Almost all curbs on Swiss life lifted

ZURICH • Switzerland lifted almost all of its coronavirus pandemic restrictions yesterday, as fears that a spike in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant would overwhelm the healthcare system waned.

The government said on Wednesday that only the requirement to wear masks on public transport and while visiting healthcare facilities would remain in force temporarily after the changes, which end nearly two years of restrictions on public life.

"The light on the horizon is very visible," President Ignazio Cassis told a news conference in Bern, although he added that the government was ready to reimpose curbs if needed.

"The virus is there. We are learning how to live with the virus," he said.

A mandatory five-day isolation for people who have tested positive will also remain in effect until the end of next month.

However, shops, restaurants and cultural institutions would be freely accessible, the government said.

More than 90 per cent of Switzerland's population of 8.6 million people have gained protection from the virus, having either recovered from Covid-19 or been vaccinated, officials note.

Despite tens of thousands of new infections reported daily, the healthcare system has held up well and the occupancy of intensive care units has declined.

More than 2.6 million infections have been logged in Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein since the start of the crisis.

Around 12,600 people have died from the disease.

"The acute phase is over," Health Minister Alain Berset said, but he added that Switzerland would maintain vaccination capacity to be on the safe side.

REUTERS