2020 coronavirus pandemic in Switzerland
The 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Switzerland on 25 February 2020 when the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed following a COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. A 70-year-old man in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino which borders Italy, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The man had previously visited Milan.[3][4] Afterwards, multiple cases related to the Italy clusters were discovered in multiple cantons, including Basel-City, Zürich, and Graubünden.[5][6][7] Multiple isolated cases not related to the Italy clusters were also subsequently confirmed.[8]
On 28 February, the national government, the Federal Council, banned all events with more than 1,000 participants. On 16 March, schools and most shops were closed nationwide, and on 20 March, all gatherings of more than five people in public spaces were banned. Additionally, the government gradually imposed restrictions on border crossings and announced economic support measures worth 40 billion Swiss francs
| 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Switzerland | |
|---|---|
Map of cantons in Switzerland by number of confirmed cases (as of 14 April)[1]
1-99 cases
100-499 cases
500-999 cases
1,000-2,499 cases
2,500+ cases
| |
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Switzerland |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China via Milan, Italy |
| Index case | Lugano, Ticino |
| Arrival date | 25 February 2020 (1 month and 3 weeks) |
| Confirmed cases | 25,398[2] |
| Recovered | 12,100[2] |
Deaths
| 1,103[2] |
| Official website | |
n 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 [12][13] has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll
February 2020
On 25 February 2020, Switzerland confirmed the first case of COVID-19, a 70-year-old man in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino bordering Italy, who had previously visited Milan tested positive for SARS-CoV
On 27 February, a 28-year-old IT worker from Geneva, who had recently returned from Milan, tested positive and was admitted to the Geneva University Hospital.[17][18] A 55-year-old Italian who worked in an international company also tested positive in Geneva.[19] Two Italian children, who were on vacation in Graubünden, tested positive and were hospitalised.
A 26-year-old man in Aargau, who had gone on a business trip the week before and stayed in Verona, tested positive and was hospitalised.[18] A 30-year-old woman, who had visited Milan, was admitted to a hospital in Zurich.[18] A 49-year-old man living in France and working in Vaud was confirmed positive in Vaud
A young woman, who had travelled to Milan, tested positive in Basel-Stadt. She worked in a daycare centre in Riehen, and after her test had been confirmed, the children at the daycare were put into a two-week quarantine.[23] On 28 February, her partner, a 23-year-old man, also tested positive in Basel-Landschaft.
March 2020
On 3 March, the University of Zurich announced six confirmed cases of coronavirus at the Institute of Mathematics. As of 5 March, there are 10 confirmed cases at the University of Zurich, at least 7 at the I-Math and 1 at the Center of Dental Medicine.
On 5 March, the Lausanne University Hospital announced that a 74-year-old female coronavirus case had died overnight.[25] The patient had been hospitalised since 3 March, and had been suffering from chronic illness.
On 11 March, a 54-year-old male died from COVID-19 in the Bruderholz Hospital in Basel-Landschaft, marking the fourth fatal case in Switzerland. He had joined a religious event in Mulhouse, France previous to contracting the virus and suffering from pneumonia.
On 27 February, following the confirmation of COVID-19 cases in the region, Graubünden cancelled the Engadine Skimarathon.On 28 February, the Federal Council banned events involving more than 1,000 people in an effort to curb the spread of the infection.[27][28] Multiple events such as carnivals and fairs were either postponed or cancelled. Geneva Motor Show,[29] Baselworld,[30] Bern Carnival and the Carnival of Basel were cancelled.[31] University of Bern replaced all face-to-face lectures with more than 250 attendees with online lectures.
On 6 March 2020, the Federal Council announced a 'changed strategy' with a focus on the protection of the most vulnerable individuals, i.e., older persons and persons with pre-existing conditions.[33]
On 13 March 2020, the Federal Council decided to cancel classes in all educational establishments until 4 April 2020, and has banned all events (public or private) involving more than 100 people. It has also decided to partially close its borders and enacted border controls.[34][35][36] The canton of Vaud took more drastic measures, prohibiting all public and private gatherings with more than 50 people, and closing its educational establishments until 30 April
On 16 March 2020, the Federal Council announced[39] further measures, and a revised ordinance.[40][41][42] Measures include the closure of bars, shops and other gathering places until 19 April, but leaves open certain essentials, such as grocery shops, pharmacies, (a reduced) public transport and the postal service.[The government announced a 42 billion CHF rescue package for the economy, which includes money to replace lost wages for employed and self-employed people, short-term loans to businesses, delay for payments to the government, and support for cultural and sport organisations.
On 20 March, the government announced that no lockdown would be implemented, but all events or meetings over 5 people were prohibited. Economic activities would continue including construction.
Those measures were prolonged until 26 April 2020
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