Natalie Rickli appeals to the population at Corona Arena

Analysis

Rickli imitates the new “Mrs. Corona” in the “Arena” and makes the experts look old

Clear communication is essential in a crisis. In the second consecutive Corona “arena”, only one of the study guests was able to score honestly and with specific statements.

A week ago, Michael Salathé, epidemiologist of the Federal Council working group, warned in the “Arena” of the SRF about the high number of hospitalizations and the risk of a new confinement. The situation has not calmed down since then. The daily number of infections also rose uncontrollably this week. Several Swiss cantons have adopted stricter measures on their own. On Friday afternoon, Martin Ackermann, head of the Corona Task Force, estimated that in the worst case, the Swiss intensive care units would be full on 5 November.

So it’s no wonder that SRF host Sandro Brotz made the corona virus the focus of his show again. “Are we going to pack it up now?” He wanted to hear from his studio guests, and he must have gone at the end of the day without lighting up. Because no one could really answer this question for him.

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Zurich health director Natalie Rickli (SVP) demanded that the federal government take control again. The national advisor of the FDP and director of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce, Regine Sauter, made it clear that a second blockade is not an option for trade representatives. Manuel Battegay, infectious disease specialist and member of the working group noticed that now it was more like five past twelve instead of five before. And the concerns of the National Councilor of the CVP and President of the Health Commission, Ruth Humbel, somehow remained vaguely hidden between different lines of argument.

Rickli appeared politically. In recent weeks, the SVP politician had to receive a lot of criticism. Since contact tracing does not work in the canton of Zurich, she is up to her neck, she has very little experience to master the situation.

It left a different impression on the “Arena.” He was surprisingly transparent about how hard the federal government and the cantons are working to control the situation. There are certainly concepts for this, but every time you take one of them out of the drawer, you are one step behind.

It was true that the federal government returned leadership to the cantons in the summer. But now the time has come when a national strategy is necessary and the Federal Council must take the scepter again, in close consultation with the cantons.

Rickli was shot by the FDP’s national adviser, Sauter. You had time to prepare all summer. She doesn’t understand why one is so surprised now. Nor is that the reason why contact tracing in the canton of Zurich is so affected.

A review that Rickli didn’t like to sit on. The main problem is the high levels of infection. “In the canton of Zurich we are seeing exponential growth, the number is doubling every six to seven days. We can no longer keep up with testing and contact tracing. We were prepared for a hundred cases a day. “

The Zurich health director was able to score points with the stability of this record, along with a refreshing honesty, an appearance that was lost in so many previous media appearances.

Battegay, a member of the Task Force, left much to be desired in terms of certainty. He repeated what was announced in large numbers by scientific experts in recent days: the number of cases is increasing, hospitals are filling up again. “Now is really the time we have to react,” he warned, remaining a bit nondescript. You missed an opportunity to provide more clarity with valid statements.

It was only when Brotz explicitly asked, “In concrete terms: what is to be done now?”, Battegay became clearer. The most important thing is to limit your contacts in private and at work and keep your distance. If this cannot be guaranteed, a mask should be worn. And if it were possible to lower the numbers again, the measures would also take effect to break the chains of infection again.

The appearance of Federal Councilor Alain Berset (SP) also remained flat. During a short to Bern, Brotz asked if he could rule out a second block. These final commitments cannot be made in a crisis. But he has good news: “We are not at the mercy. We have it in hand. If we act correctly, we can change the situation again. “

Over the course of the program it became increasingly clear that there was no clear communication. Not just with the studio guests, especially with all the crisis management. The topic is simply too abstract for the population to fully understand. It would be even more important to have a voice of reason, a solid rock that can guide people through this crisis.

In the second consecutive Corona “arena”, Rickli assumed this role, who was the only one who found clear and warning words at the end of the show and said them directly to the camera to the viewers at home in front of the television: “Make the decisions most important You at home. Keep your distance, wash your hands, avoid crowds. You have it in your hand so that the health system is not overloaded ”. So he even surpassed Federal Councilor Berset and expert Battegay.