Swiss impose 7pm shutdown for shops, restaurants amid worries
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Customers on the terrace of Les Bains des Paquis in Geneva, Switzerland, last week. On Friday, Switzerland announced that all shops, bars and restaurants must close from 7pm in a bid to fight a resurgent coronavirus.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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GENEVA • Switzerland on Friday announced that all shops, bars and restaurants must close from 7pm in order to fight a resurgent coronavirus that is now stirring political and cultural tensions.
The alpine country, which will apply the new rules until Jan 22, has some of the worst per capita infection rates in Europe and the government fears the situation could spin out of control over Christmas.
"We're witnessing an exponential increase," President Simonetta Sommaruga told a press conference in the capital Bern.
Relations among Switzerland's linguistic groups have also frayed and government responses have come under fire since a new wave hit in the last three months.
From just three new cases recorded on June 1, infections rose slowly but steadily before rocketing in October.
The second wave initially hit the French-speaking west and the Italian-speaking south hardest.
The virus burden then shifted towards the German-speaking majority - and cantons which were in no rush to act despite the government's repeated pleadings.
Many in the Francophone cantons, which were beginning to loosen their restrictions, feel that they are now paying the price for a lack of action in the German-speaking areas.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
