Switzerland to lift most COVID-19 restrictions amid declining infections

Switzerland’s executive branch announced Wednesday that the country is lifting most COVID-19 restrictions amid a decline in infections, The Associated Press reported. 

The Swiss Federal Council said that, beginning Thursday, people in the country will no longer be required to wear masks or show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations in shops, restaurants, cultural venues, and other public settings and events, the AP reported.

The council also said the requirement for employees to wear masks in workplaces, the work-from-home recommendation and the capacity limits on large-scale gatherings will end, according to the wire service. 

“The epidemiological situation continues to develop positively,” the government said, according to the AP. “Thanks to the high level of immunity among the population, it is unlikely that the health care system will be overburdened despite the continued high level of virus circulation.”

Travelers entering Switzerland also will no longer be required to complete an entry form or provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test, the AP reported.

Mask mandates for public transportation and health care institutions and a requirement for people to isolate if they test positive for COVID-19 are the only restrictions that will stay in effect for the country, according to the wire service.

The change comes as Switzerland recorded 20,328 new infections on Tuesday, down from a high of nearly 90,000 daily cases at the end of last month, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Deaths resulting from the virus have also recently declined in the country, with 12 reported on Tuesday compared with a record 131 last Wednesday.

As COVID-19-related restrictions are lifted, the Swiss government will also end economic support for businesses significantly impacted by the pandemic, the AP reported.