Switzerland Bends the Knee to Swedish Model, Dismantles Lockdown a Month Ahead of Schedule
Only events with more than 1,000 participants remain banned
The Swiss government brought forward a plan to ease lockdown restrictions in the country meaning pubs, restaurants gyms and other sites can reopen sooner than expected so the country “can learn to live with the virus.”
In a press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and Health Minister Alain Berset announced the easing of restrictions which began on April 27th.
While some of these had been announced previously, others – including removing restrictions on restaurants, pubs museums, art galleries, libraries and on sporting competitions – were surprising as these were initially planned to reopen on June 8th.
Sommaruga said that the relaxations were sooner than expected largely because of the success of the lockdown measures [More like because a crazy unprecedented lockdown was never warranted in the first place.], however she warned that the battle was not over.
“We have achieved a lot. We don’t want to endanger that,” she said. “We will have to live with the virus for a while.” [What should have been from the start.]
Minister of Health Alain Berset said that while reopening bars and restaurants was originally planned for June 8th, doing so on May 11th “is a good way to learn to live with the virus.”
Swiss authorities also stopped short of imposing making face masks, although masks are recommended in public transport – particularly in peak hours.
This is the latest plan to ease restrictions in Switzerland.
Schools
Primary and lower secondary schools will be again allowed to open from May 11th.
The specific regulation of schools is set to take place at a cantonal level. No social distancing rules have been laid out by the federal government, but they may be introduced by the cantons.
Daniel Koch, spokesperson for the Federal Office of Public Health, said “It is very rare for children to transmit and get the virus. Children very rarely infect other children. The situation is stable and there is no contradiction that the schools are reopened – it is understandable and correct.”
Universities, vocational colleges and high schools will also be allowed to host events again, provided it is with groups of five or fewer people.
Grammar school exams will however not go ahead, with the 2020 vocational baccalaureates being decided purely on experience.
Restaurants and pubs open from May 11th
Perhaps the most surprising news from Wednesday’s announcement was that restaurants in Switzerland would again be allowed to open on May 11th, rather than June 8th.
To do so however, they will need to comply with a strict set of requirements.
No more than four people will be allowed to sit at one table, while all guests must be seated. Therefore, pubs will be allowed to open provided seating is provided.
Groups of guests must sit more than two metres away from other groups, or be separated by some form of partitioning.
Parents and their children will be an exception to the four-person limit, with families allowed to sit groups larger than four.
Museums, galleries and libraries
Another surprising aspect of the announcements is that museums would again be allowed to open on May 11th.
These venues will be subject to entry restrictions and hygiene requirements similar to those seen in supermarkets across Switzerland.
Public transport
Public transport will again be allowed to open in Switzerland, with transit networks running according to their regular timetables from May 11th onwards.
The government also announced a package to support the domestic aviation industry, however no indication was given as to when domestic flight schedules would return to normal.
Sports and gyms
From May 11th restrictions on sporting pursuits will also be relaxed, both for professional and for recreational sport.
Gyms will be also allowed to open, provided they could show they were complying with social distancing and hygiene regulations.
As of May 11th, elite team training as well as grassroots sport in groups of five or fewer would again be allowed across the country.
The authorities also gave the go ahead to professional sporting competitions, with Switzerland’s Super League again allowed from June 8th.
This means that the country’s top-flight football competition will be back after only a three-month break.
The games will however take place in front of empty stadiums until at least August.
While grassroots sport will be allowed from May 11th only with groups of up to five, elite and professional sporting competitions will be allowed to begin full training on the same date.
When doing so however these sports will need to ensure that they comply with hygiene requirements as handed down by Swiss authorities.
What will remain closed?
Zoos and botanic gardens are at this stage closed until at least June 8th.
Similarly, events with over 1,000 people are banned until August.
Health Minister Alain Berset said during the press conference that the ban on large-scale events would be reconsidered at a Federal Council meeting on May 27th.
“You can also look at neighbouring countries. They had already pronounced these bans by the end of August.
“Hygiene measures cannot be properly observed at major events and contact tracing is also difficult. It affects a lot of events and I know it’s difficult. But it’s good if you have clarity now.”
Source: The Local
The Swiss have always been some of the most rational decision makers in Europe. Really I’d rather join an EU on the Swiss model!
they went gaga!
Here is an interesting look at the connections between Bill Gates, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and governments around the world:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2020/05/buying-influence-gates-way.html
These connections clearly show us Bill Gates’ agenda for the COVID-19 pandemic and how he has access to the highest levels of government, allowing him to pitch his pro-vaccine solutions as the only option for the world’s diseases to our elected decision makers. Let’s all just bend over and become lab rats for Bill Gates, shall we?
Thanks for the link.
That is absolutely absurd. In Switzerland there is a completely different situation than in Sweden. The number of new infections and new COVID-19 related deaths is much lower in Switzerland than in Sweden. Switzerland obviously does not follow the Swedish model, otherwise, it would also have disastrous results like Sweden.
There is hardly any country that has reacted to the pandemic as badly as Sweden. Apart from a few countries that were surprised by a large outbreak, no country has as many COVID-19 related deaths per population as Sweden, and Sweden is surpassing more and more other countries, recently the Netherlands.
Many Swedes may have hoped that they let die more people than other countries, but that at least their economy suffers less. But recent economic data show that this is not the case, either, Sweden suffers just as much economically as other European countries, and the countries whose economy suffers least will most likely be the East Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand that have acted quickly and competently to suppress the epidemic. They can now largely return to almost normal live while in Sweden, suffering and the crisis will go on for a long time.
Furthermore, the claims about Switzerland in the header (“only events with more than 1’000 participants”) are also completely bogus. Yes, some shops and other institutions have opened again in Switzerland because Switzerland has much, much lower number of new deaths and infections than Sweden, but it is pure nonsense to claim that *only* events with more than 1000 participants remain banned. Many other things remain stopped, as well (in fact, for the time being, all meetings of more than 5 people). Extremely few people in Switzerland, which has been far more successful in dealing with COVID-19 than Sweden want such desastrous, incompetent policies with bad results as in Sweden. Obviously, the people who want to claim that COVID-19 is no serious problem, know that the facts don’t support their ideology, so they have to resort to lies.
Adreng wrote:
“no country has as many COVID-19 related deaths per population as Sweden, and Sweden is surpassing more and more other countries, recently the Netherlands.”
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Your information is not correct. Switzerland has 213 deaths per millions, Sweden has 322 d.p.m., Netherland has 318 dpm, Spain has 572 dpm, the UK has 472 dpm, Italy has 508 dpm, Belgium has 751 dpm.
seriously?!
https://swprs.org/a-swiss-doctor-on-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR3vioPlkfl3q_o5edsufG_wBj7O_SFwaCkYVkXBXNzI_UKE1r75JGcraWc
Really bought into this or maybe one of those Globull Warming fanatics or Malthusian disciple. Unbelievable talk concerning a alleged disease that 99 percent recover 95% are not aware they have/had it. It definitely isn’t the plague. The only thing I wonder about is if it will effectively sterilize people. If so then it was a deliberate attack upon humanity. Won’t know that for awhile though.
Do you have the names of the “extremely few” Swiss, or can you provide source for your claims?