The Swiss government announced, 16 April, a three-stage easing of restrictions imposed to suppress the Covid-19 pandemic, with some stores and services allowed to reopen from 27 April.
Covid-19 has killed more than 1,000 people in the Alpine country but restrictions are to be gradually eased in three stages, beginning on 27 April, with a second stage on 11 May and then a third easing from 8 June.
“We have been able to slow down the infections, the hospitals are not overcrowded, which is good news, and we can now foresee some relaxation,” Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga told a press conference in Bern, 16 April.
While some businesses will be allowed to open, others will be required or recommended to have staff wear face masks.
“As a first step, from 27 April, the Federal Council decided to relax the restrictions for activities that involve few direct contacts, that do not cause significant flows of people and for which it is easy to set up protection plans,” a government statement added.
“The Federal Council also wants to minimise economic damage and reduce restrictions on fundamental rights as much as possible.”
On 27 April, Switzerland’s retail and cosmetic shops will be allowed to open again, while restrictions on hospitals and medical centres performing non-essential procedures will also be lifted, with doctors, dentists and physiotherapists again allowed to carry out general work which had been restricted by the coronavirus.
From 11 May, compulsory schools as well as all remaining shops and markets will be permitted to open, with a final decision on that being made on 29 April. The government said it expected this to stay in place provided the rate of new infections does not increase unexpectedly.
In order to monitor the process, a contract tracing app will be rolled out across the country.
In stage three, from 8 June, secondary schools, universities and vocational schools will be allowed to open. Libraries, museums, botanical gardens and zoos will also be reopened at this time and restrictions will be relaxed, including the ban on meeting in groups larger than five outside the house under certain conditions.
As for major gatherings like concerts and large events, the Swiss government did not yet set a date.
