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The Federal Council has given the cantons new tightening measures in consultation. SP Health Minister Alain Berset (48) and Basel Health Director Lukas Engelberger (45), as chair of the cantonal health directors conference at Monday’s press conference, declined to comment on the details. .
New draft ordinances are available to VIEW. There are three variants with different “hardening measures”. Depending on the development of the crown situation, packages of measures of different severity should come into effect. Berset does not want to depend on a “rigid traffic light system”, as it is called in the explanatory report, but rather to assess the epidemic situation “using a combination of criteria”. The effective reproduction number, 14-day incidence, positivity rate, and occupancy rate of operated intensive care beds would be particularly suitable for this.
Restaurants close first
The report refers to three packages of measures to be implemented depending on development:
- The catering establishments will remain closed, only take-out offers and home services will remain. There are no exceptions for holidays (like Christmas, New Years Eve). In company canteens, the distance per person required in catering must be guaranteed. School canteens in compulsory schools and restaurants for hotel guests are excluded from this rule.
- Sports and leisure facilities, including fitness centers and sports facilities, will be closed. The only exception to this are permanent visitor campsites. Also, all extracurricular activities are prohibited. All indoor and group training sessions are prohibited. Individual sports that take place outdoors (such as jogging, cycling, etc.) as well as group training for up to 5 people are allowed outside. Competitions in competitive sports are only held to the exclusion of spectators.
- Cultural, recreational and entertainment facilities such as museums, galleries, cinemas, libraries, botanical gardens, zoos, casinos, game rooms, etc. will be closed. Activities in the cultural sector (including school activities) are prohibited. Events in the professional sector with the public are prohibited. Alternative forms of events (such as events streamed online) are allowed.
Package of measures II (in addition to package I):
- Store capacity restrictions will increase considerably. The maximum number of people depends on the number of square meters: small shops are allowed a maximum of three customers. Or large stores with more than 1500 square meters can receive one customer for every 20 square meters, but at least 100 people. Shops and markets are closed on weekends.
- Particularly vulnerable people must be specifically protected without discrimination. As in the spring of 2020, the right to work from home or equivalent protection at work or leave for particularly vulnerable people will be introduced. Specific communication measures and recommendations can also be used.
- Analogously to the recommendations for Easter 2020, the population is once again explicitly asked to stay at home, to limit their social contacts to a minimum, to refrain from unnecessary trips and excursions within and outside the country.
Package of measures III (in addition to packages I and II):
- Stores and markets will be closed, “Click and Collect” models will remain allowed.
Variant 1: The exceptions are stores where at least two-thirds of their turnover comes from food and other everyday goods. The Sunday sales ban will be lifted for these stores.
Alternative 2: the only exception is the sale of everyday goods (definition based on lists used in Austria). Stores that also sell products that are not on this list should cover the appropriate shelves. The Sunday sales ban will be lifted for these stores. - Private events can be held with a maximum of 10 people from 2 households.
- A maximum of 10 people is allowed to meet in public spaces.
Ski resorts are not free
Personal and medical services such as hair salons, tattoo studios, erotic shops, and medical services such as physical therapy would continue to be excluded from the adjustment. These services are still allowed with adequate protection concepts.
The closure of ski areas is not part of this package of measures either. It remains the task of the cantons to approve the protection concepts only if the requirements detailed in the ordinance are guaranteed. However, Berset explicitly states that, depending on the development, “the closure of the ski areas must also be examined by the Federal Council.” That also depends on the experiences during the holidays, Berset threatens the skiers. Furthermore, it is difficult to explain “that ski areas must remain open despite store closures.”
The Federal Council should decide on December 28
However, the Federal Council does not want to decide on Friday whether the first package of measures will be necessary, according to the additional report. That was “a little too early” because the effect of the latest measures was not yet apparent. “However, the Federal Council will look at the most recent data and assess whether there is an immediate need for action,” he says. This is particularly the case if the current R-value “should rise rapidly and sharply.” Doubling the times to two weeks or less would be an additional acceleration that would trigger the need for a more in-depth discussion.
Health Minister Berset suggests December 28 for the next in-depth assessment of the epidemiological situation. Then the Federal Council should decide, based on the criteria, whether and what package of measures to implement.
- If the R-value is above 1 for three days or if the occupancy of intensive care beds increases above 80 percent, then the first package of measures should be implemented; that would be the case today.
- If the R-value is above 1.1 for three days, which is equivalent to doubling in a month, or if the occupancy of intensive care beds increases to more than 85 percent, the second package of measures is discussed.
- And finally: if the R-value is greater than 1.2, which means that it doubles every 7 days, or an intensive care bed occupancy rate greater than 90 percent, the third level takes effect.
If these values are not exceeded, Berset wants to probe the situation again on January 5, 2021. Then, however, the bar is a little lower to activate the packages of measures, namely:
- If the R value is above 0.9 for three days, which means halving it in a month, or if the intensive care bed utilization exceeds 80 percent, then the first package should be implemented of measurements.
- If the R-value is greater than 1 for three days, roughly equivalent to stagnation, or if the occupancy of intensive care beds increases to more than 85 percent, the second package of measures is analyzed.
- And finally: if the R-value is greater than 1.2 or an intensive care bed occupancy greater than 90 percent, the third level comes into play.
The Federal Council would prefer to reach an R-value of less than 0.8 by then, so that the number of cases “clearly falls back.” Berset expects the positivity rate and the 14-day incidence value to decline by then as well.
Even stricter measures in the cantons
If the epidemiological situation worsens within the deadlines, “measures that are capable of calming the epidemic situation quickly and substantially, initiating a decrease in the number of cases and allowing the collapse of the health system and other serious diseases and deaths avoid “.
At the same time, Berset emphasizes that the cantons should continue to order new measures based on this “basic package of measures” if the local epidemic situation requires it.
Are School Closures Coming?
Berset left unanswered for the time being what additional measures to the three packages are possible. In the worst case, school closings could again be a problem. The Federal Council and the cantons want to avoid this as much as possible.
However, in an evaluation of the scientific working group, its head, Martin Ackermann, mentions a “possible additional measure if the infection cannot be reduced and the capacity of the health system is imminent: suspension of classroom teaching in the compulsory schools ”.
In any case, the measures that are already in force today should remain in force until January 22, 2021. On January 20, he wants to decide a possible extension. In the first half of January, the Federal Council also wants to “present a plan for the next steps until spring 2021 in a package of winter measures.”
