According to the Swiss TV company RTS, the Swiss government has decided to move to the second stage to lift restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic from May 11, due to the improvement of the epidemiological situation in the country.
In addition to the previously planned opening of secondary schools and shops, the Federal Council considered it possible to open restaurants, museums, libraries and gyms, the work of which now has certain conditions. So, in the gym, it is forbidden to physically contact other people, the number of which should not be more than five at a time. In addition, as elsewhere, in gyms it is necessary to maintain a distance of two meters or more.
The principle of operation of restaurants is similar to the operation of sports centers. Tables must also be placed at a distance of two meters, and at each of them there can be no more than four visitors.
Educational institutions also received some additional opportunities. Now classes in colleges and universities can be conducted not only online, but also in classrooms. The main condition for this is that there should be no more than five students. However, even these measures are a significant relaxation for this segment of educational institutions, previously it was assumed that they would start working almost a month later, from 8 June.
The country's regional governments were given the opportunity to independently decide whether there will be written final examinations in schools.
Despite the removal of many restrictions, the position of the Federal Council regarding the holding of mass events, the number of participants in which exceeds a thousand people, remains the same. They will only be allowed from September 1st.
Removal of prohibitions
The gradual withdrawal from quarantine is due to the fact that in Switzerland the number of cases has significantly decreased. In the period from late March to early April, their daily number reached at least one thousand, but after a month the number of cases did not exceed 150. The decrease in the incidence had a positive effect on the decrease in mortality - on average, according to official data at the beginning of May, from coronavirus infection for less than thirty patients die per day.
The first stage of lifting the restrictions began on May 4. Dental clinics were opened, visits to psychotherapists became available, beauty salons and small hairdressing salons began to receive clients, shops with tools and goods for the garden and vegetable garden also opened their doors. In addition, it became possible to visit a veterinarian, and in hospitals, planned operations resumed, which had previously been postponed indefinitely.
On May 11, schools and shops opened in Switzerland that were still closed. Schools and universities will begin their work in full on June 8.
The restrictions began to be gradually removed, but the state of emergency has not been canceled in the country. One of his prohibitions is meeting in groups of more than five people outside the home and maintaining a distance of at least two meters. Bars, cinemas and non-food stores remain closed after the second phase of lifting the bans.
