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So far, the iron rule has been applied: if a country counts 60 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, it ends up on the list of countries at risk of corona. Anyone entering Switzerland from one of these countries must be quarantined for ten days. There are only exceptions for border areas.
The last time the risk list was adjusted was two weeks ago. But the current criterion was taken to absurdity long before: Switzerland has exceeded the value of 60 since mid-September; it is currently many times higher with 693 cases.
Even the SP Health Minister Alain Berset (48) had to admit last week: “There is no point in including regions in the risk list if Switzerland has significantly more cases of infection than these regions.” The current situation is unsustainable, Berset found and indicated that it will soon be adjusted.
The Federal Council adapts the formula: “CH + 60”
The time has come on Wednesday: the Federal Council wants to adjust the rule for risk countries. Those states or areas should reportedly end up on the risk list with a value of 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants 60 higher than that of Switzerland. The new formula is called “CH + 60”.
In concrete terms, this means: With a value of 693 cases in Switzerland today, the cut-off value for the risk list is 753 cases.
As a result, most of the EU countries would be removed from the risk list. For example, Spain has an incidence value of 446 cases, France 629, Great Britain 416 or Portugal 323, as shown on its website by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Of the EU states, only Belgium with 1,391 cases, the Czech Republic with 1,380 cases and Luxembourg with currently 760 cases would remain on the risk list. However, individual regions with high values could still remain on the list in other countries.
The 10-day quarantine period remains
The ten-day quarantine period for travelers returning from risk countries must also remain in effect. Last week, Berset rejected the proposed cuts. “At 10 days we are already shorter than other countries, we were already pioneers in this area,” says Berset. Ten days is a good optimum. Going below this is not very efficient as it could result in some of the positive cases being released from quarantine too early. “That is not good in the current situation.”
Berset reportedly fears that a quarantine shortening will send “the wrong signal,” according to the Bundesbern.
