however, the situation in Switzerland is different than in other countries. The situation during testing is also good. “We are really trying to do as little damage as possible.” Berset excludes two things: doing nothing at all and a one-month lockdown. “Everything is possible in between.” There are no automatic mechanisms, so you cannot specify a limit for blocking. “The situation is changing too fast.”
The effect of the measurements takes 10 days.
If you look at the number of cases, it shows a direct consequence in hospitalizations, says Berset. However, the infected could now be better treated. “We estimate that we have around 1,600 places in intensive care units.” The consequences of the measures will only be apparent in about ten days.
What scenarios exactly is the Federal Council considering?
A journalist asks about the exact scenarios facing the federal government. Are you heading towards the canton of Valais? Berset does not want to comment on his measurements. “But it shows that you can react quickly.” In politics, nothing usually happens if one is inactive. “If we are inactive here, the situation will get worse.” You don’t want to get into a desperate situation. So you have to watch carefully how the numbers develop. First, more details about possible measures will be discussed in the Federal Council.
“You can handle the situation”
“Can you still go to a restaurant now?” A journalist asks Alain Berset this. The situation in restaurants is still very different. The situation changes daily, that’s why Berset. You can go to restaurants. Where does the current situation lead? Berset says: “I don’t know. We can handle this situation with great commitment. “
Where do people get infected?
A journalist points out that in some cantons there are more infections in the public sector than in the private sector. Did the Federal Council miss the target with the measures taken on Sunday? “No,” says Berset. The Federal Council had set the limit of 15 people for private events, so the reaction was correct. After all, after a private event, people often go to a bar, where the public and the private mix. “Broadcasts are carried out wherever people are without observing protective measures,” adds Stefan Kuster from BAG.
