ZURICH: The Swiss government ordered all restaurants, sports, and recreation centers closed for a month from Tuesday (Dec 22) and urged individuals to remain at house to curb stubbornly high coronavirus infection rates that prompted calls from scientists and medical professionals for tighter measures.
Confirmed cases in Switzerland and neighboring Liechtenstein have surpassed 400,000 and the death toll has topped 6,000 because the Cabinet on Friday backed away from its “middle path” that had aimed to avoid a second business-crippling lockdown.
“The population is urged to remain at residence. Individuals ought to keep their social contacts to a minimum and refrain from non-essential travel and excursions,” the government stated in a press release, including it remained open to imposing further measures within the weeks forward should the situation worsen.
Individual cantons remained responsible for their own ski resorts, as outside sports in teams of 5 or fewer people stay permitted.
Cantons with low transmission charges can make exceptions to the new guidelines.
The government shied away from imposing new restrictions on the number of individuals allowed to assemble in person or imposing harder lockdown measures such as curfews mandated in neighboring France, taking a similar ‘lockdown gentle’ strategy as it did throughout the early months of the pandemic.
Retailers can keep open, albeit with further restrictions on the number of individuals allowed in.
Personal gatherings of greater than 10 individuals are at present prohibited in Switzerland.
