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Switzerland adds UK to list of high-risk Covid countries

The Local Switzerland
The Local Switzerland - [email protected]
Switzerland adds UK to list of high-risk Covid countries
Arrivals from the UK have to quarantine. DANIEL SLIM / AFP

Swiss authorities have added the UK to its list of high-risk countries for Covid-19 due to the rising number of infections linked to the variant first detected in India.

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From May 27th at 6pm, the UK was placed on the Swiss Health Ministry’s list of nations with a high incidence of Covid virus mutations.

The UK has been added to the list due to the “worrying” variant first detected in India currently circulating in the country, according to the website of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

This means travellers from the UK must present a negative coronavirus test and undergo a 10 or seven-day quarantine upon arrival in Switzerland, even if they are fully vaccinated.

Switzerland's neighbours Austria, France and Germany have also imposed similar restrictions on UK arrivals.

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This measure concerns anyone entering from the UK, including Swiss citizens and permanent residents returning to Switzerland.

The same rules apply to those arriving from Brazil, Canada, India, Nepal and South Africa.

From May 31st, vaccinated visitors from other countries, or those who have recovered from Covid-19 no more than six months ago, will no longer have to test or quarantine when entering Switzerland.

READ MORE: Switzerland to lift Covid testing and quarantine requirements for some travellers

However, the government abstained from banning flights from the UK altogether, as it did in December 2020 when the UK virus mutation was first detected in Switzerland.

 

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Anonymous 2021/05/28 19:55
somewhat ironic when UK has an avg 2,800 cases weekly and Switzerland 850 but pro rata UK is in a better place + more vaccinated + scientist confirmed that the vaccines work against against the indian variant. Hopefully common sense will prevail since zero covid is a pipe dream

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