Stricter Crown Rules – Cantonal Chief Medical Officer: “Measurements were taken at 12 and 5”

The Federal Council has taken new measures to counter the sharp increase in the number of corona cases, for example, a mask requirement in all indoor areas of public access and a ban on gatherings of more than 15 people. The president of the Cantonal Medical Association, Rudolf Hauri, is confident that the highest standards will come into effect.

Dr. Rudolf Hauri medicine

President of the Swiss Cantonal Medical Association

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Hauri was originally an FMH forensic medicine specialist with some forensic assignments abroad and better known cases in Switzerland. He has been a cantonal doctor of the canton of Zug since 2002 and a senior cantonal doctor in Switzerland since 2017.

SRF News: Are these measures necessary?

Rudolf Hauri: Yes. These are measures that have already been partially implemented in the cantons. Standardization has been indicated because the virus is spreading heavily in Switzerland.

Can you get the pandemic back under control with the rules?

I hope so. That mostly depends on how well the measures are implemented and how well the population supports them.

After closing in spring and clearing in summer, the air is a bit outside. How sure are you that the population will again comply with the new restrictions?

We assume that the majority of the population sees the meaning of the measures and also follows the rules.

The numbers have skyrocketed for about ten days. Aren’t these Federal Council measures too late?

The crown boxes exploded very quickly. In this regard, the measurements were certainly taken at 12 noon or even at 5 after 12 at night.

The canton of Bern goes one step further and prohibits large events with more than 1000 people in the future. Shouldn’t the Federal Council have ordered it as well?

I know the protection concepts of many associations and I know that they are very good and they are fulfilled. So I can understand that major events are not federally restricted yet. But that can happen.

So, do you see it as a mistake that soccer games are banned in front of an audience?

I don’t see that as a mistake. The cases that I am aware of are mainly due to smaller events, for example in the family circle. But whether a canton concludes that major events pose a threat to it too, that depends on the canton.

The Federal Council has taken the reins again. Is that disempowering, or even a welcome relief for cantons, because they don’t have to force people to apply strict restrictions?

From the perspective of the cantonal medical profession, this is not a loss of power, but a logical consequence. It is an aid and creates clarity.

Was it a mistake to transfer so much responsibility to the cantons?

It was certainly not a mistake to return responsibility to the cantons. You have to keep moving forward and accumulating experience.

Some cantons have said they are overwhelmed with contact tracing. Will the Federal Council’s measures calm the situation?

Contact tracing was heavily loaded, sometimes overloaded as well. We hope these measures will help us trace the infection chains smoothly again. We will see in the coming days and weeks if this really works.

At the moment, the reproduction rate, that is, the number of people infected by a person infected with corona, is 1.6. The aim is to get this back to below 1. Will Switzerland really achieve that with the new measures?

If the population participates and supports the measures, I assume that it will be successful. Anyway, it is worth the effort.

The interview was conducted by Claudia Weber.