No further easing before 26 May

The Federal Council does not intend to take any further opening steps until the end of May. Things could go quickly after that, however. The intention is to create privileges for the vaccinated, the tested and those who have recovered from the virus.

Just last week, the Federal Council, somewhat surprisingly, relaxed social and economic life. On Wednesday of this week, it outlined the long-term strategy for exiting the shutdown. The basis is a three-phase model, until all adult beneficiaries have been vaccinated and the restrictions can be lifted.

How long the individual phases last depends on the willingness of the population to vaccinate and the progress of the vaccination campaigns. According to Health Minister Alain Berset, the goal is "ambitious". But normalisation by the summer is realistic, he told the media. The prerequisite is a high level of vaccination readiness.

Not much will change for the time being, however: in view of the fragile situation, there will hardly be any further opening steps before 26 May – in the so-called "protection phase",  stressed Berset. This phase will last until all particularly vulnerable persons have been vaccinated. According to the Federal Council, this is likely to be the case by the end of May.

Restaurants open from 26 May?
On 12 May, the national government will draw up a list of concrete measures and, if necessary, will open consultations about a further opening package. But it also reserves the right to tighten up the measures again. The Federal Council will also consult the cantons on the three-phase model.

Things could go quickly after 26 May, provided that the number of cases, the hospital admissions and the occupancy of the intensive care units are stable. In the "stabilisation phase", for example, the Federal Council proposes a return to classroom teaching at universities and the cancellation of the home office obligation (new: recommendation).

Federal Councillor Alain Berset explained the three phases at the media conference on Wednesday

Further relaxations are possible in the sports and leisure sector, as well as in the retail trade. In the case of a very favourable development of the situation, the indoor areas of the restaurants could also re-open. When asked, Alain Berset stressed that there were no concrete benchmarks for this.

Berset: "No punishment"
The proposal to create a two-class society in places with high risk of transmission, such as large events, bars or discos, has caused some discussions. If the vaccination rate reaches 40 to 50 percent, the national government wants to introduce selective access for persons who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered from the infection.

It is unclear how many people could attend events at what stage. The federal government has been developing a uniform, tamper-proof and easily verifiable Covid certificate as the necessary identification, and this is due in mid-June.

Berset defended the project: those who do not get vaccinated will not be punished. "Not being vaccinated Is a free decision." Restrictive measures cannot be justified simply because people refused to be vaccinated, however. Berset said this was also an act of solidarity with the people close to them, their family and, in particular, vulnerable people.

The virus will continue to circulate
The "normalisation phase" will begin when all those who wish to do so have been vaccinated. The Federal Council is of the opinion that there will no longer be any justification for strong social and economic restrictions. It wants to stick to this strategy, even if the public's willingness to vaccinate remains low, contrary to expectations.

Berset did make clear, however, that the corona virus will continue to circulate even after all people who are willing to be vaccinated have been vaccinated. It’s to be expected that unvaccinated and non-recovered persons will become infected in the long term. In order to prevent a new wave and an overburdening of the health system, as many people as possible in Switzerland should be vaccinated, and the Federal Council appealed once again to the population.