October’s big events – Rickli: “I would have preferred a slower opening” – News

As of October 1, events with more than 1000 people are allowed again. The Zurich government does not want to put any obstacles in the way of the organizers. The governing council announced this week that the approval process should be simple and online.

SVP health director Natalie Rickli would have preferred to proceed more slowly, as she puts it as a weekly guest of the “regional magazine”. You wonder what happens when people drink alcohol at important events.

Natalie Rickli

Canton of Zurich Health Director (SVP)

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Natalie Rickli was a member of the National Council from 2007 to 2019. In March 2019, the SVP politician was elected to the governing council of Zurich and took over the health department. Natalie Rickli grew up in Riet near Neftenbach, today the 43-year-old lives in Winterthur.

SRF News: Important events are possible again in a month. How do you feel when you look at this opening?

Natalie Rickli: As health director for the most populous canton, I personally didn’t think we should allow big events so quickly. But the Federal Council has decided, so we have to deal with this decision. We want to make this kind of event possible in Zurich as long as people stick to it.

There is some skepticism. Zurich’s governing council could have set stricter requirements for big events, for example the prohibition of alcohol. Why didn’t it?

Until now, the Zurich government has always adhered to the framework conditions of the federal government. It is important for the organizers that different rules do not apply in each canton. Therefore, we did not want to restrict these occasions in advance. But if the number of cases increases or if it turns out that the organizers’ protection concepts are not working properly, then we have to go back to the books.

At a concert or a sports match, emotions rise. If the club scores the decisive goal in the last minute, are these protective concepts not far behind?

I wonder what happens when people leave an event, have drunk alcohol, and remove their mask when they leave. Visitors have challenges, but so do organizers. I understand, from an economic point of view, that they want such occasions. It is now your duty to ensure that the measurements are followed. At the same time, it is a call to the audience: “Again you may be able to go to important events, but you have to follow the rules.” If too many people don’t, we will have to step back.

The interview was conducted by Dominik Steiner.