Latest update from Swissinfo

Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland

This content was published on March 28, 2020 10:33 a.m.

Switzerland is one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus, with more than 13,000 positive tests and over 200 deaths.

Here’s the latest information:

• As of March 28, 13,203 people have tested positive and 237 people have died, according to an aggregate of cantonal statistics. It will take at least a week for the rate of infections to ease, health officials warned on March 21.
   
• The government has issued a recommendation to all citizens to stay at home, especially the sick and the elderly. It has announced a countrywide ban on gatherings of more than five people, as well as more measures to help support the economy.
   
• Cantons can require manufacturing plants to cease operation,  as long as they thereby follow the criteria set down by the federal authorities.
   
• Army personnel have been called in to help customs officials to police the borders with other countries.
   
• An “extraordinary situation”has been declared, resulting in a ban on all private and public events and closing bars, restaurants, sports and cultural spaces; only businesses providing essential goods remain open. Schools are closed nationwide. The measures are in force until April 19.
   

What are the main new government measures?

Public life has been shut down

• Private and public events have been banned, while bars, restaurants, sports facilities and cultural spaces have been closed. Schools and universities are also closed, although some are turning to online and distance learning. Only businesses providing essential goods to the population – such as grocery stores, bakeries and pharmacies – are to remain open.
   
• The measures will remain in place until April 19.
   
• The planned nationwide ballot scheduled for May 17, which included a proposal to scrap an accord with the European Union on the free movement of people, has been postponed. A new date will be set by the end of May.
   

Massive help for the economy

• Officials from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) have said that wages for the month of March are guaranteed, although in some cases there might be delays.
   
• The government has also announced a CHF32 billion ($32.6 billion) aid package to help support the economy, in addition to a CHF10 billion package a week earlier. This money is aimed at helping companies survive the economic downturn caused by coronavirus. Various institutes and banks are predicting a recession in 2020, followed by a bounce back in 2021 – if the virus situation is resolved in the coming months.
   

+ More help for the economy

• The promised economic package provides CHF20 billion for companies with liquidity problems, to help them obtain transitional bank loans. Companies hit by the crisis will be able to defer payment of social insurance contributions temporarily and without interest. These measures also apply to self-employed persons whose turnover has fallen.
   
• There is also money to fund the imposition of short-time work at firms, while other tranches have been set aside for hardship loans and to support specific sectors such as event management.
   
• Partial unemployment claims have increased sharply due to the corona virus pandemic and are expected to continue to rise. As of March 26, some 42,000 companies had submitted such a request. That figure represents 570,000 workers, or 11% of all workers, according to SECO.

Border controls and restrictions on entry 

• On March 25 the Swiss government extended entry restrictions to all Schengen and non-Schengen states.
   
• Only Swiss citizens, Swiss residents, those entering the country for professional reasons (e.g., those who work here and have a permit to prove it), and those transiting through, can enter. Even foreign partners of Swiss citizens who do not themselves have a right of residence in the country will be turned away.
   
• On March 27, Swiss military police officers and a militia battalion were sent to the border to provide support to the Federal Customs Administration.

In exceptional cases, the cantons may order additional anti-corona virus measures for a limited time period. Ticino has closed all construction sites, such as this one in Mendrisio, which downed tools on Monday 23 March 2020. 

What do you need to consider when travelling to and staying in Switzerland? 

• The government  advises against all non-urgent travel in Switzerland and abroad.
   
• All ski resorts have been closed across Switzerland. Tourist trains have also been cancelled.
   
• Swiss International Air Lines has reduced or cancelled many flights to and from areas with a particular risk of infections. The airline announced that it is cutting back on much of its service and reducing working hours for flight personnel to help safeguard its finances during the pandemic. If the situation gets worse, the airline will have to ground all its aircraft and will then be dependent on government aid, Swiss CEO Thomas Klühr says. Check on the SWISS website for details.
   
• Switzerland's national railway operator has reduced its long-distance timetable and many cross-border routes. Further trains services will be reduced within Switzerland on April 2. The TGV between Paris and Switzerland will no longer run from March 28.
   

Where can I find further information on the implications of Covid-19?

swissinfo.ch is keeping this story updated daily with numbers of confirmed cases and deaths, as well as any new significant measures taken by the cantonal and federal authorities. Further sources that we also use and that may be useful to readers, include:
 

• The Federal Office for Public Health (FOPH): live updates of the national situation, as well as recommendations, public safety measures, and details of upcoming announcements.
   
• The World Health Organization (WHO): information on the origins and nature of Covid-19, as well as the global situation and travel advice.
   
• The Swiss foreign ministry: information in French, German and Italian about the situation regarding foreign travel and the steps to be followed by Swiss citizens going abroad.
   
• Johns Hopkins University: a global map that tracks the number of cases and fatalities by country; figures may be slightly different from swissinfo.ch’s map, above, due to time lags and/or different methods of defining “confirmed” cases.

Follow SWI swissinfo.ch here, on Facebook and on Twitter for timely updates on the situation in Switzerland.