Switzerland revokes latest health measures introduced to combat coronavirus
On Friday, April 1, 2022, the last measures of the COVID-19 special situation ordinance will be revoked: the obligation to isolate infected persons and the mask requirement on public transport and in health care facilities. This means that the normal situation is restored and the responsibility for taking measures to protect public health is once again primarily with the cantons. Until spring 2023, however, it is advisable to maintain a high level of vigilance and responsiveness. The Federal Council has defined the objectives and specified the division of tasks for this transitional phase in a basic document which it has put out for consultation until 22 April.
Due to the high immunization rate of the population, there has been no significant increase in COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units in recent weeks, despite a new temporary increase in infections. Public health is therefore unlikely to be at serious risk in the coming months. However, it is not possible to predict with certainty how the pandemic will evolve. In all likelihood, the SARS-CoV-2 virus will not disappear, but will tend to become endemic. Therefore, new seasonal waves are to be expected also in the future.
Transitional phase until spring 2023
The Confederation and the cantons plan a transition phase until spring 2023 during which a high level of vigilance and a high level of responsiveness will remain necessary. Structures must be maintained to the extent that they enable the cantons and the Confederation to react quickly to new developments. This applies in particular to testing, vaccination, contact tracing, surveillance and the reporting obligation of hospitals.
Elisa Fanton: “By sanitizing the air, almost no contagion!”
Coronavirus: additional credits of 614 million francs
Anti-COVID measures gone, Switzerland will start racing
Return to normal division of tasks between Confederation and cantons
With the return to normality, most of the tasks in the area of pandemic management will once again be primarily the responsibility of the cantons, as stipulated in the Epidemics Act: it is the responsibility of the cantons to initiate and coordinate measures against communicable diseases. The Confederation has drawn up a basic document in which it defines the objectives and the division of tasks for the transitional phase and has submitted it to the cantons, the social partners and the competent parliamentary committees for consultation. The consultation will run until 22 April.
Prevention.ch is the online “refuge” for health in Switzerland
Valerio Dallago: “Electromagnetism: the medicine of the future”
Temporary deactivation of the SwissCovid app
The Federal Council has also decided to temporarily deactivate the SwissCovid app. With the lifting of the isolation obligation, the conditions for an effective continuation of its use are no longer met. However, the app can be quickly reactivated if the epidemiological situation requires it. The necessary IT infrastructure is therefore maintained. The data of users registered in the federal systems will be deleted.
Adjustments in Ordinance 3 COVID-19
The Federal Council also decided on several adjustments in Ordinance 3 COVID-19. These include discontinuing the assumption of repeat testing costs for vacation camps and colonies and facilitating access to medication for certain severely immunosuppressed individuals.
Source: https://www.admin.ch/gov/it/pagina-iniziale/documentazione/comunicati-stampa.msg-id-87801.html