Swiss to Impose Quarantine on Travelers from High-Risk Countries

(Bloomberg) -- Switzerland will impose a 10-day quarantine on people arriving from countries with high Covid-19 infection rates after an increase in cases in recent weeks.

The requirement will come into effect on July 6 and the country’s health authority will publish a list of affected countries, the government said on Wednesday. Swiss Interior Minister Alain Berset said Sweden and Serbia might be on the list.

The government also said it will follow a move by the European Union to lift travel restrictions on 15 countries, but will only implement the change on July 20.

Visitors from China will also be allowed to enter, provided reciprocity is guaranteed for travelers from Switzerland.

Also in reaction to the rising number of infected people, the government made face masks compulsory on all public transport from July 6. The number of infected rose by 137 on Wednesday, the biggest increase since April 30.

“So far, the urgent recommendation in public transport was to wear a mask at peak times. However, this was hardly followed,” the government said, adding it was acting in accordance with expert advice and the wishes of some of the Swiss cantons.

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