The corona situation in Switzerland is worsening dramatically. But the government is hesitant.
Bern – 1472.5, that is the number that currently prevails in Switzerland. And these are neither new infections nor hospitalizations. 1472.5 is the country’s current 7-day incidence (as of 1/6/2022). For comparison, the number of corona cases is also increasing in Germany. The RKI currently reports a Germany-wide incidence of 285.9. But while the next Corona summit and new rules are due in Germany on Friday (January 7th, 2022), Switzerland seems to be taking a different path.
The number of cases in Switzerland continues to rise day by day. Omikron is now the dominant variant of the coronavirus there too. Patrick Mathys from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) explained at a press conference on Tuesday (January 4th, 2022) that in view of the drastic increase in new corona infections, a sharp increase in hospitalization can be expected. The associated intensive care bed occupancy is an important decision-making basis for the Swiss corona policy.
Corona case numbers in Switzerland are increasing rapidly: no tightening of rules planned
New infections in Switzerland rose dramatically at the end of 2021. After an extraordinary meeting of the Federal Council on New Year’s Eve, stricter measures were waived. A communication said that there were no reliable figures on intensive care bed occupancy. As a result, clubs and bars were also open on New Year’s Eve, and the rush was great. Health Minister Alain Berset said on Wednesday (January 5th, 2022) on Twitter: “Stricter measures (including closings) are ready. Should they be necessary, the Federal Council can decide quickly. ”The politician had already tweeted something similar at the end of December.
| Number of cases in Switzerland | |
|---|---|
| 7 day incidence | 1472.5 |
| Total number of infections | 1,422,932 |
| Total deaths | 12303 |
| Fully vaccinated | 66.99 percent |
| Source: Corona in numbers (as of January 6, 2021) |
Despite the steadily increasing numbers, Switzerland is apparently hesitant. The situation is getting worse and worse. At the end of December, the Federal Office for Civil Protection (Babs) warned of failures in basic services and critical infrastructure. As the SRF reports, the Swiss Federal Railways fear a number of train cancellations due to a lack of staff.
Corona case numbers explode in Switzerland: Experts are calling for measures
Stricter corona rules have come into force in Switzerland since December 20, 2021. 3G, 2G and 2G Plus have expanded. A maximum of 30 vaccinated or convalescent people may meet indoors. If 2G cannot be complied with, this number drops to ten. A home office requirement and an extended mask requirement were also decided. In view of the corona situation, experts are now urgently warning and calling for further measures.
The independent scientific task force of the federal government warns that the number of free intensive care beds should no longer be the sole factor. The Omikron variant could result in less serious cases, but instead the number of hospital patients could increase, reports Zeit online.
Samia Hurst, Vice President of the independent scientific task force of the federal government, warned at a press conference that not enough would be done against Omikron: “If we do not restrict the contacts, Omikron will lead to critical staff shortages in the health institutions”. (slo)
