Missing Restaurants? Switzerland is the place to go-Restaurants and cafés to reopen on 11 May

During the lockdown period, people have adapted to new ways of living and maintaining strict hygiene. Once the lockdown gets over, the public would still need to comply with the rules on social distancing and maintaining good health.

Saying that Switzerland government is all set to reopen restaurants, museums, shops, schools, and libraries from 11 May. Switzerland is rolling back the coronavirus lockdown before the expected time. President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga and Health Minister Alain Berset have announced the easing of restrictions during a press conference.

Sommaruga maintained that though the restrictions are easing out sooner due to the success of lockdown measures but the battle with the virus is still not over.

The spread of epidemic declines in Switzerland

The spread of the novel virus is slowing down in Switzerland. The decision to ease the measures are taken based on the positive impact of the restrictions. The decline in cases shows that the public is appropriately practising the social distancing and hygiene to contain the virus.

Each phase of easing the lockdown and restrictions will be based on the risk analysis. The government is strictly monitoring the effect of relaxing measures, especially on high-risk people. The Federal council is also considering the impact of these measures on the economy.

Food lovers can rejoice, restaurants to open with guidelines.

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For all the food lovers out there, who have missed restaurants’ foods for long, this piece of news comes to comfort them a bit. The restaurants will reopen from 11 May, subject to strict requirements. The government already discussed with the sector representatives that to resume their business, they need to follow the social distancing measures strictly.

In the first phase of reopening, all guests and groups of guests must sit at least two metres away from each other, or a suitable partitioning should separate them. Also, no more than four people or a group, including parents with children, will be allowed to sit at each table.

A further decision on gradually fully reopening of restaurants will be taken on 27 May by the Federal Council. The further easing of restrictions for restaurants depends on how precautionary measures are being taken.

Sommaruga said that a lot of success is achieved through strict measures, but at least for a while, people will have to live with the virus.

Minister of Health Alain Berset has said that the bars and restaurants were earlier planned to reopen on 8 June but opening them sooner is an excellent way to learn to live with the virus. As per the swiss authorities, masks are recommended in public transport, particularly during peak hours.

People need to follow Social distancing and hygiene rules strictly.

The success of phase-wise easing of lockdown restrictions depends on how strictly people and businesses are following the measures of social distancing and cleanliness. Till there is no treatment for the virus; the only way to contain it is by following the limitations seriously.

Any next decision on ease of restrictions will rely on how well the virus is contained in the coming days. The Swiss government will diligently monitor the impact of easing on the spreading of the virus. All businesses and institutes that will reopen now need to draw a plan to follow the government’s strict guidelines issued by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO and Federal Office of Public Health FOPH.

The Swiss government will decide on a third phase of easing constraints from 8 June, in its meeting on 27 May. The main points to be discussed in the meeting are whether to allow the reopening of cultural values, sports facilities and mountain transport systems, and classroom teaching in baccalaureate schools and higher education institutions.

In the same meeting, the Federal council will decide whether to allow holding religious services or lift the ban on a gathering of more than five people.

The government will also take a call if they need to end the extraordinary situation declared under the Epidemics Act. Based on the outcome of its monitoring programme, the federal council plans to take further decisions for the summer on 26 June.

Primary, lower secondary schools to reopen from 11 May 2020

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Schools will reopen, and there are no social distancing regulations imposed on school by the Federal government. All rules for schools will be decided at the cantonal level.

Daniel Koch, Federal Office of Public Health, Spokesperson said it is unusual for children to get and transmit the virus to others. There is an infrequent possibility of children infecting other children.

High schools, universities and vocational colleges will also be permitted to host events again but with the condition that the groups can include only five or fewer people.

However, grammar school exams will not go ahead, and 2020 vocational baccalaureates will purely be decided on experience.

Which are the restrictions that will continue?

Till at least 8 June, Zoos and botanic gardens will remain closed. Any event that requires a gathering of more than 1,000 people is banned until August. Health Minister Alain Berset also said that the ban on such large-scale events would also be discussed and reconsidered at the Swiss government meeting on 27 May.

He also added that even the neighbouring countries had pronounced these bans to continue till the end of August. The main reason for this is, it is difficult to supervise the hygiene measures in such large-scale events accurately, and contact tracing is also a tough task.

Although Switzerland is ready to ease the restrictions, other European countries are following their guidelines to combat the virus spread. European governments are taking different approaches during the epidemic crisis.

It is a positive sign that the cases have declined. Still, the fight to contain the virus is yet not over. This phase calls for strict hygiene precautions so that ease of restrictions can be granted in the phased manner, and people can function normally in bit by bit manner.