The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) quarantine list is a nuisance to vacationers, airlines and local tourism professionals. 23 countries are currently on the list. There could be more soon.
Because Omikron is spreading in more and more places. However, some countries are not on the list, although new mutation cases have already been discovered there. Including Germany. How does the list come?
Neighboring countries are excluded
In principle, the following applies: as soon as Omikron’s status is confirmed, the country is placed in a quarantine list, BAG writes at the request of Blick. However, in comparison with, for example, Portugal and Denmark, Germany has one decisive advantage: it is located on the border of Switzerland. “Neighbours have been excluded so far,” BAG says. Omikron or not: Anyone entering Switzerland from Germany, Italy and other neighboring countries is exempt from quarantine.
Omikron has now also been detected in the United States, the US Health Authority announced Wednesday evening. However, the United States is not currently on the list. “We are still waiting for cases to be confirmed,” writes BAG. So it’s only a matter of time before travelers returning from New York or Miami are quarantined.
The Federal Council can cancel the list on Friday
But the question is how long the list will last, because there is a growing resistance against it. For example, Andre Loti (61), head of the world travel world, demands in his book Blake: “The quarantine list should go immediately.”
Upon request, Swiss wrote that the Federal Council should “establish travel regulations not according to the country of departure, but according to the health risks of travelers.” In general there should be no mandatory quarantine for healthy and vaccinated people, the airline continues. The entire Schengen area (including Portugal and Denmark) should be exempted from quarantine in principle, the Swiss are demanding.
The books on the quarantine list are likely to be reviewed by the Federal Council on Friday. “The entry rules are checked regularly,” says BAG. He added that “the Federal Council will discuss it on Friday and inform them of any decisions after the meeting.”
One thing is for sure: Omikron is already being traded in Switzerland. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) finds travel restrictions a problem. Instead, she recommends extensive testing.
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