This afternoon, 28th of October at 16:15 there was a new press conference from the Swiss government to inform us of new measures and restrictions implemented in an effort to curb the COVID-19 spread further.
The press conference was broadcasted on the RTS where you can find more information on the new measures implemented. For the time being it has not yet been translated to English. Switzerland is currently a "hot spot" with over 8'000 new cases in 24 hours this morning.
The main message was that by now we all know theoretically how to curb the spread of the virus, and there was a call to the Swiss citizens to play their part and be socially responsible when it comes to our behaviour during this pandemic. There is also a clear hope and effort to avoid a confinement as drastic as the one we experienced in March.
Specifically, the new measures are the following:
Public manifestations are limited to 50 people. This includes events such as weddings, sporting events, or religious gatherings.
Private gatherings are limited to 10 people. These have often a source of multiple infections as precautions are less strict with familiar people
Nightclubs will close
Close contact sports and events of over 15 people are banned
Bars and restaurants will close at 23:00 and
A limit of 4 people per table at a restaurant is implemented (with the exception of single households that have a larger number)
Masks will be worn in more public places (markets, parcs)
Working from home is recommended whenever at all possible
Higher education learning will be done remotely as of Monday
The big news on testing is that the so-called rapid-tests or "test rapides" have proven to be reliable enough to roll them out. This means that they will be available in certain pharmacies, clinics, or other places as the canton decides. They give a result within 15 minutes, thereby giving much more clarity and insight and to reduce the waiting times and potential spreading of the virus in case of a positive result.
There is an FAQ section regarding COVID (albeit it in French) on the swiss administration site.
To all our readers, keep safe and healthy!