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The Governing Council of the Canton of Zurich reports on the fight against Covid-19. The most important questions and answers.
The number of cases in the canton of Zurich is increasing. Pharmacies have also been running corona tests since Monday.
The Federal Council tightened measures to combat the corona virus last Sunday. In an extraordinary meeting, the state government decided to impose restrictions on private events, ban public gatherings of more than 15 people, and expand the requirement for masks, and issued a central office recommendation.
However, the Federal Council emphasized that the cantons continue to be in charge of managing the corona pandemic. Several cantonal governments have announced their valid regional rules in recent days. On Friday (12 noon), the Zurich Governing Council will report on the current situation and next steps.
Here you will find the most important questions and answers.
The number of infections has risen sharply since the beginning of October. While daily positive tests were previously around 60, they have now shot up to several hundred a day. A new record with 989 infected people was reported on Wednesday. For comparison: the peak of the first wave was 208 cases, which had been registered on March 21. Of course, it must be borne in mind that fewer tests were carried out in spring. The number of unreported cases was likely significantly higher in the first wave than it is today.
It is also noted in recent weeks that the rate of positive tests has increased significantly. While the positivity rate fluctuated between 0.3 and 3 percent in the summer, it was already 12 percent last week. This is an indication that the number of unreported cases is increasing. Furthermore, now only a fifth of those infected can tell where the infection occurred. In summer it was still half. Zurich’s contact tracing has little chance of tracing the chains of infection.
Both are clear signs that you have greatly lost control of the infection process. Targeted interventions are no longer possible. In this sense, it also explains why the authorities are taking more and more measures aimed at avoiding interpersonal contacts in general.
The stricter crown rules currently apply in Valais. The canton decided this week to close night bars, discos, erotic clubs and gyms. In restaurants you can only eat and drink sitting down, and a maximum of four people per table is allowed, unless they are members of the family. Contact sports like football or ice hockey are reserved for professionals, nursing homes and hospitals can no longer be visited, and there is only distance education for tertiary-level schools.
The neighboring cantons of Zurich have taken less drastic measures so far, mostly differing only on individual points. The canton of Aargau has limited the maximum number of guests present in bars and clubs to 50 people. In Zug, visitors to such bars are checked when they enter to see if they have provided the correct contact details. The St. Gallen governing council, in turn, last week imposed a ban on dancing until the end of the year.
Much more important than the question of how many people have been infected is the question of how many people become seriously ill. Since October 9, and therefore approximately a week after the increase in infections, the number of hospitalizations has increased considerably. Previously, the number of Covid 19 patients in the hospital fluctuated around 30 for weeks, but has now risen to 101 in two weeks. This also increases the work of hospitals. However, the canton is still a long way from the spring figures. At the height of the first wave, there were 207 Covid-19 patients in hospital care.
However, particularly severe cases remain relatively rare. Since mid-August, the number of Covid 19 patients who must be artificially ventilated has fluctuated between 4 and 9 cases. So far no significant increase has been observed, on Wednesday the canton counted 8 cases, on Thursday it was 10. It also appears that patients in general need to be ventilated less frequently. While in the first wave there was one ventilator for every four or five hospitalized patients, in the last few days it was not one in ten. Of course, the relationship can change quickly.
Peter Steiger, deputy director of Intensive Care Medicine at University Hospital Zurich (USZ), has also made some positive observations. This means that USZ patients now have to be treated in the intensive care unit for less time. In spring it was an average of three weeks, now it is 10 to 14 days. And patients die less often. The death rate at the university hospital has dropped by 50 percent, Steiger says. The reasons have not been fully clarified, but progress in treatment certainly played a role.
The burden on Zurich hospitals has increased in recent days. The number of Covid 19 patients in intensive care units is still manageable. For example, 5 patients received intensive care at the university hospital on Thursday, 4 of whom had to be ventilated. In total, the university hospital has 64 places in the intensive care unit, most of which are occupied by other patients.
This also illustrates the dilemma. If the number of Covid 19 patients continues to skyrocket, other patients would have to be left behind. In the spring, the university hospital reserved 30 places in the intensive care unit exclusively for Covid-19 patients. In addition, a total of 100 ventilation sites were created. However, this was only possible because non-urgent interventions had been dispensed with in all hospitals. This not only freed up the treatment sites, but also made additional staff available. The latter in particular is rare.
The words of the SP parliamentary group at the Zurich Cantonal Council were clear and precise: “We call on the government to act. Immediately! ”The Social Democrats announced Monday. As a hugely affected canton, Zurich couldn’t wait for the federal government or other cantons to move. Specifically, the PS called for a ban on private meetings with more than 15 people, as well as clear recommendations for behavior in the private sector, the closure of bars and clubs, including adequate financial support for the companies involved, the suspension of permits for important events and solidarity support to hospitals outside the canton. .
The chairman of the GLP parliamentary group, Michael Zeugin, disagrees, especially regarding the number of people in private meetings. The Cantonal Council describes the proposal of the SP as “alien to life” and “inhumane”, since, for example, in the event of death, the whole family could no longer be reunited. “Currently we are not at a point where we have to restrict the rights to liberty so much,” says the witness. The situation in hospitals should be closely monitored, emphasizes the Winterthur resident, but warns of overreactions. Witness hopes that the federal government will take clearer leadership and develop uniform rules for all cantons on issues such as the number of spectators in sports stadiums. Everything else doesn’t make sense.
Beatrix Frey, leader of the FDP parliamentary group, hopes that the governing council will not compensate for the summer’s omissions with exaggerated measures. He accuses the government of falling asleep in planning the second wave or at least not communicating well enough. Now pressure is mounting from all sides, leading to actionism. “You shouldn’t panic one ban after another, you should react to the situation based on facts,” says Frey. Contact tracing and testing capabilities should be expanded. According to the canton councilor, a clear plan with a traffic light system would also make sense. In this way, the population could be shown what is being decided, when and for what reason.
The Federal Council will report on any further steps next Wednesday. According to the Interior Minister, Alain Berset, it takes at least ten days to assess whether the measures that have already been taken can stop the increase in the number of cases.
The national conference of health directors (GDK) asked the cantons on Thursday to take action in advance if necessary. As examples, GDK President Lukas Engelberger cited an expansion of the requirement for masks in the workplace, a restriction on gathering people in public spaces, restrictions on leisure and dance events, and stricter rules in restaurants and nightclubs. .
