"The development is going well, but we are not yet over the mountain." With these words, the Swiss Minister of Health Alain Berset ushered in another round of easing the corona-related restrictions on Wednesday.
Switzerland is opening up more than the government in Bern recently announced.
Johannes Ritter
Correspondent for politics and business in Switzerland.
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From Monday onwards, the restaurants are also allowed to serve guests indoors, although only four people are allowed to sit on each table. From now on, 100 instead of 50 people can participate in indoor events, although the rooms can only be used up to half of their capacity. 300 people are permitted for outdoor events from Monday, and thermal baths and wellness facilities are also allowed to reopen. The capacity restrictions for face-to-face events at universities will be lifted and the obligation to work from home will be replaced by the recommendation to work from home if possible.
Health Minister Berset justified the far-reaching easing steps with the improved epidemiological situation. The seven-day incidence is currently 78 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. Contrary to what virologists feared, the previous opening steps have not had a noticeably negative impact on the infection process. Berset attributed this on the one hand to the progress made in the test and vaccination campaign. “Everything indicates that all vulnerable people will be vaccinated by the end of May.” Overall, the vaccination quota in Switzerland for the first vaccination is 32 percent compared to 40 percent in Germany.
If the situation continues to improve, the government is holding out the prospect of further opening steps in the summer. From July onwards, 3,000 people inside and 5,000 outside could take part in major events such as concerts. At the end of August, the number of visitors could even rise to 10,000.