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Federal Councilor Alain Berset visited Zurich airport. Health director Natalie Rickli made demands at the joint press conference. We report live.
The essentials in brief:
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Health Minister Alain Berset visited Zurich airport and met with representatives of the Zurich government.
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Health director Natalie Rickli makes several demands: she wants a new distribution key for vaccination doses and she wants corona self-tests.
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The canton of Zurich is also demanding that the federal government make more money available for mass testing and bear all the costs for mass testing.
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Alain Berset praises the cooperation with the canton of Zurich, but notes that the vaccination program is a huge logistical challenge.
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Berset is confident that anyone who wants to get vaccinated in the summer. Natalie Rickli is less optimistic.
More about the subject:
To know the latest numbers of Crown-Dashboard
To the overview of the vaccination rate: That’s how far Switzerland is with vaccination
Wrap up the present: Federal Councilor Alain Berset in a Zurich mask.
Photo: Urs Jaudas
Federal Councilor Alain Berset met today with representatives of the Zurich government. Zurich Health Director Natalie Rickli (SVP) made several demands at the press conference. Zurich needs more doses of vaccination to stay on schedule. “If the federal government complies, we vaccinate,” he said.
In addition, Rickli demanded that the federal government should negotiate more money for mass testing in companies. Only then would they make use of repetitive tests. He also came out in favor of crown self-tests. At the end of his demands, Rickli handed the Federal Council a mask with the Zurich coat of arms. “Please take our concerns to Bern,” he said.
Alain Berset meanwhile, he praised the good cooperation between the federal government and the canton of Zurich. Both mass testing and vaccinations are complex logistical challenges. Trust that anyone who wants to get vaccinated in the summer. Berset sidestepped questions about funding the massive tests.
“The figures are stable at a high level,” said the Federal Council. Now it is a path towards openness. The district president also said that Silvia Steiner. The first cautious easing steps are an achievement. They are especially happy that the youngsters are enjoying a little more freedom again. The population now has to remain modest.
Silvia Steiner ends the press conference and thanks Alain Berset again. A summary of the press conference will be published shortly.
The problem in Canton Zurich is the older population, says Natalie Rickli. “Older people keep calling because they are desperate because they have not received a vaccine.” You can understand that. “Hopefully the federal government will be able to purchase new vaccines in a short period of time,” says Rickli.
“As of April, we had 11 vaccination centers, 1,000 general practitioners who vaccinate, and more than 100 pharmacies,” says Health Director Natalie Rickli. But in order to meet the schedule, the canton of Zurich needs enough vaccinations. Natalie Rickli says she is not as confident as Alain Berset. “If the federal government complies, then we vaccinate.”
“We are in good shape”: Alain Berset on the vaccination campaign in Switzerland.
Photo: Urs Jaudas
Alain Berset says three things are needed to be able to meet the schedule: enough doses of vaccination, a high level of vaccination, and enough places to get vaccinated. “We’re OK”says Berset. The schedule is doable.
Alain Berset says that the Federal Council is very interested in what the EU is doing. “We have to address this,” he says. The Federal Council is in constant contact with other countries.
There should be more tests in Switzerland, says health director Alain Berset.
Photo: Urs Jaudas
Alain Berset sidesteps the mass test question and points out that a lot has happened in recent months. “The way out of the pandemic also goes through tests.” Y: “We are not where we want to be yet.”
“Companies are still a bit cautious,” says Natalie Rickli. About 60 companies had signed up for repetitive testing. “The federal government should cover the costs of mass testing in companies”Rickli said.
Silvia Steiner gives space for questions.
“A calculated risk with more room for society, the economy and young people”: this is how Berset describes his philosophy for greater relaxation.
Finally, Alain Berset says: “The numbers are stable at a high level.” Now it is a path towards openness. However, this is associated with risks. “It’s a tightrope walk,” says Berset. This must be done together with the cantons. Today he also visited the state museum, says the Minister of Health.
“It would be important for everyone to be able to test themselves at home,” says Alain Berset. When vaccinating, “it can’t go fast enough.” But that is also a logistical challenge.
The meeting is an opportunity to thank the canton of Zurich, says Alain Berset. He shared the Zurich government’s view that it was important to test more extensively. “But that takes a lot of preparation,” says Berset. It is a complex logistical exercise.
Federal Councilor Alain Berset at the press conference at Zurich airport.
Photo: Urs Jaudas
“The cooperation with the canton of Zurich works very well,” says Alain Berset. It is important to seek personal contact from time to time. How do we relax? How do we get back to normal? “These are the burning questions right now, says Alain Berset.” That’s a good sign. ”
The goal is for people at risk in Zurich to be able to get vaccinated as soon as possible, says Natalie Rickli. He gives Alain Berset a mask with the Zurich coat of arms. “I hope they use them in the next PK,” he says. Rickli hopes that the federal government will recognize the importance of the Canton of Zurich. Alain Berset now has the floor.
Natalie Rickli would like the federal government to cover the costs of more extensive testing, for example, for businesses. And he adds: “We would like to do self-tests in Switzerland.” Alain Berset would also have talked about vaccination. The canton has very few vaccination doses. That meets misunderstanding. Rickli says he put the wishes in the hands of Federal Councilor Berset. Rickli hopes that the federal government will re-verify the distribution key for the vaccination doses.
Health director Natalie Rickli criticized the distribution of vaccination doses a few days ago in an interview with this newspaper. Read the interview here.
Natalie Rickli praises contact tracing.
Photo: Urs Jaudas
Natalie Rickli recounts Alain Berset’s last visit to Zurich ten months ago. A lot has changed since then. Rickli praises the cooperation between the federal government and the canton. 800 contact trackers would work in Zurich. The canton founded this “great company”. The processes would work fine for the most part.
In the afternoon, Silvia Steiner showed Alain Berset’s contact tracing at the Zurich airport. The federal government and the canton must continue to work closely together, he says. Silvia Steiner thanks the people of Zurich for the contribution and gives the floor to Health Director Natalie Rickli.
The measures would cost the people of Zurich a lot of energy. “We expect a lot from people,” says Silvia Steiner. The first cautious easing steps are an achievement. They are especially happy that the youngsters are enjoying a little more freedom again. “The population now has to remain modest,” says Silvia Steiner.
Silvia Steiner opens the press conference.
Photo: Urs Jaudas
District President Silvia Steiner thanks Federal Councilor Alain Berset for his visit. The exchange between the federal government and the canton is important. Zurich airport is a place of varying importance in the Corona crisis. “The negative consequences of the crisis are very clearly visible here,” says Silvia Seiner. It is the biggest airport crisis in its history.
