R-value too high: these blocks have to retighten the screws

R-value too high: these blocks have to retighten the screws

The number of views increased to more than 1 in seven cantons shortly before Christmas. Therefore, the cantons of Neuchâtel, Vaud and Valais had to lift their exceptions on Sunday.

On Sunday, the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) reported on its website that the Waadt on December 19, the R-value was 1.07 Wallis of 1.15 in Neuenburg from 1.11 in Nidwalden from 1.07 in Hate of 1.12, in Appenzell Innerrhoden of 1.21 and I’m Tessin of 1.02.

This means that shortly before Christmas the disease continued to spread in these cantons and the number of infected increased.

In its ordinance of December 18, the Federal Council stipulated that cantons could suspend the strictest national measures if, among other things, the value of R in their territory was below 1.0 for seven consecutive days.

However, if the number of views exceeds the 1.0 mark for three days (as of January 5, 0.9), these exceptions should be reversed. This would currently be the case in the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel, Wallis and Uri.

Neuchâtel and Vaud respond

Based on these figures, the canton of Neuchâtel decided on Sunday to close its libraries and zoos until January 22. Shops, with the exception of kiosks, pharmacies, bakeries, gas stations and train station shops, must close at 7 pm and the covered sports facilities are no longer accessible even for those under 16 years of age. In addition, as of January 4, a maximum of five people instead of ten will be allowed to meet privately.

The canton of Vaud also announced the end of the exemptions on Sunday. In particular, this means that the restaurants and bars on the slopes have to close, but not the ski resorts themselves. Museums, libraries, gyms, sports facilities will also be closed and Sunday sales will stop, even at train stations. Exceptions are made for bakeries and pharmacies.

Museums, libraries, gyms, sports facilities will also be closed and Sunday sales will stop, even at train stations. Exceptions are made for bakeries and pharmacies.

The government of the canton of Valais also announced the end of cantonal exception measures on Sunday because the R-value had risen above 1. The same restrictions apply in the mountain canton as in the rest of Switzerland.

Underestimated R-value

Due to the time interval between infection and a positive test result, the R-value represents the infection rate in Switzerland for about ten days. For the cantons, the delay is about 14 days.

Across Switzerland, the R value according to BAG fell below 1 on December 5. By December 16, it had dropped to 0.91. After that, the number of views went up again, reaching 0.96 on December 23.

Epidemiologists fear that the number of reproductions will continue to rise during the holidays. The federal scientific working group, which calculates the R-value in conjunction with ETH, notes on its website that the value may be underestimated during the holidays because less testing was done during this time.

For example, the canton of Bern reported “only” 181 new positive coronavirus tests on Berchtold Day. At the same time, between the morning of New Years and the morning of January 2, only 1,062 tests were conducted. In the previous 24 hours there had been 3,600.

New cases of mutation

Also in Basel-Stadt, the number of new infections recorded on Saturday fell by one day from 53 to 21. In the canton of Baselland, 71 new infections were recorded on New Year’s Day, compared to 63 the day before.

At the same time, the sixth confirmed case of a British coronavirus mutation in Switzerland was confirmed in the canton of Bern on Saturday night. He is a nine-year-old student from London, as announced by the Bern health directorate. According to the canton of Neuchâtel on Sunday, the mutated virus was also detected in Geneva. (sda)