Allowing large gatherings in Switzerland ‘poses a significant risk’
Faced with the possibility that Swiss authorities will authorise gatherings of over 1,000 people from October 1st, health officials say the measure may spark the second wave of Covid-19 infections.
The government announced last week that over 1,000 people will be allowed to get together from October 1st. The decision was made based on the “needs of society and the economic interests of sports clubs and cultural venues”.
The current limit is 300.
Authorities did say that "strict protective measures will apply and the events will have to be authorised by the cantons, taking into account the local epidemiological situation and their contact tracing capacity”.
However, some health officials are sounding the alarm about the risks involved in allowing such a large number of people to congregate in one place while the Covid-19 pandemic is not yet under control.
“We are seeing a slow but inexorable increase in infections and outbreaks in Switzerland," Philippe Eggimann, president of the Medical Society of French-Speaking Switzerland said in an interview with La Liberté newspaper.
"It is not reasonable to open the way for more transmission opportunities," he added.
READ MORE: 'We're on a dangerous slope': Swiss officials fear more Covid-19 cases as seasons change
According to Eggimann, lifting the restriction on large assemblies would make it harder to trace contacts in the event of coronavirus infections, therefore “encouraging a second wave".
He also noted that the re-opening of schools and the return from vacation will increase social interactions, and with it, the risk of exposure to the virus.
"In this context, allowing crowds of 1,000 people is a significant risk. It would have been safer to watch how things develop and only then make decisions,” he noted.
The warning comes as the number of Covid-19 infections in Switzerland became the highest since the worst of the pandemic in April.
The number of daily cases so far in August has exceeded 200 a day, rising nearly twofold from previous weeks.
That is a substantial surge from the month of June, when the count for daily cases was in the low two-digits.
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The government announced last week that over 1,000 people will be allowed to get together from October 1st. The decision was made based on the “needs of society and the economic interests of sports clubs and cultural venues”.
The current limit is 300.
Authorities did say that "strict protective measures will apply and the events will have to be authorised by the cantons, taking into account the local epidemiological situation and their contact tracing capacity”.
However, some health officials are sounding the alarm about the risks involved in allowing such a large number of people to congregate in one place while the Covid-19 pandemic is not yet under control.
“We are seeing a slow but inexorable increase in infections and outbreaks in Switzerland," Philippe Eggimann, president of the Medical Society of French-Speaking Switzerland said in an interview with La Liberté newspaper.
"It is not reasonable to open the way for more transmission opportunities," he added.
READ MORE: 'We're on a dangerous slope': Swiss officials fear more Covid-19 cases as seasons change
According to Eggimann, lifting the restriction on large assemblies would make it harder to trace contacts in the event of coronavirus infections, therefore “encouraging a second wave".
He also noted that the re-opening of schools and the return from vacation will increase social interactions, and with it, the risk of exposure to the virus.
"In this context, allowing crowds of 1,000 people is a significant risk. It would have been safer to watch how things develop and only then make decisions,” he noted.
The warning comes as the number of Covid-19 infections in Switzerland became the highest since the worst of the pandemic in April.
The number of daily cases so far in August has exceeded 200 a day, rising nearly twofold from previous weeks.
That is a substantial surge from the month of June, when the count for daily cases was in the low two-digits.
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